Today marks the birthday of the late Princess Grace of Monaco, whose family's association with rowing and Henley Royal Regatta spans generations.
Princess Grace visited Henley in 1965, accompanied by her brother, John B. Kelly Jr., a distinguished oarsman who won The Diamond Challenge Sculls on two occasions, in 1947 and 1949.
The Kelly family's connection with Henley, however, dates back further. Their story began with Grace's father, John B. Kelly Sr., one of America's most accomplished rowers, whose bid to compete at Henley in 1920 became the subject of considerable controversy.
Kelly, a successful bricklayer from Philadelphia, was deemed ineligible under the Regatta's strict amateur rules, which at the time excluded those who earned their living through manual trades. His ambitions were further complicated by the exclusion of his club, Vesper Boat Club, whose entry had been prohibited following a dispute over the funding of its 1905 crew's trip to England. The club had raised money through public subscription, which the Henley Stewards considered incompatible with the principles of amateurism. A formal resolution in 1906 subsequently barred entries from Vesper and members of its 1905 crew
Despite being denied the opportunity to compete at Henley, Kelly Sr. went on to achieve international distinction. At the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, he won gold in both the single and double sculls, the latter alongside Paul Costello.
Princess Grace's own association with the Regatta continued in 1981, when she returned as Prizegiver, accompanied by Prince Rainier III. It was a particularly fitting occasion, bringing another generation of the Kelly family back to the banks of the Thames, just one year before her death in 1982.
Her contribution to the Regatta's history was further recognised in 2001, when a women's quadruple sculls event was introduced and subsequently named The Princess Grace Challenge Cup in 2003, the event celebrates excellence in women's rowing and provides a lasting tribute to her name and families legacy.
Princess Grace's connection with Henley Royal Regatta remains an important and celebrated part of the Regatta's history.
