Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier

From the New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes the candid and moving story of one of the world's most fascinating royal families... When Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III, she crowned her career with an ending even Hollywood would have never dared to script. Even without a title, the slim, goddess-like blonde radiated a queenly air of purity and unshakable serenity. When the Academy Award-winning actress took on the role of Princess of Monaco, it looked like a dream come true. Now master biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli gently draws back the curtains of secrecy. Based on hundreds of exclusive interviews with friends and relatives, Once Upon a Time reveals the very real -- and less than picture perfect -- men and women of the Kelly and Grimaldi families. Here are honest and full portrayals of Grace and Rainier, not only as prince and princess, but as a married couple and as parents struggling with the conflicts that can challenge any household. Perhaps for the first time, we see Grace in all her complexity: the daughter whose heartbreaking relationship with her father colored her every decision, the down-to-earth young woman who accepted a proposal from a man she barely knew and leapt into an unknown culture and destiny. Once Upon a Time unveils her thoughts and feelings on the wedding that captured the imagination of the world, the royal family's shocking prenuptial requests, and the sacrifice of her career. From scandals in the family generations before Caroline and Stephanie, to the strange behavior of Grace's mother, to tensions within the Grimaldi marriage, to the dramatic and mysterious death of Grace herself, Once Upon a Time proves that no polished image reflects the truth. Even in what appears to be a fairy tale, the players are always flesh-and-blood human beings. You will be entranced by the ones you meet in this book. Book jacket.