Hollywood Royalty

If you questioned her a year ago about how she thought her life would pan out it was never what it had become as of recently. Divorced at only twenty six and why may you ask? Because her husband of one year, boyfriend of six years, had left her for another woman. Not just any woman either but one of her best friends but also just about the biggest pop star in the world. There wasn’t a lot of places you could go where people didn’t know who Taylor Swift was. Apparently the so called love of her life couldn’t even deny the appeal of the tall, blonde icon. There’s probably a lot of confusion that comes with this small but important revelation so she should probably start from the beginning.

There was plenty of Hollywood royalty occupying London and LA so Grace never felt unfair and pretentious but she was still different from them. Of course there was Michael Douglas, the son of Kirk Douglas, and then there was Carrie Fisher, the daughter of Debbie Reynolds. Maggie Smith and Jeremy Irons also had children that happened to make it big in entertainment but Grace wasn’t quite the same as them. While she remained Hollywood royalty there was also the fact that she was real royalty. Grace Gallagher was not only the granddaughter of Grace Kelly but she was the granddaughter of Princess Grace of Monaco. Grace Kelly was a Hollywood legend much like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor but what separated Grace Kelly from the rest of the screen legends was the fact that Grace Kelly didn’t just play a princess in a movie… She became a princess in real life.

Interviewers always asked Grace about her namesake like they expected a non-generic answer but it’s not like Grace knew her grandmother. Princess Grace had passed away years before she was born… Years before Grace’s brother had even been born. All Grace knew of the screen legend was the stories her mother and grandfather told her as well as her movies. In all honesty Grace wasn’t completely sure why she had become an actress. It wasn’t as if she was trying to copy her grandmother. In fact, Grace didn’t realize how big of a deal her grandmother was until she started working in LA.

Grace Katherine Gallagher was the second child of Eric Gallagher, a successful broadcast journalist, and Princess Audrey, the third child of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. Her mother met her father whilst taking a tour of the United Kingdom in the early eighties, not long after Princess Grace had passed away. Her father was working as an anchorman for the BBC in London at the time, an up and coming reporter. Princess Audrey sat down for an interview with the older man and the two immediately started falling for each other. Princess Audrey was only supposed to spend three weeks in London but in that amount of time she fell in love with Eric Gallagher. When she returned to Monaco she informed her father that she was going back to London to be with the man she loved. Rainier and her older siblings weren’t thrilled by the idea of the Princess living in England with a strange man they had never met… A man who was a reporter as well as being ten years her senior. They relented once they found out Eric was a Catholic himself and things didn’t seem quite as scandalous once the engagement came along. Although Prince Rainier wasn’t thrilled by the idea of Princess Audrey living in a foreign country where she would presumably be raising her children as English, he accepted it when they agreed to get married in a catholic ceremony in Monaco.

After Princess Audrey moved to England, the interest in the royal princess decreased as she went on to live a quiet life. There was more telling scandals of Prince Albert as well as the birth of Princess Caroline’s children. Besides… England already had their own royal family. Interest rose when Princess Audrey gave birth to the couple’s firstborn, Grace’s older brother Alexander, but the interest in the quiet princess died down as soon as it had come. It came once again when Grace came along and then again when Grace’s younger sister Bethany was born before vanishing once more. Their life was very modest as any family could be with a wealthy father and a princess for a mother. Grace and her siblings weren’t raised in palaces like their cousins nor where they raised in a mansion. They grew up in a nice townhouse in the best part of London because her father refused to live in a mansion. He came from a middle class background, which happened to make him unpopular with her family, so they lived modestly or as modestly a millionaire and princess could live.

Her life was the picture perfect life in London, her and her siblings attended an upscale private school, her parents were happily in love even after all those years, and Grace was content or as content as any thirteen year old could be. None of the Gallagher children realized who they were because they didn’t see their mother as a princess nor did they see their grandmother as a Hollywood legend. Princess Grace was the character of stories that their mother told them with strong affection and sadness in her blue orbs. Their grandfather was the reigning prince of Monaco but to them he was only their kind grandfather who they saw on summer visits to Monaco. In a way, Grace somehow figured that her mother wanted them to have such a normal childhood since her childhood was so beyond ordinary. The media wasn’t interested in Princess Audrey’s children since the princess lived so far away from home and Prince Rainier and Princess Grace still had plenty of grandchildren running around Monaco.

Everything was nearly perfect within the Gallagher household… That was until Princess Audrey became sick. Grace’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, a tumor that had appeared in her brain. Their entire family was devastated by the news, her father trying to find anything that could save her. Even taking her to see doctors across the world but of course that never panned out. Her mother’s side of the family assisted in any way they could but there was no cure in the world for cancer. Their mother’s health started depleting and eventually they shared the news with the Gallagher children. The news could no longer remain hidden to the children. Bethany, the youngest of them, was too young to understand, most likely thinking their mother had a cold but Alex and Grace knew better. It hurt more than anything to see their lively, kind mother in such poor health but they tried to be strong for their little sister. Her grandfather visited London frequently which the media took interest in but it was only under sad circumstances.

Grace was fifteen when her mother passed away. They had been prepared for the moment for a very long time but it still hit Grace with a wave of shock and misery. Although her mother lived in London for the majority of her adult life, her body was taken back to Monaco where she was buried in a royal ceremony, her body lay to rest right next to her grandmother. Her father had retreated back into himself, a shell of the man he once was. Despite his love for his wife, he easily relented and allowed her family to take her away with little argument. It was a sad state to see their father in such a state since he wouldn’t be allowed to mourn their mother properly without traveling half way across the world.

It didn’t take long before their grandfather also passed away. The grief of burying his child and living without his wife was just too much to bare. The reigning prince of Monaco was also laid to rest, reuniting with his wife and daughter in the afterlife. Life in London had become somewhat difficult but the Gallagher family managed. It wasn’t easy living in a city where there were reminders of her mother everywhere she looked. Distracting herself seemed to be the only way to try and move on with her life. When her mother got sick Grace quit ballet but it had been years since she danced and it wasn’t something you could just pick back up after two years. So Grace distracted herself with books which included the newest Harry Potter book.

Harry Potter became an escape for the young Gallagher. Grace was totally and completely immersed in the world of Harry Potter. There were times she wondered what character she was most like. Was she brave and fierce like Ginny Weasley or maybe she was intelligent and witty like Hermione Granger. It was only then that Grace realized that she wasn’t anything like those two iconic characters… Until the fifth book in the series came out and with it came Luna Lovegood. Grace was utterly blown away by the uniqueness and mystery behind the new character. For the first time, Grace felt that she truly identified with a character.

When they started preparing production for the fifth Harry Potter film, the studio announced that they were holding an open audition for the part of Luna Lovegood. During the year mourning her mother, Grace had been exceptionally quiet. Her brother had thrown himself into his studies at University and while Grace was doing fine at school, she kept herself locked away in her bedroom. What her father didn’t know was that Grace had decided to become an actress. It was an odd revelation for a teenager to have so randomly but the young girl knew that she was the only person in the world who could possibly play Luna because, well, she was Luna Lovegood. So one night during dinner she brought up the topic to her father. They had been eating dinner in the dining room, all three of them sitting at the large table. Grace’s older brother Alex was still away at university so it was just her father, sister, and her. They did their best to ignore the empty seat where their mother used to sit but it was still there in the back of their mind.

“The new Harry Potter film is about to start filming.” Grace mentioned. Her sister glanced up for a moment before looking back down at her plate. Her father didn’t look up but he smiled a small smile which was rare for him.

“Maybe we’ll go see it when it comes out in theaters then.” Grace frowned because that wasn’t what she was trying to get at in the least bit.

“Well… Since it’s starting production they’re holding an open casting for a part in the movie and I… Well, I thought I might give it a go.” It was clear that she now had her father’s full attention as he dropped his fork and stared at her.

“You want to audition for the movie?” An excited look had entered the young blonde’s eyes as she looked back to him. It was the first time she had looked excited about something in over a year and the older man couldn’t help but be warmed by the look of her.

“Yes, I’d really like to. It’s for one of my favorite characters in the whole entire series.” Her father’s look softened.

“I imagine there will be a lot of other girls auditioning for the part.” Grace nodded.

“I imagine so, father, there will probably be quite a few.”

“I just don’t want you to be hurt if you don’t get the part, darling.” Grace didn’t seem phased by her father’s concern.

“I promise I won’t be upset if I don’t get the part. Besides… I figure that someone has to get the part so I have just as good of a chance as any other girl.” Eric Gallagher smiled at his daughter. He was really worried for her but now he figured her devotion to Harry Potter was just her way of coping through the death of her mother.

“If it’ll make you happy I suppose your Uncle Michael may be able to take you to this audition.” Grace’s eyes lit up with joy as her father seemed content with letting her go to the audition. She hadn’t expected him to be able to come with her to the audition anyways seeing as he was always busy with work but Grace was just glad that he was allowing her to go to the audition in the first place. Grace squealed in excitement before rushing out of her seat to hug her father. He chuckled as his oldest daughter held onto him. It was rare to have such happy moments in the house, especially in these days.

The story of winning the role of Luna Lovegood wasn’t incredibly exceptional to Grace. In her mind she only proved to them that she was Luna. It was scary the amount of girls who showed up for the audition. Thousands upon thousands. It seemed that she wouldn’t even have a chance in hell to score the part but somehow she had. Grace put all those fears behind her and just did what she set out to do. It wasn’t long before she was called back to do a screen test with the one and only Daniel Radcliffe. The phone call came two days later and she had won the part. A large part of Grace had somehow been confident that she could win the part but now that she had… Her life was about to change forever.

Once news broke out that they had casted Luna Lovegood for the new movie, everything changed. Cameras followed her everywhere and the studio hired body guards for her while she was at school. It was odd how much it changed her life but the notion of camera and body guards wasn’t completely foreign to her, given her mother’s family. Fortunately with her mother living in London in midst of the quiet life, they didn’t receive quite as much of the attention any other members of the royal family did. It also didn’t take the media long to find out about her background considering Grace Gallagher was going to star in one of world’s biggest film franchise. It didn’t only come out that Grace Gallagher was the daughter of BBC anchorman Eric Gallagher but that she was also the daughter of Princess Audrey of Monaco hence her relation to Grace Kelly. The media went crazy over the whole entire ordeal since Grace was technically a member of the royal family although not England’s royal family. The granddaughter of a Hollywood legend and a prince somehow winning the role of Luna Lovegood at random. It was like fate.

When the film finally did come out, Grace stole the entire movie from the start to finish. She was entirely Luna Lovegood in a way no one else could’ve been with her dreamy looking gaze and soft voice. Her looks also seemed to catch the interest of many people in the way that she seemed to strongly resemble her late grandmother. Grace had always been a somewhat small child with her skinny legs and short stature but she had grown a ways into her looks when she stumbled into her teenage years. Her golden blonde hair flowed to middle of her back in gentle waves, her blue eyes resembled the blue of the Caribbean sea, and her facial features had started to morph into that of a teenaged Grace Kelly. Grace’s likeness to Grace Kelly seemed to mesmerize people. The media also found it interesting that she even had the same name of the Hollywood actress.

Grace.

The director of the Harry Potter film recommended Grace to another director after they wrapped filming. Grace never intended to be a professional actress, mostly just wanting to portray Luna because she didn’t think anyone else could, but somehow the opportunity interested her. Before Grace knew it she was auditioning for a new UK tv program entitled Skins. After a couple of call backs, Grace received word that she had obtained the part of Cassie Ainsworth, a teenaged girl who suffered from an eating disorder. It was a very dark and mature show but Grace begged her father to let her do it and he did. Grace had been doing much better since she had taken up acting and if it made her happy then he would allow her to act her little heart out. Grace’s maternal side of the family weren’t as thrilled about Grace’s new hobby but there wasn’t anything they could do. Maybe if her grandfather was still alive but he wasn’t and her mother’s side of the family didn’t have any control over what she did in her free time.

Filming a TV show was much different than filming a movie but Grace found the entire creative process more than interesting. She even found out, funnily enough, that her grandmother started out the same way… Working on TV shows although probably none quite like Skins. It warmed her heart to know that she had a connection with her grandmother that she had never had the chance to know. Supporting roles in films had started to come her way and with each movie she felt that her acting ability grew better and better over time. She started scoring more and more movie roles thanks to the recommendation from directors. It wasn’t until her first lead role in the 2009 film 'Lovers in Revolt', her first American film, did she receive wide spread recognition as a talented actress. She didn’t receive any prestigious awards but she won quite a few independent movie awards as a breakout star. It had finally happened… Grace Gallagher had received her first big break in Hollywood. Her dream was finally coming to life. Various people were offering her parts in all kinds of films and tv series. She was slowly becoming an in demand actress. It wasn’t long before Grace had nabbed a lead role on a period piece for the BBC as well as lead roles in upcoming films. Grace Gallagher became one of the most in demand young actresses in Hollywood.

Grace Gallagher was no longer a newcomer to Hollywood but she was both Hollywood royalty and real royalty. It wasn’t long before she found herself in the center of Hollywood romances as she dated costars and even a musician. While her acting seemed to be kept out of comparison to her grandmother’s acting, her personal life was another matter. Grace Kelly, who was also known for her romantic endeavors, was constantly compared to Grace Gallagher who also happened to share the same name as her famous grandmother. Her relationships always ended in turmoil, whether it was due to her smothering security or the media’s constant obsession with the young actress they dubbed as ‘Princess Grace’.

Somehow Grace found herself entranced with a British actor that was nowhere near as well as known as her past conquests... At least at the time. The media ate it up, he was her costar in Midnight in Paris and not to mention he was nine years older than her. Grace had dated costars before but never had they been significantly older than herself. Her past love interests had only maybe a couple of years on her but that was it.While Tom Hiddleston was much older than her young age of twenty, people loved him. Tom was charming with his wide smile and Gene Wilder looking eyes. His blonde curls were endearing and his tall height towered over her height of 5’7. They played a literary power couple in a movie but they played an essential Hollywood couple in real life.

It wasn’t hard falling in love with Tom. He was kind and quite possibly the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on, his facial features resembling that of Greek statues. Tom treated her with adoration, resembling the persona of the era of gentlemen that had long faded in this day and age. He gave her flowers all the time, always sending them to her hotel room even when they weren’t filming anything that day. Tom planned these extravagant outings, always finding the greatest places to visit as well as the best places to eat. It also didn’t help that they were in Paris which probably contributed to the romance of it all.

Now that Grace was a twenty six year old woman, she was more aware of the foolishness she encompassed as a twenty year old. Grace fell in love with the idea of Tom. As a small girl she was always warmed by the story of her mother and father. It was a true story that only sounded a little too much like Roman Holiday. Her mother had been a princess who had visited a city far away from home and met a handsome stranger, falling in love in only three weeks. Tom seemed like the perfect example of a handsome stranger that showered her with love and adoration. It was all too easy falling for him but things weren’t the same as they were for her parents. Grace wasn’t her mother and it became obvious all too soon that Tom wasn’t her father.

She expected things to move quickly like they had for her parents. Tom was her first adult relationship. She had relationships in the past but those were in her teenaged years with boys that were roughly the same age as her. What set Tom apart from her ex boyfriends was that he wasn’t a boy… He was a grown man. Grace didn’t expect an engagement after only three weeks… It wasn’t 1983 anymore after all. But she did expect at least a more serious step in their relationship after their three shared weeks in Paris. There was a little of back and forth between her and Tom. They both lived in London, not too far away from each other, so it might’ve made a little sense that they didn’t move in together right away. What was the point? She just couldn’t help but feel hurt that Tom didn’t feel like they were already at that point. It was two years before Tom eventually asked her to move in with him and Grace was more than ready.

Her mother’s side of the family loved Tom and thought he was the perfect match for the young heiress. He was polite and wealthy in his own right, being English also gave him that edge. Tom looked to be the perfect example of what a prince should look like and together they looked to be real royalty. Her other boyfriends were either too immature or too much trouble, especially her last boyfriend who smoked and swore a little too much for their liking. Not Tom… No, Tom was their dream match for the young blonde actress. Everything was perfect for the couple. Grace thought a proposal would come soon after the move in and she was right. Only the wedding came three years after the proposal… The divorce came nine months after the wedding. Grace had been so wrong about everything and in the end she didn’t just lose her husband but she also lost a friend.