Royalty in Monaco

Book categories: Monaco, Rainier, Grace, Kellys, Grace's Daughters, Children's Books, DVDs, European Royalty

Royal House of Monaco

The Royal House of Monaco: Dynasty of Glamour, Tragedy and Scandal by John Glatt examines the history of the royal House of Grimaldi. (The British title of this book is The Ruling House of Monaco: The Story of a Tragic Dynasty.) Out of print, but available from Alibris.

The Grimaldis of Monaco: The Centuries of Scandal, the Years of Grace by Anne Edwards. For over 800 years the Grimaldi family has proved masterful at surviving in a world where most small countries have been swallowed up whole. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Palace: My Life in the Royal Family of Monaco by Christian De Massy and Charles Higham. About Monaco's royal history and scandals. The author, Christian de Massy, is the son of Prince Rainier's sister Antoinette. Out of print, but available from Alibris. (Some copies are listed at Alibris as being for "young readers," but this is erroneous; the book is not appropriate for children.)

Prince Rainier III

Prince Rainier of Monaco: His Authorised and Exclusive Story by Peter Hawkins. Published in 1966. Out of print, but sometimes available from Alibris.

Princess Grace & Her Marriage

True Grace: The Life and Times of an American Princess by Wendy Leigh. Biography of actress Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco. Despite her beauty and success, her life had more than its share of unhappiness.

High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto. After a whirlwind Hollywood career, Grace Kelly retired at age 26 to marry Monaco's Prince Rainier. This biography is based on never-before-published interviews with Grace and her friends. The author knew Princess Grace personally.

Once Upon a Time: The Story of Princess Grace, Prince Rainier and Their Family by J. Randy Taraborrelli. A look behind the fairy tale marriage of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier.

Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures edited by Pierre-Henri Verlhac and Yann-Brice Dherbier. Published on the 25th anniversary of her death, this book contains 160 images capturing the early years, film career, royal marriage, and private life of Monaco's Princess Grace.

The Grace Kelly Years: Princess of Monaco by Frederic Mitterrand. This is the companion book to the tribute exhibition commemorating the 25th anniversary of Princess Grace's death. It includes many never-before-seen photos.

Remembering Grace. Photos of Princess Grace of Monaco taken by Howell Conant, who knew her from 1955 until her death in 1982. Many of these images appeared in Life, Look, Paris Match, Collier's, and other magazines. Several are published for the first time.

Grace Kelly: Icon of Style to Royal Bride by H. Kristina Haugland. Tells the story behind Princess Grace of Monaco's wedding gown, cap, veil, shoes, and prayer book, all given by the princess to the Philadelphia Museum of Art shortly after the ceremony. Includes color images of the wedding dress, accessories, and attendants' dresses, along with numerous historical photographs illustrating the actress's career, style, and wedding.

Princess Grace by Sarah Bradford. The granddaughter of an Irish farm boy, Grace Kelly became a top Hollywood star and then the wife of a ruling European prince, yet remained an unusually private person. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Grace of Monaco: An Interpretive Biography by Steven Englund. Illuminates the private Princess Grace: her motivations, her inner thoughts, and her feelings about trading the glitter of Hollywood for the responsibilities of Princess of Monaco. From Alibris.

Grace: The Story of a Princess by Phyllida Hart-Davis. A 1982 biography with numerous black and white photographs. From Alibris.

Grace by Robert Lacey. An in-depth biography of Grace Kelly, the American actress who married Prince Rainier. From Alibris.

Rainier and Grace: An Intimate Portrait by Jeffrey Robinson. First published in 1989, this book tells the complete story of one of the most famous romances of the 20th century. From Alibris.

Grace: The Secret Lives of a Princess by James Spada. First published in 1988, this book "raises the shades on Kelly's past, reveals the secret loves, and rips the scab off her aura of respectability." From Alibris.

Grace Kelly's Men by Jane Ellen Wayne. A 1991 book about the romantic life of Princess Grace. From Alibris.

Princess Grace: A Biography by Gwen Robyns. Published in 1976 and reissued after Grace's 1982 death. From Alibris.

Princess of Monaco: The Story of Grace Kelly by Gant Gaither. Published in 1957, shortly after Kelly's marriage to Prince Rainier. From Alibris.

Grace Kelly's Family and Friends

Those Philadelphia Kellys: With a Touch of Grace by Arthur H. Lewis. Biography of the famous Kelly family of Philadelphia, whose daughter Grace became the Princess of Monaco. Published in 1977, before Princess Grace's death. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

The Bridesmaids by Judith Balaban Quine. Tells the story of Grace Kelly and six intimate friends who became her bridesmaids. The author, Judith Quine, was one of the bridesmaids. This book was published after Princess Grace's death. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Princess Caroline & Princess Stephanie

Monaco's Wild Child: Princess Stephanie's First Ever Biography by Valentina Artsrunik. Biography, published in 2004. From AbeBooks.

Caroline & Stephanie: The Lives of the Princesses of Monaco by Susan Crimp and Patricia Burstein. Biography, published in 1988. Out of print, but sometimes available from Alibris.

Children's Books

Princess Grace of Monaco by Tim O'Shei. Biography for children ages 9 to 12.

Grace Kelly Paper Dolls in Full Color by Tom Tierney.

Princess Caroline of Monaco by Jill C. Wheeler. A biography for children.

On DVD

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

America's Castles: The Prince's Palace in Monaco. Historians and scholars trace the history of the castle from its construction to the present day, and extensive footage shows Grace and Rainier enjoying their magnificent home. From A&E.

Grace Kelly: Hollywood Princess. This documentary goes behind the public facade to reveal the truth about the "fairytale" life of the movie star-turned-princess.

Grace Kelly: The American Princess. A 1987 documentary that includes interviews with her actor friends.

The Grace Kelly Story is a 1983 movie starring Cheryl Ladd as Princess Grace. Sometimes available.

Other Royalty DVDs