Once upon a Time : The Story of Princess Grace, Prince Rainier and Their Family

Grace Kelly was swept away when the handsome Prince Rainier, a man she barely knew, asked for her hand in marriage. After a series of relationships with married co-stars she was exhausted by the showbusiness lifestyle. If she married Rainier she would be more than just a movie star, she would be Her Serene Highness Princess Grace. Trapped in a fairytale of her own making, Grace was forced to make sacrifices that cut deeply into the core of who she was as a woman, surrendering her desires and ambitions for her spouse and her children. Grace and Rainier may have been royalty but they were also husband and wife, and parents - and, as such, just as vulnerable to the conflicts that can contaminate any household.

Drawing upon hundreds of exclusive interviews with family and friends, Once Upon a Time portrays its subjects with passion and sympathy, revealing Grace, Rainier, Caroline, Albert and Stephanie in ways both startling and compelling.

J. Randy Taraborrelli is the author of nine books including the international bestsellers Madonna: An Intimate Biography, Call Her Miss Ross and Sinatra: The Man and the Myth. He has also written for The Times and the Daily Mail.