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Hair elegantly styled in tucked waves, while classic pearls decorate her neck: This
iconic image can be found on a vintage stamp released in both Monaco and the US,
preserving the nature of a young Grace Kelly during the time she won the 1954
Academy Award for The Country Girl. The iconic stamp features an engraved version of her portrait from a publicity photograph from the Oscar-winning film, making immortal this image of Princess Grace captured two years before she would become Princess Grace of Monaco.
The postage stamp from 1993 has a unique history. Because U.S. federal law forbids postage stamps depicting foreign heads of state, the American stamp listed her as "Grace Kelly", while the Monaco stamp listed her as "Princess Grace". The U.S. stamp was issued in Beverly Hills, California, a most appropriate location for a woman known worldwide for her role as a Hollywood starlet. Especially known for her roles in Alfred Hitchcock films like Dial M for Murder, Rear Window and To Catch a Thief . Her career in film is what eventually led to the meeting with Prince Rainier when she attended the 8th annual Festival de Cannes as the American delegate for her film The Country Girl.
The stamps, juxtaposed, remind us of the multifaceted public figure whom we still
admire today. Her talents on screen equal Her role contributing to style, art,
philanthropy, and public service. In fact, Her image continues to inspire stamps today. In 2019, the Monaco government released a tryptic of Princess Grace stamps commemorating what would’ve been her 90th birthday. The images beautifully display three stages her life while serving as part of the Princely Family. When one glances at the classic image on the vintage stamp, one wonders if she could’ve predicted the influence she would have for generations.
By: Lauren Gabriela Coles
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