Editing Grace Kelly (section)

== Early life and family ==
[[File:The Kelly Family House in East Falls, Philadelphia.JPG|thumb|The Kelly family home, built by [[John B. Kelly Sr.]] in 1929, in [[East Falls, Philadelphia]]]]
Grace Patricia Kelly was born on November 12, 1929, at [[Hahnemann University Hospital]] in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, to an affluent and influential family.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|last=Kearns|first=Kevin C.|url=|title=Ireland 1963: A Year of Marvels, Mysteries, Merriment and Misfortune|date=September 21, 2018|publisher=Gill & Macmillan Ltd|isbn=978-0-7171-8076-9|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite book|last=Stein|first=Robert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkhfappe2VUC&dq=grace+kelly+irish+american+family&pg=PA91|title=Media Power: Who Is Shaping Your Picture of the World?|date=2005|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-0-595-35825-0|language=en|access-date=December 29, 2021|archive-date=September 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928223850/https://books.google.com/books?id=rkhfappe2VUC&dq=grace+kelly+irish+american+family&pg=PA91#v=onepage&q=grace%20kelly%20irish%20american%20family&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite book|last=Mallory|first=Mary|url=|title=Living with Grace: Life Lessons from America's Princess|date=June 30, 2018|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4930-3687-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/highsociety.htm|title=High Society (washingtonpost.com)|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 2, 2016|archive-date=July 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710123617/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/highsociety.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Watson|first1=William E.|url=|title=Irish Americans: The History and Culture of a People: The History and Culture of a People|last2=Halus|first2=Eugene J. Jr.|date=November 25, 2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-467-4|language=en}}</ref> Her father, [[John B. Kelly Sr.]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/05/grace-kelly-201005|title=Grace Kelly's Forever Look|first=Laura|last=Jacobs|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=March 30, 2010|access-date=September 7, 2020|archive-date=January 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121040727/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/05/grace-kelly-201005|url-status=live}}</ref> was born to [[Irish immigrants]];<ref>{{cite web|title=John B. Kelly Sr: a historic achievement in Antwerp, and a legendary dynasty|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/john-b-kelly-sr-a-historic-achievement-in-antwerp-and-a-legendary-dynasty|website=Olympics|access-date=January 13, 2021|quote=John B. Kelly was born in Philadelphia on 4 October 1889, one of a family of 10 children. His Irish parents had emigrated to the United States a few years earlier|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515020510/https://olympics.com/en/news/john-b-kelly-sr-a-historic-achievement-in-antwerp-and-a-legendary-dynasty|url-status=live}}</ref> he won three Olympic gold medals for [[sculling]]. He owned a successful [[brickwork]] contracting company that was well known on the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]]. As the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] nominee in the 1935 election for [[mayor of Philadelphia]], he lost by the closest margin in the city's history. In later years, he served on the [[Fairmount Park]] Commission and, during [[World War II]], was appointed by [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]] as National Director of Physical Fitness. His brother [[Walter C. Kelly]] was a [[vaudeville]] star, who also made films for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] and [[Paramount Pictures]], and another brother named [[George Kelly (playwright)|George]] was a [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning dramatist, screenwriter, and director.<ref name="leigh">{{harvnb|Leigh|2007}}</ref> He built the family home at 3901 Henry Ave in the [[East Falls, Philadelphia]], neighborhood. The Kellys' former family home went up for sale for $1 million in June 2016.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gordon |first1=Lisa Kaplan |title=Philadelphia Childhood Home of Princess Grace Selling for $1M |url=https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/princess-grace-childhood-home-selling-in-philadelphia/ |website=Realtor.com News |date=June 24, 2016 |access-date=8 July 2024}}</ref> It wound up selling in September 2016 for $775,000.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tanenbaum |first1=Michael |title=Grace Kelly's childhood home finally sells in East Falls 'love story' |url=https://www.phillyvoice.com/grace-kellys-childhood-home-finally-sells-east-falls/ |website=Philly Voice |date=September 29, 2016 }}</ref>

Kelly's mother, [[Margaret Majer]], was of [[German ancestry]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB1Z-7ZD|author1=Department of Records|title=Margarethe M. Majer, 13 Dec 1898; "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860–1906"|website=FamilySearch|page=378|access-date=October 21, 2016|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506194011/https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VB1Z-7ZD|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=upenn>{{cite web|title=Margaret Majer Kelly (1899–1990)|url=http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/1800s/kelly_margaret_majer.html|work=[[University of Pennsylvania]]|access-date=April 4, 2016|archive-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427225505/http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/1800s/kelly_margaret_majer.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Margaret had taught physical education at the [[University of Pennsylvania]] and had been the first woman to coach women's athletics at Penn.<ref name=upenn /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Kaplan|first1=Tracey|title=Margaret Kelly, 91; Princess Grace's Mother, Head of Influential Family|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-08-mn-107-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 8, 1990|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=January 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116114047/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-08/news/mn-107_1_margaret-kelly|url-status=live}}</ref> She also modeled for a time in her youth.<ref name=upenn /> After marrying John Kelly in 1924, Margaret focused on being a homemaker until all her children were of school age, following which she began actively participating in various civic organizations.<ref name=upenn /> Patrilineally, Margaret descended from [[Prof.]] {{ill|Johann Christian von Majer|de}} (1741–1821) from [[Ludwigsburg]], who worked as a political scientist, jurist and theologian,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.genealogics.org/pedigree.php?personID=I00009246&tree=LEO&parentset=0&display=standard&generations=8|title=Grace Kelly|work=Genealogics ~ [[Leo van de Pas]]|accessdate=March 1, 2023}}</ref> and was elected five times [[Rector (academia)|Rector]] of the [[University of Tübingen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.archivportal-d.de/item/AL7S37WDZPZWDCMF532DDO4KSVVZZJEE?isThumbnailFiltered=false&rows=20&offset=0&viewType=list&lang=en&hitNumber=1|title=Majer, Johann Christian von * 1741|work=Archivportal-D – German Digital Library|accessdate=March 1, 2023}}</ref> Through him, Grace was descended from the [[Stauffenberg family]] and many other minor German noble families, such as von Plieningen, von Münchingen, von Ow, von Bettendorf, von Nippenburg, and von Roth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.genealogics.org/pedigree.php?personID=I00100429&tree=LEO&parentset=0&display=standard&generations=8|title=Prof. Johann Christoph von Maier|work=Genealogics ~ [[Leo van de Pas]]|accessdate=March 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.genealogics.org/pedigree.php?personID=I00338264&tree=LEO&parentset=0&display=standard&generations=8|title=Christine Sparn|work=Genealogics ~ [[Leo van de Pas]]|accessdate=March 1, 2023}}</ref>

Kelly had two older siblings, Margaret and [[John B. Kelly Jr.|John Jr.]], and a younger sister, Elizabeth. The children were raised in the Catholic faith, and Grace continued to practice the faith until her death, with [[Rita Gam]] describing her as a "deeply religious person".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5514352/High-Society-Grace-Kelly-and-Hollywood-by-Donald-Spoto-review.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5514352/High-Society-Grace-Kelly-and-Hollywood-by-Donald-Spoto-review.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Grace Kelly and Hollywood by Donald Spoto|work=[[The Times]] |location=UK |first1=Donald|last1=Spoto|date=May 28, 2009|quote = Born in 1929 and raised by stiff-necked Catholic parents in Philadelphia&nbsp;... Philadelphia convent girl (always remaining Roman Catholic)&nbsp;... |access-date=May 20, 2010|first2=Barry|last2=Forshaw}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="jacobs201005">{{cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/05/grace-kelly-201005|title=Grace Kelly's Forever Look|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=May 2010|access-date=December 30, 2010|first=Laura|last=Jacobs|archive-date=January 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121040727/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/05/grace-kelly-201005|url-status=live}}</ref> Kelly grew up in a small, close-knit Catholic community. She was baptized and received her elementary education in the parish of Saint Bridget's in [[East Falls]]. Founded in 1853 by [[Saint John Neumann]], the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia, Saint Bridget's was a relatively young parish, with families very familiar with one another. While attending [[Ravenhill Academy]], a Catholic girls' school, Kelly modeled fashions at local charity events with her mother and sisters. In 1942, at the age of 12, she played the lead in ''Don't Feed the Animals'', a play produced in East Falls by the Old Academy Players.<ref name="leigh" />

In May 1947, Kelly graduated from Stevens School, a private institution in nearby [[Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia|Chestnut Hill]], where she participated in drama and dance programs. Her graduation yearbook listed her favorite actress as [[Ingrid Bergman]] and her favorite actor as [[Joseph Cotten]].<ref name="highsociety">{{cite book| last = Spoto| first = Donald| title = High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly| publisher = Harmony| year = 2009| isbn = 978-0-307-39561-0| page = [https://archive.org/details/highsocietylifeo00spot/page/22 22]| url = https://archive.org/details/highsocietylifeo00spot/page/22}}</ref> Written in the "Stevens' Prophecy" section was "Miss Grace P. Kelly&nbsp;– a famous star of stage and screen". Owing to her low mathematics scores, Kelly was rejected by [[Bennington College]] in July 1947.<ref>{{harvnb|Leigh|2007|p=26}}</ref> Despite her parents' initial disapproval, Kelly decided to pursue her dreams of becoming an actress. Her father was particularly displeased with her decision, as he viewed acting as "a slim cut above streetwalker" at the time.{{r|jacobs201005}} In 1947, Kelly signed with the Walter Thornton Model Agency gracing the covers of magazines.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McKinnon |first=Gina |title=What would Grace do? : how to live life in style like the princess of Hollywood |publisher=New York : Gotham Books |year=2012 |pages=24}}</ref>

In 1954, Kelly dated and was engaged to [[Oleg Cassini]] after his divorce from [[Gene Tierney]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/05/grace-kelly-201005|title=Grace Kelly's Forever Look|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=May 2010|first=Laura|last=Jacobs|access-date=September 21, 2012|archive-date=September 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919070957/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2010/05/grace-kelly-201005|url-status=live}}</ref>