Photographs are courtesy of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA

H.S.H. Crown Prince Albert of Monaco

"Remembering Grace through The Princess Grace Foundation-USA"

 
by Frances Edwards

 
It's twilight in Harlem. Pedestrians making their way home on this warm May night are blithely unaware that a prince is in their midst.

His Serene Highness Crown Prince Albert of Monaco has not yet ended his visit to New York's famed Uptown, a visit that began with a cocktail reception at world renowned Sylvia?s restaurant, where 150 VIP guests were treated to down-home Southern cooking. Less than five blocks away at the Apollo Theater, opening night jitters are heightened, as preparations are under way to welcome this very special guest to the season-opening performance of the Dance Theater of Harlem.

Exiting Sylvia's, Prince Albert eschews his chauffeured limousine and takes to the Harlem streets, waving back to passersby who acknowledge the unusual entourage of men in dress suits and ladies in gracious evening attire snaking their way to the Apollo Theater.

Prince Albert marks yet another day as vice chairman of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA. After the death of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1982, the Foundation, a public charity, was created by HSH Prince Rainier III of Monaco, his family, and her friends as a tribute to Princess Grace's memory and her private philanthropy to the arts.

Left: HSH Princess Grace of Monaco and HSH Prince Rainier III

"Our grants are made specifically to recognize the emergence of extraordinary talent and to encourage these artists to pursue their dreams during the critical formative years of their growth and training," explains Prince Albert. Supported by many friends and benefactors from around the world, the Foundation provides financial incentives in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships to young artists in the United States in the fields of dance, theatre, and film.

In addition to Prince Albert, the Foundation is overseen by the Hon. John F. Lehman, who serves as its chairman. Mr. Lehman, a former Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan, has been a board member of the Foundation since its inception, having been asked by Prince Rainier to help lead the organization when it was first established. Lehman describes his involvement as emanating from simply being “family.”

“My grandmother and Grace’s father were brother and sister, and my mother was Princess Grace’s babysitter when she was growing up,” he reveals. Lehman’s friendship with the Prince grew closer when, during his holidays while a student at Cambridge University, he often passed the time at the Princely Palace.

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA truly is a family affair. While Prince Albert is its most visible face, Prince Rainier is its honorary trustee; HRH The Princess of Hanover is chairman of the Princess Grace Foundation, Monaco; and HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco helped to establish the Princess Grace Foundation-USA Junior Committee.

Prince Albert recalls, “As a youngster, I witnessed Nureyev and Fonteyn dancing Sleeping Beauty in the Palace courtyard. Growing up, I spent many hours in the Palace’s screening room, where we would relax and watch movies.” His love of film was cemented by a visit to California he made with his mother, during which he met the legendary auteur, Alfred Hitchcock.

Prince Albert helps to oversee a Foundation with a dedicated and expert staff of four. Led by executive director Toby E. Boshak, the Foundation operates out of its Midtown Manhattan headquarters and relies on an advisory board of renowned professionals in the arts, including Placido Domingo, Suzanne Farrell, and Harold Prince, to select the winners of the Foundation’s awards in theatre, dance, and film. Special awards were created by close friends of the Foundation to honor Princess Grace of Monaco’s legacy. These include the Robert and Gloria Hausman Theatre Award, the Fabergé Theatre Award, the Pierre Cardin Theatre Award, the Grace Le Vine Theatre Award, the Cary Grant Film Award, the John H. Johnson Film Award, and the Chris Hellman Dance Award.

Each October, the winners are recognized at the annual Princess Grace Awards Gala at New York’s landmark Waldorf-Astoria hotel. The Gala brings together trustees, advisory board members, and benefactors to celebrate and honor the year’s award winners. In 2003, the festivities began with an elegant Perrier Jouët Champagne reception. In the hotel’s decorated Grand Ballroom, some 500 guests looked on as Prince Albert and John Lehman presented awards and honors to this year’s class of 31 emerging artists. Famed dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking helped open the festivities, and actor Michael C. Hall was on hand to present a Princess Grace Statue Award to Kate Robin, a writer and producer of HBO’s “Six Feet Under.”

Attendees dined on lobster mango salad and filet mignon, participated in a silent auction, enjoyed a performance by two of the evening’s honored dancers, and later, took to the dance floor to the big band jazz rhythms of the Count Basie Orchestra. The Gala also brought to New York Lynn Wyatt, a close friend of Princess Grace and longtime Foundation trustee. Mrs. Wyatt, who hails from Houston, Texas, has hosted presidents, prime ministers, premiers, and plenipotentiaries from around the world. Prince Albert calls Wyatt, “an enchanting lady,” and praises her commitment to the Foundation. “Lynn was a true and loyal friend to my mother. She very kindly extends that loyalty and devotion to the Foundation.”

1984 Princess Grace Awards Gala:
	HSH Crown Prince Rainier of Monaco and First Lady Nancy Reagan
	Cary and Barbara Grant, John Hausman, founding chairman, Princess Grace Awards
	Frank and Barbara Sinatra
2003 Princess Grace Awards:
	Trustee Robert Marx and Hillary Marx
	Celebrity host Ann Reinking and HSH Prince Albert