Posted on 10/22/2016 11:12:33 PM PDT by Olog-hai
The Philadelphia home where Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly grew up and accepted a marriage proposal from Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1955 is now in the hands of the royal family.
Her son, Prince Albert of Monaco, has confirmed to People Magazine that he was the recent purchaser of the six-bedroom, 2.5-story Colonial home in the city’s East Falls section.
He said in an interview on the magazine’s website posted Friday that the house is “very special to our family.” He said he was happy to have saved it “from a near certain death or development.” […]
The home was built in 1935 by Kelly’s father, John B. Kelly. He was a three-time Olympic gold medal-winning rower in the 1920s and later a prominent businessman active in Philadelphia politics. A sign posted outside designates the structure as a Pennsylvania historical landmark. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted2.ap.org ...
I once lived in an apartment building that looked exactly like that.
It was an old mansion that had been divided up. My apartment was the lower left one. The regal old Russian landlady who owned it was old money who had fallen on hard times; she still lived there, in the lower right apartment.
She sometimes invited me in for tea.
She was like an elderly Grace Kelly, with so much charm and dignity, always wearing her fringed shawl and amber brooch. I was in awe of her.
Her parents had been arrested and disappeared by Stalin, and I was a student, majoring in Russian studies.
She would point and shake her finger at me and say, “You Americans! You have no idea how blessed you are!”
I’d listen to her for hours until she kicked me out.
Wow. Thanks for posting that picture.
Had a good friend from there during college, whose family lived in Rittenhouse Sq area. He invited me to visit, though I never got the chance. Pity, it’s an historical city in general.
Lovely story!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.