Wedding of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly

Prince Rainier was, at the time of their engagement, the Prince of Monaco, having ascended to the throne in May 1949, while Grace Kelly was an American actress who starred in several significant films in the 1950s, such as Rear Window (1954) with James Stewart and The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.[1][2]

In April 1955, Kelly was sent by Paramount Studios to promote The Country Girl at the Cannes Film Festival. While on a train to the French Rivera, fellow passenger Olivia de Havilland relayed an offer from her then-husband, Pierre Galante, to escort Kelly to a meeting with the Prince, accompanied by the editor-in-chief of Paris Match, Gaston Bonheur.[3] Initially, she declined, requiring permission of the studio which was sponsoring her trip. A photo session was eventually scheduled at the Prince's Palace of Monaco on May 6, 1955.[4] Due to a power shutoff as a result of a worker's strike in Cannes, Kelly styled herself in a no-iron, wrinkle free floral McCall's dress pattern, with her still-wet hair in a updo with flowers.[5] Further complications included Kelly's escorting party being involved in a minor car accident, delaying their arrival. Their meeting was photographed at the Palace, with Rainier and Kelly subsequently taking a tour of the residence, which included the private zoo that belonged to the Princely Family. The future couple met once more at a cocktail party in Cannes. She later described the prince as "charming".[6] Kelly was dating French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont at the time of their meeting.[7]

The Kelly Family Home in East Falls, Pennsylvania, where Rainier proposed to Grace

After a year of correspondence, Rainier proposed to Kelly over Christmas in 1955 at her family home in East Falls, Pennsylvania.[6] Their engagement was announced on January 5, 1956, with the couple participating in a press conference at the Philadelphia Country Club. An announcement party was held at Irisbrook, the home of William Raskob (brother of John J. Raskob), in Wilmington, Delaware.[8] A celebratory ball was later held in their honor at the Waldorf Astoria New York.[9] Kelly's initial engagement ring was fashioned from two family heirlooms, forming intertwining diamond and ruby circlets. Upon the start of filming High Society later that month, Rainier presented her with a second diamond engagement ring made by Cartier to wear during production, in the place of a prop. The second ring featured a 10.5 carat emerald-cut diamond flanked by diamond baguettes.[10][11] Kelly's family reportedly paid $2 million in dowry; half came from her inheritance, while the other from her own earnings.[12] Two weeks before her wedding, Kelly sailed from New York to Monaco on the U.S.S Constitution with 65 family and friends, and was greeted by 20,000 Monégasque residents upon arrival.[13]

Following the widespread coverage of their engagement, brands such as Max Factor falsely claimed that it would create the cosmetics used on her wedding day, with hosiery-maker Willy's de Mond stating that they would craft custom pearl-trimmed stockings for the bride, both of which were denied by Kelly's representatives.[14] In the week leading up to the wedding, crowds of reporters and fans reached such fervor that the government called in French riot police.[15][16]

The Napoleonic Code of Monaco required the performance of two ceremonies, with a religious wedding requiring the prerequisite of a legal ceremony.[17][18][19] The civil ceremony took place in the throne room of Palace on April 18, 1956, presided over by Marcel Portanier, Monaco's Minister of Justice. The marriage was solemnized in the presence of 80 guests, which included representatives from 24 nations, and finalized with the recitation of the 142 official titles Grace inherited by marriage, in the feminine.[20] The ceremony was followed by a gala, taking place after an evening performance at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, both of which the couple attended.[21][22]

The religious wedding was held at Saint Nicholas Cathedral

On April 19, 1956, the church ceremony was held at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, with the high mass conducted in French by the Bishop Gilles Barthe, in the presence of 700 guests. The cathedral was decorated with lilies, white lilacs, and snapdragons, hanging from baskets and chandeliers. The altar itself was surrounded by flickering candles. Additionally, guards of honor from visiting warships of Britain, France, Italy, and the United States were stationed outside of the building. The service began with the Grace's arrival, walked down the aisle by her father, John Kelly, alongside the bridal party. In accordance with Monaco tradition, the groom made his entrance after the bride, with trumpets signaling his arrival. The couple met at the altar, professing their vows and exchanging a single ring before kneeling to pray and receive communion. The newly married Prince and Princess Monaco then departed the church for the reception in a Rolls-Royce, gifted to them by the people of Monaco.[23] [17] A reception at the Hotel de Paris was held for 600 guests and 3,000 Monégasque citizens, with a six-tiered wedding cake replicating the Prince's Palace in sugar, which was cut with Rainier's ceremonial sword.[24]

Both ceremonies were broadcast by MGM, in exchange for release from her contract.[19] The Prince and Princess would later describe the services as "'overwhelming'; with the words 'excited' or 'overjoyed' not enough to express their feelings", according to their son, Prince Albert, in 2017.[25] Later, the Prince remarked on the effect of the widespread press coverage on the ceremony, commenting: “We both agreed that we should really have got married in a little chapel in the mountains.”[15][16]

The 700 guests included members of reigning royalty, as well as celebrities and members of the entertainment industry, such as Aristotle Onassis, Cary Grant, David Niven and his wife Hjördis, Gloria Swanson, Ava Gardner, Aga Khan III, Gloria Guinness,[34] and many others. Frank Sinatra, who was in the midst of a career comeback, was invited, but chose not to attend to prevent outshining the event.[35][36]

Prince Rainier and Princess Grace departed after their wedding for a seven-week Mediterranean honeymoon cruise on their yacht, Deo Juvante II.[19][37]

• Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2003). Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7595-2790-4.