Sixty-seven years ago, Hollywood sweetheart Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in a spectacular ceremony.
Although there have been iconic weddings since then, such as Prince Charles to Lady Diana and Prince William to Kate Middleton, no ceremony has matched Kelly’s fairytale nuptials.
Incredible images show exactly why their beautiful ceremony was dubbed “the wedding of the century.”
“It was such an incredible adventure and it has left a huge mark on people,” the couple’s only son, Prince Albert, previously told People magazine.
The wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III was almost seven decades ago, but it remains one of the most iconic royal weddings in history.
Grace Kelly’s wedding dress included 300 yards of antique Belgian lace and 150 yards of silk, taffeta and tulle.
A second ceremony took place in the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas. Grace Kelly arrived in a dress worthy of a princess before the gaze of 30 million people.
‘For us, it was, and you’ll have to ask my sisters [Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie] – for us it was our parents getting married.
“But what it meant to Monaco, to people around the world and how its history continues to fascinate people, that’s unimaginable.”
Grace was 26 when she married the 32-year-old Prince Rainier on April 18, 1956 in a civil ceremony, with the church ceremony the following day, April 19.
The Philadelphia-born Kelly had already dazzled moviegoers for five years with films like Dial M For Murder and Rear Window when she led the United States delegation to the Cannes Film Festival in 1955.
While there, she was invited to travel across the French border to the neighboring microstate of Monaco for a photo shoot with the prince at his palace.
Subsequently, they began a secret correspondence. That same year they got engaged and thus began the preparations for their impressive wedding.
The Napoleonic Code of Monaco and the Roman Catholic Church required that two ceremonies be held, one civil and one religious. So the entire Palace of Monaco was redecorated for the first ceremony, which was to be followed by a reception for 3,000 Monaco citizens.
Meanwhile, the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas had to be prepared for the religious ceremony, which would be supervised by the Bishop of Monaco, Gilles Barthe, and watched on international television by what was ultimately estimated to be 30 million people.
MGM, the studio that had seen Kelly during her prime years as a star, provided two wedding dresses designed by Academy Award winner Helen Rose, one of which took three weeks to make.
Invitations were sent out to 700 guests, including Aristotle Onassis (later Mr. Jackie Kennedy), hotel developer Conrad Hilton, and movie stars David Niven, Cary Grant, Gloria Swanson, and Ava Gardner.
All this, and the bride was still in the United States.
Kelly wore shoes with a short 2.5-inch heel to the wedding, to make sure she didn’t appear taller than her husband.
The Napoleonic Code of Monaco and the Roman Catholic Church required that two ceremonies be held, one civil and one religious.
Grace Kelly’s wedding dress is said to have inspired the gowns of other royals, including Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen gown.
“It was such an incredible adventure and it has left a huge mark on people,” said the couple’s only child, Prince Albert.
The civil ceremony was set for April 18, 1956; the religious ceremony for the next day. But before that could happen, Kelly and her sizable entourage had to make the long trek from America to Monaco.
To get there, they would board the SS Constitution ocean liner and sail on an eight-day voyage to the French Riviera.
And so it was on April 4th that Kelly, along with her family, six bridesmaids, 80 pieces of luggage and a poodle, boarded the ship in New York, along with a horde of reporters and photographers, eager to see the story in the news. process. Some 400 journalists applied to join the crossing, but most were turned away.
But even those on land had a spectacular sight: As Kelly boarded the ship, a plane owned by Aristotle Onassis flew overhead, showering red and white carnations on those below.
“The whole Constitution trip was something Mom would refer to sometimes,” Albert told People. He would say it was fun for the wedding party. It really brought the whole Philadelphia side together, his family and friends of his who came over the crossing together.”
She would also talk about Oliver, her French poodle, she said, a gift from Cary Grant, with whom she had co-starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief.
Kelly’s arrival in Monaco was an even bigger event than her departure, with 1,800 photographers there to capture the moment of her arrival. It had been a grueling series of events, and the ceremonies hadn’t even begun.
“My father said it’s exhausting to go through the circumstances, the pomp, the planning,” Albert told People.
The religious ceremony was seen on international television by what was eventually estimated at 30 million people.
Meanwhile, the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas had to be prepared for the second religious ceremony, which will be supervised by the Bishop of Monaco, Gilles Barthe.
Princess Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco wave from an open car after their wedding at Monaco Cathedral on April 19, 1956.
The entire Palace of Monaco was redecorated for the civil ceremony, which was followed by a reception for 3,000 Monaco citizens.
A sketch of the two-piece outfit Grace Kelly wore to her civil wedding ceremony.
The civil ceremony itself took just 16 minutes, but was followed by a full 25 minutes to listen to the 140 new titles that now belonged to Kelly as Princess of Monaco.
Still, that planning led to one of the most impressive celebrity events of the 20th century, when Monaco entered an eight-day period of festivities leading up to April 17.
And when that day came, the newly renovated palace hosted a grand reception with 40 foreign delegations, outdoor performances, and a spectacular fireworks display.
The following day, the civil ceremony took place in the palace’s Throne Room, with Kelly dressed in a light pink taffeta two-piece. set covered in champagneof colors French Alençon lace: the first of the gowns provided by MGM.
The actual ceremony took just 16 minutes, People reported, but it was followed by a full 25 minutes listening to the 140 new titles that now belonged to Kelly as Princess of Monaco.
And then the newlyweds had to repeat everything again for the news teams.
The second ceremony took place in the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas the next day. Before 30 million people watched, Kelly arrived in a gown fit for a princess, comprised of 300 yards of antique Belgian lace and 150 yards of silk, taffeta and tulle.
The princess-to-be decided not to wear a tiara and instead opted for a Juliet cap to keep her veil in place.
The veil, made of 90 yards of tulle, had been designed to ensure Kelly’s face was not hidden from the cameras, and her shoes and Juliet bonnet were decorated with pearls.
Kelly wore a two-piece set made of light pink taffeta covered with champagne French Alençon lace.
Prince Rainier and Princess Grace wave from the Royal Palace of Monaco after their wedding
The dress Kelly wore for her civil ceremony was a gift from MGM
Kelly wore a fairly small 2.5-inch heel, this is so she wouldn’t be taller than her husband-to-be, as they were a similar height. Even her shoes, designed by David Evins, were personal, featuring Kelly’s name engraved on the left shoe and Prince Rainier’s on the right shoe, Tatler reported.
The heels were designed with seed pearls, lace and a copper penny, to bring good luck to the newly married couple.
It took 36 seamstresses three weeks to make the beautiful clothes, and Kelly did each one of them proud, walking into the cathedral looking like the princess she now was.
Kelly’s wedding dress was so iconic that decades later it still inspires princesses to this day. Kate Middleton’s Stunning Lace Wedding Dress Designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen has a closure likeness.
Kelly’s beautiful wedding dress is now on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where others can appreciate the gown she wore to cheer on future queens.
At the time of the wedding, in 1956, at religious ceremonies the brides carried the Bible down the aisle with them instead of a bouquet Of flowers. True to tradition, Kelly was presented with a Bible decorated with silk, pearls and lace, and he brought the religious book along with lilies of the valley.
Lilies of the valley are often a popular choice among royal brides, as the timeless flowers represent happiness – a lovely choice for a wedding..
And while his new wife glided serenely under the watchful eyes of millions, Rainier was a little more nervous, and Kelly had to help him slide the ring onto her finger.
The wedding concluded with a traditional offering to Saint Devote, Monaco’s patron saint, and a feast of caviar, lobster, champagne and more for 600 people.
Their grand wedding cake reportedly cost around £10,000 and was unlike any other, containing two live turtle doves, animals that represent fidelity, trust and lasting love.
The cake was also topped with a music box that brought it to life and elegant turtle doves were released at the point where the groom cut the cake with his sword.
Kelly’s beautiful wedding dress is now on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where others can appreciate the gown she wore to cheer on future queens.
Their grand wedding cake reportedly cost around £10,000. It contained two live turtledoves, birds that represent fidelity, trust and enduring love.
The prince and princess then boarded the prince’s yacht, the Deo Juvante II, for a seven-week honeymoon.
At that moment they anchored off the coast of Monaco and quickly fell into a well-deserved sleep.
The couple began their honeymoon properly the next day, leaving behind memories and images that would last well beyond their own lives.
They would enjoy a fairytale romance until Grace’s tragic death at age 52 in a car accident on September 14, 1982. Prince Rainier never remarried and immersed himself in his work. He died in 2005.
