Prince Albert II of Monaco Unveils Statue of His Mother in Newport, Ireland

A remarkable statue of Princess Grace of Monaco is unveiled today in Newport, County Mayo, Ireland, presided over by her only son, Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Princess Grace of Monaco's statue in Newport, County Mayo, Ireland 

The Sovereign Prince of Monaco who just celebrated his 65th birthday on March 14, traveled to Ireland without his wife, Princess Charlene, to attend the unveiling ceremony.

Prince Albert II helped unveil his mother's statue © Eric Mathon/The Prince's Palace 

Princess Grace's statue was commissioned by County Mayo sculptor, Mark Rode, to pay tribute to Princess Grace's connection to Newport.

The Connection 

Newport has a special connection to the late Princess Grace. Born Grace Kelly in Philadelphia, USA, Princess Grace's paternal grandfather came from Drimurla, just outside Newport.

Prince Albert II helped unveil his mother's statue © Eric Mathon/The Prince's Palace

Her grandfather, John Kelly, was born there in 1857. Thirty years later during the Great Potato Famine in Ireland, John was among the many impoverished Irish who left Ireland to seek a better life in the United States.

John Kelly settled in Philadelphia where he later founded one of that city’s leading construction companies and made his family’s fortune.

Grace Kelly as a Hollywood actress 

Grace Kelly, who had a successful acting career in Hollywood, married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, and in 1961, she visited her grandfather's home town, Drimurla, accompanied by Prince Rainier and their two young children, Princess Caroline and Prince Albert. They reportedly stayed at the Newport  House. 

Princess Grace visited Newport in 1961

Princess Grace reportedly bought it in 1976 including the surrounding land, with the intention to make it a holiday home for her family.

Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco 

She returned on the following year in Newport, and again in 1979 with Prince Rainier to see the architectural plans for the holiday home. 

Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace with their children: Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stephanie 

She told the local press that she would return in a few years to see the home finished. Unfortunately, she tragically died in a car crash on September 14, 1982, at the age of 52.

Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace with their three children 

Deeply saddened by her sudden passing, local residents in Newport sent a wreath of wild flowers – picked around her ancestral home in Drimurla – to Monaco for the funeral.