The world has only so many princesses and Philadelphia produced precisely one. But Grace Kelly, born to a former bricklayer, was of such innate regal bearing and ineffable beauty that she successfully transformed Monaco from an afterthought into a nation with an enduring identity.

Twenty-five years after her death at 52 in a car crash, Princess Grace remains one of Monaco's two leading resources (the other being its stature as the world's most glamorous tax haven).

To celebrate the former, an extensive two-week celebration of her life begins today in Manhattan, its centerpiece a Sotheby's exhibition of more than 500 personal possessions, including 20 outfits and 65 pieces of jewelry.

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