I love walking in the woods, on the trails, along the beaches. I love being part of nature. I love walking alone. It is therapy. One needs to be alone to recharge one’s batteries.
— Grace Kelly
Soon-to-be princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly was 26 years old when she agreed to marry Prince Rainier. She was at the top of her game having just won an Oscar for The Country Girl, and she held Hollywood and the world in the palm of her hand. Before settling into her royal role, however, she had one more role to play – that of Tracy Lord in the MGM film High Society (1956).
Hollywood hit the road and headed to Newport, Rhode Island, for on location shooting and Grace became a summer resident at the elegant and historic Castle Hill Inn. She secured a cottage of her own with a small beach only steps away from her room. Seeking a place for relaxation and privacy, Grace would visit the beach and enjoy her free time there.
The staff of the inn noticed how often Grace would venture down to the beach and how unwieldy it was for her to climb back up the rocky hill. They soon had a staircase built for her to make her hideaway all the more accessible, and it was christened “Grace Kelly Beach.”
-Images are my own unless otherwise noted-
When I visited Grace Kelly’s beach I couldn’t help but think of what Grace was thinking and feeling during this time of her life. After all, she was about to leave her home country to become a ruler in a foreign one. Was she reticent about leaving her friends and family behind, having to learn another language, and having to live up to the public’s expectations?
Image: Public Domain
Grace Kelly brought undeniable warmth, charm, and elegance wherever she went; although she is gone, she is not forgotten. Grace is one of my favorite actresses and it was both a thrill and an honor for me to discover and visit a place that was so special to her. If you’re a fan, be sure and capture this piece of royal Hollywood history for yourself!
UPDATE: I discovered more of Grace Kelly Beach when I visited a second time at low tide. You can read about it by clicking here.
This post is my contribution to The 5th Wonderful Grace Kelly Blogathon hosted by Musings of a Classic Film Addict, The Flapper Dame, and The Wonderful World of Cinema. Thank you, ladies, for hosting this Grace-filled event!
Be sure to stop by their blogs and read the other lovely posts honoring the one and only Grace Kelly. For day 1 click here, day 2 click here, and day 3 click here.
Want more Grace? Check out my post Grace and Kate: The Princess and The First Lady of Cinema, then read about Grace as the ultimate Hitchcock blonde in my review of Hitchcock’s Heroines by Caroline Young.
Thanks for reading and for visiting The Classic Movie Muse!