Princess Grace of Monaco at the opening of Moghadam carpets shop in Monte Carlo in 1977.

A SPECIAL ENCOUNTER WITH PRINCESS GRACE

Enjoying his success, Alexander Moghadam and his wife visited the Principality of Monaco in 1976. 

“I was staying with my family in the Holiday Inn (today Le Méridien Beach Plaza). One night we came down for dinner when spontaneously I saw that something exciting was happening.”

Driven by his excitement, Alexander Moghadam asked around to find out more. It was a night when Monaco’s Princely family, including Princess Gace, Prince Rainier III, Princess Stephanie, and Prince Albert II, were attending a dinner at the hotel.

“As the Princely family were just passing next to our table, I said to myself, wow what a chance. I stood up with my wife and  asked Princess Grace whether we could have a photo with her.

Funny enough that photo never happened. We had an old Polaroid camera and because my wife was so excited she could not take a photo, the camera did not work.”

However, Alexander Moghadam got something even better in exchange, a friendship for life with the Princess.

“Princess Grace was very friendly with us. She asked us “Where are you from?” I replied we are Iranian. She then charmingly said “Oh, you are Iranian. You are most welcome. What are you doing here?” 

I told her that Monaco is a paradise. We came from Germany to spend the holiday. 

She then asked us with genuine interest in her voice, “What do you do in Germany?” 

I said, “I am in the business of Persian Carpets”. 

And she replied straight-away, “Why don’t you come to Monaco? We are very close friends with His Majesty, the Shah of Iran. The Shah has invited us to Iran for the ceremony of Persepolis and we enjoyed our trip very much. We love Iran and Iranians.”

I said to her, “Your Highness, are you inviting us to come to Monaco for business? If I relocate my business to Monaco, would you give us your support?”.

To my biggest surprise she said, “Yes, no problem. You are invited by me personally”.

She gave me the contact information of her private secretary, Louisette Levy-Soussan, and I made a promise to Princess Grace that the next morning, I would start to look for an ideal property for my carpet store in Monaco.

After a year of  work, the Moghadam Gallery was inaugurated in 1977, in the presence of Grace Kelly. 

From that day on, Alexander Moghadam and his family have never left the Principality, owning signature stores as the Moghadam Gallery, the Fashion For Floors, the Eichholtz or the Work in Progress.

“Princess Grace and her kindness encouraged me. Without her, I would have probably stayed in Germany. She was such a wonderful and unique person who left us way too early.”