Why did Grace Kelly marry Prince Rainier?

[ThymeafterThyme]

She was a young, beautiful, talented actress at the peak of her career. Independently wealthy too.

It seems like she barely knew Rainier, they were like penpals.

She got to be a princess, but only a Serene Highness, and Monaco was a tiny principality held in low regard by other Western countries.

She looked utterly wretched on her wedding day - far more than Charlene did. I know what Grace Kelly did for Monaco but don't get what attraction it held for her.

Why would OP be jealous of a woman who's been dead for 40 years? It seems a strange thing to get incensed about.

Wasn’t her dad super ambitious (and all the family), a bit like the Kennedys? And as pp have said GK had aced Hollywood but it was an awful place and the relationships she had with co-stars hadn’t worked out. I vaguely remember she had wanted to do more stage work to begin with, but got sucked into Hollywood and her parents thought it tacky? Anyway Ranier had ridiculous amounts of money, was apparently very decent and offered a happy and stable home life. I thought their marriage was a happy one? Who did her contemporaries marry and were they happy? Eg rita Hayworth and aga Khan, similar thing

She was an American. He is a Prince.

I read once that she was unhappy with the dropping of flower petals onto them from the air that he’d arranged on the wedding day.

Grace was a classic Hitchcock icy blonde with perfect resting bitch face so probably gave off an aura of ambivalence at times.

There was a really interesting documentary on about her a few months ago and it explored the relationship and reasons for marrying.... I'm sorry I can't remember what channel it was on.
They apparently had a holiday home in the hills and would decamp there with the whole family. The home movies from the trips there were so sweet and natural. Her niece was speaking on it about her relationship with Rainier and their love for each other. She died so young really - only early 50s.

@Butteredtoast55

There was a really interesting documentary on about her a few months ago and it explored the relationship and reasons for marrying.... I'm sorry I can't remember what channel it was on. They apparently had a holiday home in the hills and would decamp there with the whole family. The home movies from the trips there were so sweet and natural. Her niece was speaking on it about her relationship with Rainier and their love for each other. She died so young really - only early 50s.

I think it might have been channel 5. I did watch it, it was interesting.

@ShippingNews - I think you need to examine the facts a bit more. Grace wasn't very happy and she and Rainier lived increasingly separate lives.

Whatever the reason, I think her wedding dress is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

Completely agree re wedding dress.

I read a very good biography about Grace Kelly. Apparently, despite her beauty and Hollywood success her father always much favoured her sister. I think GK had a bit of an Electra complex about her father and was desperate to win his approval etc - and, let's face it, marrying a real life prince is rather impressive.

In later years of their marriage they lived totally separate lives, with GK living in an apartment in Paris 90% of the time.