Advertisement

Prince Albert buys mom Grace Kelly's childhood home to save it from demolition

Prince Albert of Monaco has just made a very exciting purchase – a vacation home in Philadelphia! The six-bedroom Colonial-style brick mansion also happens to be the childhood home of his late mother, Grace Kelly.

TAP TO VIEW FULL GALLERYGrace Kelly's childhood Philadelphia home has just been purchased by Prince Albert

Monaco’s monarch has fond memories of visiting the Georgian-style house, which was built by his grandfather John B. Kelly, Sr. in 1935, shortly after his mother was born.

PRINCE ALBERT ON GRACE KELLY: 'SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN OUTSTANDING GRANDMOTHER'

“The house was very beautiful and very special to our family,” Albert told People. “I couldn’t have been more than two, probably my first visit to the house. I remember rolling about on the carpet in the living room. The house is filled with little moments like that. Moments of being a family.”

Prince Albert has fond memories of visiting the house as a youngster

The Kellys owned the red brick abode until 1974, when it was sold to Marjorie Bamont who lived there until Apr. 20 of this year, when she passed away at the age of 84. The residence originally went on the market for $1 million in July, but was ultimately sold to Prince Albert for $755,000 at the end of Sept.

The prince says he was more than willing to turn over the hefty sum to save the 4,000-square-foot house from demolition. “It feels good,” he says. “I’m very happy to have saved this old family home from a near certain death or development."

Monaco's monarch looks forward to visiting the American home with his twins Gabriella and Jacques

Now that the home is back in the Kelly family, Albert can’t wait to make new memories there with his own children, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, both 1, who he shares with wife Princess Charlene.

“I’m looking forward to showing the house to the kids, sharing it with them, having them see the garden,” he says. “It’ll probably be next year. We’ll have to finish the work and then we’ll have some sort of opening."

Prince Albert's parents, Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly