Prince Albert II of Monaco recently sat down for an hour-long radio interview to discuss his famous mother, Princess Grace.

The interview, held in honour of what would have been her 90th year, featured Prince Albert talking about her life and legacy with“Une Heure Avec” host Bernard Montiel on Paris’s RFM radio.

“It touches me still a lot when I meet people who tell me that they met her, or that they knew her, or even the youngest generations who did not know her but who are imbued with her look, her smile,” Prince Albert said.

Princess Grace, formerly Grace Kelly, a Hollywood actress of the 1950s, married Prince Rainier III on 18 April 1956. She left behind a lucrative film career – including an Oscar for Best Actress for The Country Girl – to marry the Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

“She has touched the lives of so many people around the world, directly or indirectly, and during my travels I have never stopped meeting people who have been touched by my mother, and it is obviously very moving and very touching.”

A moment of levity came when Prince Albert revealed his favourite of his mother’s movies: Rear Window, the Alfred Hitchcock classic co-starring James Stewart.

The interview coincided with the opening of a special exhibition for Princess Grace at the space where the Car Collection of His Serene Highness The Prince of Monaco is stored.

‘Tribute to Grace Kelly’ opens later this month and will see the work of 50 American artists paying tribute to Princess Grace in varying ways, whether by film, photography, or artwork.

Prince Albert spoke about how caring his mother was, and how she used that to great effect with the people of Monaco, saying that, “Of course, she was a very caring mother who was very close to us, who gave us a lot of care and protection but she was really listening to others and she was always ready to help others.

“That’s why she has been involved in various charities, including the Red Cross.”

Princess Grace became the President of Monaco’s Red Cross branch in 1958 and campaigned for its initiatives for the rest of her life. She also founded the Princess Grace Foundation, a daycare centre in the 1960s (Monaco’s first), the AMADE Foundation (which works to support children worldwide), and the Leche League Monaco (a breastfeeding support charity).

Her artistic endeavours following marriage include the creation of the International Monte Carlo Ballets Festival and the Monaco Garden Club.

Princess Grace passed away following a tragic car accident in 1982.