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Monaco Princes and Princesses on Stamps

From the original Art on Stamps archive

In 1297 the principality was acquired by the house of Grimaldi, a Genoese family. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the Grimaldi were dispossessed and their principality was annexed by France. By the terms of the 1815 Treaty of Vienna, the principality was made a protectorate of the kingdom of Sardinia. In 1861 Monaco was restored as an independent principality under the guardianship of France. Monaco was granted a constitution by Prince Albert I in 1911. The heir to Prince Rainier (77 years old in 2000) is Prince Albert (born 1958).

In 1956 Prince Rainier married Grace Kelly, an American film actress. The international attention which the marriage attracted materially helped the rebuilding of Monaco's fortunes during the 1960s and 1970s, helping to turn it into a leading destination for the richest holiday makers.

Grace Patricia Kelly was born the November 12, 1928, in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Some say about Grace that she was the most beautiful woman ever.

She then starred in three consecutive films directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco died in a car accident in the year 1982.