Grace Of Monaco

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/7/13 at 7:06pm

Anybody know anything about this movie? I love the photo of Nicole in makeup. She looks like a "latter day Grace" here.

I like the cast a lot, too. Could be great.

IMDb.com

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/7/13 at 7:11pm

I don't know anything, but it seems like great casting.

[random person 112]

Posted: 6/7/13 at 7:53pm

best12, I'm going to try to explain this in a way that will not be boring or confusing though I make no promises. The movie will focus on the short period where Monaco and France were having a major disagreement about the principalities tax laws, mainly about the fact there were none because neither corporations or citizens are taxed in Monaco. This caused a lot of major corporations to move from France to Monaco to take advantage of the tax law. However this goes against a 1918 treaty that declares that Monaco cannot pose unfair financial completion in regards to France. ( The treaty also allowed France to appoint a certain number of ministers and officials to Mogasque government post and also declares that in the absence of a male heir to the throne, Monaco will become part of France again.)

Things came to a head when Prince Rainier, the husband of Princess Grace, decided that he wouldn't allow the French government to hold majority control of Radio Monte Carlo and forbid the company to be publicly traded in the French stock exchange to achieve this end. He also fired one of the French ministers in the mongasque government who questioned his right to do this. The minister went on to claim that the Prince harbored anti-French sentiment. All of these issues led France to threaten to shut off water, power and gas in Monaco unless they started requiring Monaco to tax its citizens and any business in the principality and pay the proceeds that came from the taxation to France. In short it was a giant game of "Who's Boss" as Grace put it.

To try to appease the French and avoid, pretty much the complete destruction of Monaco, Rainier agreed to allow Radio Monte Carlo stock to be traded in France again. He also had to publicly declare his allegiance to France, write a new constitution that put more power in the hands of the elected Mogasque Council (He still held most of the powers to make and approve all laws.) This wasn't quite enough for the French though and they continued to make things difficult for Monaco by restricting tourism to the Principality. (You can only get to Monaco by going through France.)

Many were afraid of war between the two, and it very well could have broken out between the two if it wasn't for Princess Grace. She was the public face of the Principality and was instrumental in gaining support for Monaco from many nations. Most of this support was garnered by a few statements, personal appearances, and interviews. She made people care about whether or not Monaco existed, care about the country and in the end was instrumental in helping Monaco and France reach a compromise where only French Businesses would be taxed. It was a major moment in the rein of Prince Rainier and is one of the reasons his people are so loyal to the Grimaldi family.

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/7/13 at 8:07pm

Random, that wasn't boring or confusing. It was fascinating. Thanks!

[random person 112]

Posted: 6/7/13 at 8:39pm

Thank nmartin, I should probably also add that the controversy also forced Rainier and Grace to reconcile with his scheming twin sister Princess Antoinette. Antoinette was always trying to have her brother deposed and have herself and later on her son installed as sovereign. She also made life incredibly difficult for any woman who tried to get close to her brother and spread very malicious gossip about Grace, causing Grace to kick Antoinette out of the palace and out of Monaco. This and the rumors Antoinette spread helped to convince the mogasque that grace was just a 'Hollywood princess' and not 'their princess'.

Kidman will also not be portraying grace later in life but Grace at the age of thirty three and later on in the film thirty four.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/7/13 at 8:52pm

Indeed, not a bit boring or confusing.

I just have one question: war? Do you mean a trade war or does Monaco have a standing army?

(I did some quick research. Per Wiki, Monaco has an army of 263 men.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco

That would have been one short war, but I suppose the negative publicity for France would have been enormous!)

[random person 112]

Posted: 6/7/13 at 8:59pm

Oh yes Gaveston a full out war. Many people feared France would close off Monaco completely to the outside world with a huge barbed wire fence. There were rumors of French troops parachuting in, totally false. More rumors of the French planning to send the navy into Monaco and start shooting from the harbor. Some even thought France would bomb Monaco and poor Princess Grace. It would have been terrible PR to bomb the fairytale Princess Grace.