Photo credit: Janet Donovan
“I think her artistic legacy is what we are celebrating this year as she would’ve turned 90,” H.E.Maguy Maccario Doyle, Ambassador of Monaco to the United States, told Hollywood on the Potomac at a private event at the Motion Picture Association in downtown Washington, DC to mark the 90th Anniversary of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, co-hosted by Ambassador Charles Rivkin, Chairman MPA. “She is though – through film – young and beautiful forever. As a Princess of Monaco, of course we have fond memories of her and how generous she was of spirit and heart and how she relentlessly worked for Mediterranean causes. She continued to support and love the arts and that is why after her passing, Prince Rainier and his children launched this foundation which continued artistic legacy. The foundation helps identify emerging artists in three categories: dance, film and theater for special grants, scholarships and fellowships. And for the past 37 years, the foundation has awarded $16 million in prizes to more than 800 individuals nationwide, including here at home in Washington, DC. So that’s also why we are having this event today, to celebrate Princess Grace here in Washington.”
“All the family’s doing well and of course now they have children of their own and even Princess Caroline has grandchildren,” she added. “I’m always surprised when talking about Monaco when I say Monaco it is only one square mile. People say it’s not possible, but it’s because we have reach far beyond our geographical sites. The film we’re showing tonight is really a classic. This delicious chemistry between the two of them, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, is wonderful.”
John Lehman and Amb. Maguy Maccario Doyle
“The foundation, as you know, was founded by Prince Rainier that started in the year that Princess Grace died,” John Lehman, Chairman of The Princess Grace Foundation told us. “He felt the best monument to her would be to continue her really unheralded work helping young emerging artists both financially and mentoring in the performing arts: dance, motion pictures and drama. We had our first gala here in Washington with President and Mrs. Reagan. It was a great day, a great occasion and the President was terrific. It was a very good kickoff. Lynn Wyatt was our chair and we’ve been going from strength to strength ever since. We now have approximately 850 alumnae who have received awards and gone on to greater things. We give about a million dollars a year in scholarships and fellowships and special projects in those three areas of the performing arts. We have many very prominent names and we have some very prominent Washington emerging artists that we are honoring and that we have selected and who we’re sure will go on to achieve great things. We have ballet instructors and modern dance teachers, set designers, costume designers, directors, playwrights. We really have had, I think, a tremendous beneficial impact on the performing arts here in the United States and the world really, although we restrict our fellowships and scholarships to the United States. But these are really world class artists that have really made major contributions to the culture of the world. We’re all connected to that life, you know. Princess Grace would be very proud of what has been accomplished because she helped so many young artists and she never wanted it known what she was doing because she didn’t want to be seen as a lady bountiful dispensing her contribution.“
DeDe Lea
DeDe Lea, head of global government relations for Viacom, the parent company of Paramount Pictures, introduced the movie. “To Catch A Thief is our movie, a Paramount movie and frankly, one of my favorite movies. I have a special place in my heart for the Princess because we share a birthday. So I’ve always just felt like I had to be a little bit more elegant following in these great footsteps. I think you’re going to enjoy the movie which obviously showcases the French Riviera in a way that will make us all want to leave here today and go and maybe The Ambassador can arrange that for us to do a screening in Monaco of this movie with the people who were here. I think this is a wonderful way to spend a cloudy day looking at beautiful Monaco which you will see in a few minutes.”
Amb. Maguy Maccario Doyle and Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Education and Cultural Affairs
“Grace Kelly had a very short career starting at the age of 21 and for the next five years she appeared in 11 films for which she received great accolades and accomplishments including a Golden Globe Award as best supporting actress and of course an Academy Award for a role in The Country Girl and that was in 1955. A year later she was Princess Grace of Monaco and came with not only grace, intelligence and beauty, but with purpose. This film has absolutely everything. Grace Kelly is absolutely stunning. She even releases a childlike quality that we’ve never seen in other movies and she sometimes appear as this provocative Lolita and at other times this Femme Fatale. We continue to celebrate her legacy after an untimely death at the age of 52.” The Ambassador of Monaco
To Catch A Thief trailer:
