Known for her beauty and style, it stands to reason that Grace Kelly had a fairytale engagement and wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco. Grace met Prince Rainier in 1955 at the Cannes film festival, where she agreed to be photographed with the prince. She was 26 at the time and Prince 32. Six months later, their engagement was announced to the world. Prince Rainer proposed a 12 carat emerald cut diamond ring with two baguettes, set in platinum. The ring can be seen in the movie “High Society” that Grace starred in that year. Grace also received a friendship ring with rubies and diamonds. The prince was said to be one of the richest bachelors in the world. Grace was a Hollywood icon and the world was captivated by the mix of Hollywood and old world royalty.
See pre-wedding ceremony terms: Grace was asked to undergo a pre-wedding fertility test; Prince Rainer requested a dowry of 2 million from Grace’s family; in the event of a divorce, Grace would renounce all rights to her children.
Once married, Grace did not make any more movies.
The couple had both a civil and religious ceremony. The civil ceremony took place in April 1956 in the palace’s throne room. Grace was dressed in a pink taffeta dress with cream lace. As accessories, he wore white gloves and a cap. The couple exchanged their vows in French in front of 80 guests. The ceremony was followed by a reception for the citizens of Monaco and a gala celebration at the Opera.
The religious ceremony attended by 600 guests at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was celebrated at a high mass and was presided over by the Bishop of Monaco. The wedding, dubbed by the media as “the wedding of the century”, was televised and watched by millions of people around the world. The prince wore a military-style uniform that he himself designed. Grace’s dress was a gift from MGM studios. It was a high-necked, long-sleeved dress made from hundreds of yards of silk taffeta, tulle, and lace. Her veil was supposedly 90 meters long. Six bridesmaids and six young attendants also marched down the aisle. Among the famous guests in attendance were Aristotle Onassis, Ava Gardner, Cary Grant, diplomats, etc. A reception luncheon was held at the Palace’s Court of Honor. The wedding cake was cut with the prince’s sword. As a wedding gift, the prince gave Grace a yacht. The people of Monaco gave the couple a Rolls Royce as a wedding gift. Grace and Prince Rainier spent their honeymoon aboard a cruise ship that made stops in Spain, Villegranche and Corsica.
Their marriage withstood the test of time and together they had three children: Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie. Tragically, Grace died in a car accident in 1982 when she was 52 years old. The prince died in 2005 after a long battle with multiple health problems. It was said that he never got over the death of his beloved wife. He was buried in a marble tomb with his wife. The princess lives on through her memories: her wedding dress and accessories were displayed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, while New York’s Sothebys displayed her engagement ring.