Prince Albert II of Monaco, son of Grace Kelly, makes a return trip to Philly

Prince Albert II of Monaco spent Thursday evening in a blue suit and tie at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, greeting people with two-handed shakes while a harp player strummed pop covers in the corner. Later in the evening, beneath the golden statue of Diana in the Great Stair Hall, Mayor Jim Kenney pronounced Oct. 26 “Monaco Day” in Philadelphia. Monaco is a tiny, wealthy country on the French Riviera.

Prince Albert is the son of the late Grace Kelly, who before becoming a famous actress and princess, grew up in East Falls. While in Philadelphia this week, the prince paid his respects to the lions at the zoo, planted trees in North Philadelphia, and attended a lavish ambassador’s reception at the Art Museum. The reception was also the launch of a Monaco TV network, and in between official speeches and the popping sound of Veuve Clicquot bottles, large screens projected images of bright blue water and short advertisements for new Monaco TV content, available now.

Prince Albert, who has ruled Monaco since 2005, is worth approximately $1 billion. In 2016, he purchased Kelly’s former Philadelphia home for $754,000 and restored it.

The prince plans to host a free awards ceremony for his eponymous foundation on Friday at the Perelman Theater, which the public can attend on a first-come, first-served basis. The event will honor three people who have made “remarkable commitments towards the preservation of the planet.”

Grace Kelly made her professional debut at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope and went on to star in movies like To Catch a Thief and High Noon. (She left Philadelphia for Hollywood at 20). She announced her engagement to Prince Rainier III of Monaco from her childhood home, and their subsequent 1956 marriage was watched by 30 million people worldwide.

When Kelly died in 1982 of a cerebral hemorrhage following a car crash, Philadelphia’s mayor William Green told reporters, “She was, and is, Philadelphia’s once and always first lady.”

At the Art Museum this week, roughly 150 guests snacked on miniature cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches, clapped for the prince, and wandered through the Whistler exhibit at the otherwise empty museum.

Prince Albert’s foundation has contributed money to the Philly Tree Plan, Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival, and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

This story has been updated to refer correctly to The Pew Charitable Trusts.