Grace Kelly's wedding dress: Secrets of the actress's wedding dress. Grace Kelly wedding dress
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier receive congratulations shortly before their wedding, April 18, 1956.Their love story seemed to be copied from the most beautiful fairy tales about princes and princesses. He is the hereditary ruler of the Principality of Monaco, an officer, a graduate of the prestigious Institute of Political Studies (the forge of the French political elite) - and a rich man. She is an Oscar-winning Hollywood star, a real beauty and an enviable bride. This union had all the “components” of a brilliant love scenario: handsome heroes, a fateful first meeting, love letters, obstacles on the path to happiness, a magnificent wedding. But was there the main “component” here – love? More than 60 years after their wedding, there is no doubt: there was love. Fleeting, spontaneous, but still strong enough for Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier to live together for the rest of their lives.
Meeting
It only took them a second to fall in love with each other. And only a year to tie the knot. Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly met in 1955 in Cannes. Then the star of the films “Mogambo” and “The Country Girl” (for which the actress was awarded an Oscar) headed the American delegation at the Cannes Film Festival. Grace's agenda generally contained the ordinary, “routine” affairs of any movie star: choosing a toilet, meeting with journalists, attending a gala dinner in her honor. Oh yes, and a joint photo shoot with the Prince of Monaco for Paris Match - an item that, as close to the actress say, Grace really wanted to cross out from her busy schedule.
Aristotle Onassis, even before the monarch met the heroine, once said that the best way to draw attention to the principality would be Rainier’s wedding to someone like Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly...
However, the Prince of Monaco himself was not so eager to attend the photo shoot. Moreover, on that day everyone and everything seemed to be against their meeting. Grace got stuck in a traffic jam for many hours, then had a minor accident and, as contemporaries testify, she was in a terrible mood - including because she was not happy with either her outfit or her hairstyle. Prince Rainier also got stuck in an endless stream of cars, as a result of which he showed up for a photo shoot half an hour late and without the slightest desire to pose with any actress (even the highest-grossing actress of his time).
However, everything was resolved by a small but very sweet episode. Prince Rainier subsequently admitted that upon entering the hall where the meeting was to take place, he was at first sight fascinated by the way Grace rehearsed a curtsy in front of the mirror. Finally, they met and, as legend has it, fell in love at first sight. This look, by the way, was captured by photographer Pierre Galant, who took one of the most famous photographs of the prince and future princess. Grace was also fascinated by the 32-year-old monarch, who impressed her with his courtesy and gallantry. After the photo shoot, he invited her to his residence. There, among the flowering gardens, she was especially touched by the small zoo, as well as by how calmly and fatherly Rainier played with the little tiger cub.
After this meeting, a stormy romantic correspondence began between the young people. And even here there were some literary reminiscences (we refer to “Romeo and Juliet”): his spiritual mentor, Father Tucker, helped him send letters to Grace Rainier. In just six months, the prince in love will cross the Atlantic, ask for blessings from Grace's parents and on Christmas Eve propose to the actress in the center of New York, presenting her with an engagement ring, which, however, a month later will be replaced with the famous jewelry with a 10-carat diamond from Cartier.
Bets are placed
Like any marriage of this level, the wedding of Grace and Rainier became the subject of general interest and hopes for strategic benefits. It must be understood that in the middle of the 20th century, the Principality of Monaco was by no means the paradise for billionaires that it is today. Then it was a poor and not very popular small state, for which every random tourist was worth its weight in gold. It is not surprising that the people had high hopes for the new prince, who ascended the throne in 1949. One of the prince's best friends, billionaire Aristotle Onassis, even once (even before the monarch met our heroine) said that one of the best ways to draw attention to the principality could be Rainier's wedding with someone like Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly... And here Onassis was more insightful than ever: the wedding of the ruler of a small principality with Grace really advertised this state for decades to come. Tourists flocked to Monaco in droves, and billionaires from all over the world began to consider it their duty to buy their own villa in the principality.
Before the wedding, his spiritual mentor, Father Tucker, helped him send letters to Grace Regnier.
Grace’s parents also had certain hopes, who, by the way, having met the prince, decided that he was not the ruler of Monaco, but of Morocco. But, be that as it may, such an alliance was beneficial to the descendants of Irish immigrants, for whom the path to high society in New York (despite their considerable fortune) had been closed for a long time.
However, they had to pay for their interests. The parents received about $2 million as a dowry, and Grace herself, in turn, had to undergo a fertility test (a protocol requirement), as well as an informal virginity test. Of course, the Hollywood star, who had many lovers before Rainier, was worried about the results. However, since Grace was fine with the ability to give the monarch heirs, no one paid attention to the “side” conclusions.
But perhaps the most serious sacrifice for Grace was the condition under which she had to give up her career as an actress. From now on, she had to play only one role - the wife of the ruler of Monaco.
Before the wedding, Grace had to undergo a fertility test (a protocol requirement) and an informal virginity test.
And she made this sacrifice. Later, only once did Grace try to break this condition, when Alfred Hitchcock offered her a role in one of his new films. The prince was inclined to show understanding and let his wife go to filming. However, the people of the Principality of Monaco were sharply against this idea: “Our princess cannot and should not act in films like some actress!” In the end, Grace stayed home. According to the testimony of her relatives, she almost did not leave her room for a week; for her, this last missed chance to again plunge into her beloved world of cinema turned out to be a real tragedy.
"Wedding of the Century"
This is how the celebration of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier was loudly called, which, according to some estimates, even surpassed the wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Duke Philip in terms of spending. It is no wonder: the entire festivities lasted about a week and ended with official ceremonies - civil (April 18) and religious (April 19).
Grace herself arrived on the shores of the principality on the ocean liner Constitution on April 12. As soon as the bride stepped onto the pier and greeted her lover, the legendary “rain” of red and white carnations fell on the newlyweds from heaven (in fact, just from the plane) - a gift from that very friend of Rainier Aristotle. The celebration itself was attended by about a thousand guests, including Hollywood stars, prominent politicians and even representatives of the Pope.
The wedding celebration cost, according to various estimates, 45-55 million dollars, most of which was covered by the MGM film studio, which collaborated with Grace. By the way, in exchange for breaking the contract with the newly minted princess, the company received the exclusive right to broadcast the ceremony on television and in cinema.
The famous Grace Kelly dress, which many to this day consider the standard of wedding dress, was made by about 30 dressmakers over the course of six weeks. The outfit, designed by costume designer Helen Rose, was embroidered with pearls and vintage Brussels lace and today is valued at approximately $300,000.
The celebration of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier, according to some estimates, surpassed the wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Duke Philip in terms of spending.
In the evening after the ceremony, the newlyweds set off on a honeymoon on a snow-white yacht - it was a gift from Aristotle Onassis to his friend and his dear wife.
And they lived for a long time...
But is it happy? Today it becomes clear to many that the strong marriage of Grace and Rainier was based not so much on all-consuming love, but on friendship, respect and loyalty to their own status. Grace seemed like an exemplary princess: always elegant, she was present at all protocol events, did charity work and behaved like an ideal wife. However, it soon became clear that the principality, which had once seemed like a paradise to her, had become a golden cage for her.
Every girl dreams of meeting a prince. The beautiful actress Grace Kelly not only met and fell in love with the 33-year-old Prince of Monaco, but also built a strong family with him. Their union was considered ideal. Grace, who was the happiest woman at the beginning of her marriage, turned out to be a bird imprisoned in a golden cage at the end of her life.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly was born in 1929 in Philadelphia into the family of millionaire Jack Kelly, who made his first big money as the owner of the Kelly company. Brick works." The family had four children. All children grew up under strict rules and were not spoiled by their parents. The main role in shaping Grace's future personality was played by the girl's uncle, actor George Kelly, who noticed her talent at a young age.
By the age of fourteen, Grace Kelly was already playing in the theater, and before our eyes the girl was turning from an ugly duckling into a real beauty. She had many admirers, but Jack Kelly tried to protect his daughter from early love interests.
Moving to New York
The girl managed to get rid of her father’s guardianship only after moving to New York. In the big city, Grace made many new acquaintances. In the company of friends she felt relaxed. Grace Kelly studied at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. There she met student Herbie Miller, and the attractive guy became her friend. The girl worked part-time as a fashion model, and sent all the money she earned to her family.
Luck smiled on the girl during the casting for the film “High Noon,” which was going to be filmed in Hollywood. In April 1952, Grace woke up famous; the film “High Noon,” in which she starred, received three Oscars.
Meeting Grace Kelly with Rainier III
In 1955, when Grace Kelly became truly famous and led a delegation of US filmmakers during the Cannes Film Festival, she received an offer to visit the Principality of Monaco. At that time, many celebrities dreamed about this, but Grace reacted to this proposal quite restrainedly.
Everything didn't go according to plan from the very beginning. Due to the fact that the electricity was turned off in her hotel, the actress managed to dry her hair completely, and she came to meet the prince in a rumpled dress and with a bun on her head. Rainier was also not delighted with the upcoming meeting, but as soon as the prince saw the attractive blonde who was rehearsing a bow of greeting at the mirror, he fell in love with her at first sight. Then there was a fascinating walk in the park and a nice conversation. It turned out that they had more than enough common themes. Despite her carefree nature, Grace Kelly was quite educated and was able to conquer the prince not only with her appearance, but also with her knowledge of many topics.
The meeting ended and the girl flew home; she sent Rainier a letter thanking him for the reception. The Prince of Monaco was over thirty, he was looking for a future wife and the mother of his children. Whatever you say, Grace was in the right place at the right time.
Wedding and married life of Grace Kelly and Rainier III
By this time, the career of actress Grace Kelly had reached its peak. She was tired of the admiring glances of men; she had to make a decision on how to live further. On December 25, Prince Rainier visited the Kelly family, he proposed marriage to Grace, and she said yes. The wedding ceremony took place in Monaco on April 18, 1956. The bride was wearing a dress that took one hundred meters of antique lace, which was searched for in all museums in France, and her veil was decorated with one thousand pearls
It was truly a royal wedding. The dowry of the future princess amounted to two million dollars. At that moment, Grace decided what she wanted from life. The girl completely abandoned her career as an actress; her family worried her much more than working in films. Less than a year later, Grace gave birth to her husband's daughter, who was named Caroline Louise Margarita; a few years later, Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre was born - the heir to the throne.
Grace Kelly's stay in Monaco had a positive impact on economic growth in the principality. Even before her wedding to Rainier, Grace Kelly was a fairly recognizable personality; it was her name that added to the number of tourists who began to visit Monaco. Grace Kelly devoted all her free time to charity, in addition to this, she was raising her own children.
In 1965, the couple had a third child, it was a girl, she was named Stefania Maria Elisaveta. Unfortunately, Grace Kelly could not have any more children - the fourth boy died without being born. It was rumored that after this Prince Rainier lost interest in his wife: he became a real tyrant, was jealous and humiliated her, believing that the people of Monaco loved his wife more than himself. Grace forgave her husband everything. In 1981 they celebrated their silver wedding.
Last years
Time passed, the children grew up. Caroline had a loud and scandalous marriage behind her, Albert, who was the future heir, was not interested in anything other than sports and girls, and the youngest daughter Stefania grew up a “tomboy” - she rode a motorcycle and despised feminine clothes. The image of an impeccable family that Grace had so diligently built was crumbling. She no longer considered her life fabulous and her family ideal, although she tried not to show her disappointment to the public.
Shortly before the disaster that claimed her life, Grace, according to contemporaries, took a lover in Paris and practically moved to live with him. At the very end of her life's journey, she dreamed of only one thing - to resume her acting career. Her violent and restless nature, which had been hidden for so long behind the façade of the impregnable “snow queen,” was rushing out.
One day she decided to talk to her daughter face to face, and to do this she decided to refuse the services of a driver and got behind the wheel of the car herself. It was a fatal mistake. Immersed either in her thoughts or in a conversation, the wife of Prince Rainier made a mistake, the car drove off the road and fell from a great height.
Journalists said that there was an argument inside the car, and Grace Kelly suffered a stroke. Having never recovered from the accident, the princess died on September 14, 1982. At that time she was only 52 years old. The youngest daughter Stefania, who was in the car with her mother, survived. There was practically no scratch on it. A great love ended tragically, and it was a huge loss for Monaco and the whole world.
Rainier's life after Grace's death
Celebrities and monarchs from America and Europe came to the princess’s funeral, local residents cried in the streets, and Rainier walked arm in arm with his daughter and did not hide his tears. By his decree, he banned the showing of films in Monaco in which his wife starred. He remained alone more and more often, and appeared less and less at social events.
An oriental fairy tale against the backdrop of world politics conquered the whole world and, unfortunately, ended in tragedy.
In 1956, a new page opened in the history of the small principality of Monaco: the local ruler Rainier III from the Grimaldi dynasty married American film star and Oscar winner Grace Kelly, whose number of admirers was many times greater than the number of her new country. From that moment on, Monaco began to rapidly gain popularity among wealthy tourists and the cream of society around the world. And it’s not surprising: after a wedding like Rainier and Grace’s, it simply couldn’t have been any other way. The newlyweds did everything possible to ensure that their celebration was recognized as the event of the century. And this was noticeable even in the smallest details, most of which you most likely did not know.
Rainier did NOT give Grace a diamond on her engagement day
They say that it took only a moment for the European prince and the American actress to fall in love with each other, and only a couple of months for the enchanted Rainier to propose to Grace Kelly. This happened on Christmas Day in 1955, and already on January 5, 1956, the lovers convened a small press conference at Grace’s house in Philadelphia, during which the groom announced his intention to make the American princess of Monaco, and the happy bride showed reporters her engagement ring. But there was no huge diamond in it.
Instead of a pure solitaire, Grace wore a modest ring on her ring finger, encrusted with small diamonds and rubies (a reference to the colors of the national flag).
What kind of decoration was this, and - most importantly - why was it so modest? The thing is that in those days Monaco was a very poor principality, so even the prince could not immediately afford to buy an expensive engagement ring for his bride. That day, Rainier presented the American woman with the so-called “friendship ring.” In the West, this is a very common tradition - the groom proposes to his beloved and gives an inexpensive ring as a promise that in the future it will be replaced by a more worthy example.
The famous emerald-cut diamond from Cartier appeared on Grace’s finger only at the end of January, and its debut, very symbolically, took place on the set. Rainier's bride continued to participate in filming right up to the wedding preparations, and in the middle of winter she was to play the main role in Charles Walters' film High Society. It was then that Grace noticed that her colleagues in the industry wore engagement rings with stones of several carats, and against their background, a thin piece of jewelry from her prince looked completely frivolous.
The sweet precious “ribbon” urgently needed to be replaced.
Luckily for Grace, her character in High Society was a wealthy socialite who, according to the script, was also scheduled to get married soon. So, just a few days after the announcement of the engagement, Miss Kelly finally received her coveted massive diamond - however, not from Rainier, but from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film company and only as a prop. The stone in it was a fake, but what’s funny is that during the first weeks it was this piece of jewelry that Grace stubbornly passed off as a gift from Rainier. When her fiancé presented her with a Cartier, the actress luckily discovered that it was very similar to her “film” engagement ring and promptly replaced the fake with a real piece of jewelry with a 10.47-carat solitaire.
This version is quite plausible if you look closely at the rings of the heroine Grace in different frames of the film. The first one features a diamond (or rhinestone), rather oval in shape. In the second - the same “emerald” with two baguette-cut stones on the sides.
Celebrations began two weeks before the actual celebration.
As you know, the wedding of Rainier and Grace took place in two stages - in the form of a civil and religious ceremony on April 18 and 19, respectively. However, the bride herself began celebrating her wedding on April 4 - from the very day the Constitution liner set sail from the shores of New York to take the future princess and her American friends to Monaco. In total, there were 66 guests on the ship, as well as Grace’s two dogs – a Weimaraner puppy given to the girl for her wedding, and her old poodle named Oliver.
The day before, Grace planned to hold a small press conference, but that evening almost 250 representatives of various media gathered on the pier in New York, trying to capture the happy bride.
The cruise across the Atlantic lasted for 8 whole days, and during this time there was not a single evening that Grace’s guests were not offered a festive cocktail, dinner and a noisy party until the morning. So they landed on the shores of Monaco, but even here a magnificent reception awaited the American woman and her friends. On the shore she was met by crowds of people who wanted to take a closer look at their future princess, American songs were played, and at the moment when the prince sailed on a luxurious yacht to the liner, “rain” of white and red carnations fell from the sky. This was the idea of Rainier’s close friend Aristotle Onassis, who at that moment was flying over the principality on a private plane.
Folk festivities continued in Monte Carlo for several more days - right up to the wedding ceremony.
Grace had four wedding dresses
When talking about Grace Kelly's wedding, we are used to remembering only one of her dresses, which, in fairness, really was the most important, and later also one of the most quoted by other famous brides. The stunning ivory outfit was designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose and was reportedly made by 30 tailors over the course of six weeks. Its current value is estimated at approximately 300 thousand dollars.
Grace's wedding dress declared itself a triumph of modesty, but in reality only the silhouette was modest in it. The dress consisted of ten separate elements, the sewing of which took about 25 meters of taffeta and 100 meters of silk. Expensive vintage Brussels lace was decorated with thousands of small pearls, which hid all the seams and excess folds, creating the effect of a precious haze that covered the bride’s body. It was this outfit that went down in history, however - let us remind you again - Grace and Rainier's officially wedding lasted two days, and it is difficult to imagine that a celebrity of Kelly's level would allow herself to limit herself to just one dress.
Grace wore her white wedding dress to the religious ceremony on April 19, which was preceded by a civil ceremony and at least three more dresses.
The girl demonstrated the first on the morning of April 18 during a civil wedding in the princely palace. The soft pink ensemble, consisting of a closed jacket and a fluffy ankle-length skirt, was decorated with expensive French Alençon lace and complemented with a miniature “Juliet” and short gloves.
A little later, Rainier’s legal wife changed this outfit to another ankle-length dress, in which she received congratulations from the public during the day.
Grace's headdress was of strategic importance
Grace Kelly officially got married on April 18th, and therefore technically she had even more rights to wear the precious tiara to the religious ceremony on the 19th. But the actress did not do this, preferring the same “Juliet”, which this time was decorated with pearls, as well as wax and paper orange blossoms. From a distance, the headdress looked like a full-fledged tiara - at the same time, it held much more firmly in the bride’s hairstyle, supporting her long veil. By the way, the tulle for her was also made wisely - designer Helen Rose selected the most transparent fabric for Grace, remembering that the star’s face should be visible equally well not only to all guests, but also to millions of television viewers.
Grace didn't have a wedding bouquet
At least in the form in which we present it today. As stated in the catalog of the Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibition, where Grace’s wedding dress is presented, in the mid-20th century, most pious brides, according to tradition, went to the altar not with a bouquet of flowers, but with a small prayer book (this custom was especially common in the southern United States ). Rainier received her beloved as a gift just before the ceremony, and MGM has already decorated it with silk, pearls and lace. A small bouquet of lilies of the valley was just a decoration for the prayer book and nothing more - it was no coincidence that during the official photo shoot the flowers were even removed from the frame. As unnecessary.
The bride and groom said “I do” not twice, but three times
In theory, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly were supposed to exchange vows only twice - before the head of government on April 18 and before the representative of the Pope on the 19th. However, in reality it turned out that the lovers said “yes” to each other one more time.
The thing is that the civil wedding ceremony of Grace and Rainier had to be held twice - once officially, and the other for the television crew from MGM. And everything would have been fine if not for the sheer tediousness of the entire procedure, because, according to the protocol, the Minister of State had to not only ask the consent of the spouses, but also read to them all the articles of the Civil Code that relate to family law, and also list all 142 official titles of the prince . In total, the entire ceremony lasted about 40 minutes, and then was duplicated again for the press. Not a very romantic event, you will agree. But at the same time, it is very necessary from a strategic point of view.
The wedding reception was too fancy for little Monaco
The bride and groom, as well as representatives of the Monegasque government, dreamed of making the wedding of Rainier and Grace a very glamorous event that would secure Monte Carlo's status as a new secular capital. The entire celebration, according to various estimates, cost about 45-55 million dollars, but since the film company that collaborated with Grace agreed to cover most of the expenses, the organizers of the event were in no hurry to limit themselves in anything.
The wedding of the Monegasque prince and the American actress really took place at the highest level. The wedding reception was held after both the civil and religious ceremonies, and on April 18, about 3,000 citizens were able to attend a gala lunch with cake and champagne.
The reception on the 19th was more intimate - for only 600 guests, among whom were famous politicians, representatives of royal families, businessmen and, of course, stars. For them, the best chefs of Monaco and France have developed a magnificent menu: caviar, shrimp, smoked salmon, salami, soup, lobster, chicken and, of course, champagne. This whole gastronomic symphony was crowned by a huge wedding cake in six tiers, decorated with small copies of the facades of the Monegasque palace, scenes from the history of the country “painted” with icing, as well as figurines of cherubs pardoning under the Crown.
In a word, the reception turned out to be very pompous in every sense, only the ambitions of the hosts somewhat exceeded their capabilities - after all, the princely domains were simply not designed for such a number of guests. The result was that, sitting at the table, people could barely fit cutlery and glasses in front of them, not to mention gloves, hats, handbags and menu cards. In fact, even the bride and groom themselves were awkwardly crowded around a very small table.
The honeymoon didn't get off to a very romantic start for Grace.
On the evening of April 19, after the ceremony and reception, the newlyweds set off on a honeymoon cruise around the Mediterranean on the snow-white yacht Deo Juvante II (a wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis to the couple). However, as soon as the ship left the port, the newly-made princess felt ill, and the crew had to drop anchor not far from the shore so that Grace could get used to the rocking a little.
Hollywood movie star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco met for the first time in 1954. At that time, the actress was filming Alfred Hitchcock's film To Catch a Thief, which takes place on the French Riviera, and the young monarch, of course, could not afford to miss the chance to meet the famous actress.
Their romance developed rapidly; already in 1956, Kelly agreed to marry Ranier, and also announced the end of her short career. The fairytale wedding of the movie star and the prince took place from April 18 to 19, 1956. On the first day there was a civil ceremony in the presence of close friends and relatives, and the next day there was a formal ceremony for the entire public.
In their marriage, Ranier and Grace Kelly had three children - Princesses Caroline and Stephanie and Prince Albert II, who today is the reigning Prince of Monaco. The couple lived together for more than 25 years. In 1982, actress Grace Kelly was in a car accident, her car lost control and flew off the side of a mountain. The princess was taken to the hospital with severe injuries; the next day Grace Kelly died without regaining consciousness.
Grace Kelly was buried on September 18 in the Grimaldi family crypt in St. Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco. Her husband, Prince Rainier, remained a widower until his death in 2005; he was buried next to his beloved.
Photos from the wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier III of Monaco
Grace Kelly became the 10th Princess of Monaco, and later the mother of the now reigning Prince Albert II.
The princess had three children - Caroline Margarita Louise (born 1957), Albert II (born 1958), the reigning Prince of Monaco, Stefania Maria Elizabeth (born 1965).
Ranier and Grace Kelly during their wedding ceremony.
The bride's dress was created by Metro Goldwyn Mayer MGM studio designer Helen Rose.
Official photo from Grace Kelly's wedding with her bridesmaids.
Grace Kelly and Ranier's official wedding portrait.
At the end of the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds got into an open-top Rolls-Royce, donated to the couple by subjects of the principality, and drove around Monte Carlo.
The ivory-colored dress took 25 meters of silk taffeta and antique Belgian lace 125 years ago to make.
The bride's head was decorated with a lace tiara, and she held a small bouquet of lilies of the valley in her hands.
Grace Kelly and Ranier during the wedding ceremony.
Ranier and Grace Kelly greet the citizens of Monaco.
Rainier and Grace Kelly spent most of their honeymoon sailing around the island of Corsica.
Grace Kelly's dress featured a stand-up collar, which was fastened with 30 buttons and was made of lace.
Grace Kelly and Ranier
The citizens of Monaco idolized their princess: she was young, beautiful and open to people; during the holidays, anyone in the crowd could shake her hand.
After the wedding, Grace Kelly became actively involved in charity work. In the winter of 1956, she organized a Christmas tree for children in the palace and this won the hearts of local residents so much that the event immediately became an annual tradition.
In 2007, Monaco issued a commemorative 2 euro coin with a mintage of 20,001 pieces, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the death of Grace Kelly. This coin has the smallest mintage of all 2 euro commemorative coins and is the most expensive (the cost of the coin at auctions exceeds 1200 euros). After its release, it was prohibited in Monaco to issue commemorative coins with a face value of 2 euros for 2 years.
In 2012, in Yoshkar-Ola, on the embankment of the Malaya Kokshaga River near the registry office, a monument was erected to the married couple Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Prince of Monaco and Princess of Hollywood
Prince Rainier III, heir to one of the oldest European families, the Grimaldi, ascended the throne at the age of 26. He inherited this small country, not yet a haven of millionaires, which Somerset Maugham described as “a sunny place for dark characters.”
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Rainier was never a close relative of the ruling European dynasties; on the one hand, his family has many minor royal ancestors, such as King James IV of Scotland or Stephanie de Beauharnais, the adopted daughter of Napoleon Bonaparte.
On the other hand, “proletarian origin.” His mother Charlotte was the illegitimate daughter of Prince Louis II and Marie Juliette Louvet, who worked... as a singer in a cabaret.
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According to the law, Grimaldi's distant relative, the German subject Wilhelm von Urach, was supposed to inherit the throne. But at the height of the First World War, such a prospect did not please anyone, including the French government. As a result, Charlotte was granted the title and right of inheritance, which she subsequently renounced in favor of her son.
The marriage of Rainier's parents was a classic arranged union and ended in divorce. His father, Prince Pierre de Polignac, became a citizen of Monaco only a month before his wedding to Charlotte.
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Prince Rainier (in his father's arms) and Grace Kelly as children
Grace Kelly came from a family of descendants of immigrants (her father was Irish by blood, her mother was German), who achieved everything in life on their own. Her mother was a model and athlete, eventually becoming the first female physical education teacher at Philadelphia University.
My father also excelled in sports at first; he rowed and won gold at two Olympics in 1920 and 1924. And then in business - having started working as a simple mason, he built his own business, which brought him a million-dollar fortune.
Grace grew up in a large and close-knit family - the Kellys had four children - and received a strict Catholic upbringing. All this, coupled with her stormy temperament and strong character, gave birth to a “phenomenon” named Grace Kelly.
Alfred Hitchcock once described it with a very accurate metaphor - “a volcano under the snow.” Under the mask of education and excellent taste, a desperate and passionate nature was hidden.
She decided to move to New York to study at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, while working part-time as a model. At the age of 20 she received her first role on Broadway, at 22 she received her first role on TV, at 24 she received her first Oscar nomination for her role in Mogambo, and a year later she won the coveted statuette for the film The Country Girl.
Both have been in love more than once. Rainier had a long relationship with actress Gisele Pascal; they were together for almost 6 years, but the girl chose a career. Grace was often carried away by her film partners; for example, on the set of “Mogambo” she began an affair with Clark Gable himself.
However, despite her many hobbies, Grace was officially engaged only once, to Oleg Cassini, a Russian-born fashion designer and future stylist for Jackie Kennedy.
Grace's parents were primarily opposed to marriage with Cassini. He was much older, divorced, and had a fiery temperament. Much later, after the death of Grace, Cassini said in an interview with People magazine that he fell in love with her when he saw her on the screen in the film “Mogambo”, and was very passionate about her.
I'm writing to you
The prince and the actress met in 1955. Grace Kelly, as part of the American delegation, came to the Cannes Film Festival: many official meetings and photo sessions, among which was one proposed by the photographer Paris Match - in Monaco, along with the young prince. And Grace agreed.
The day of the planned shooting for Grace and Rainier did not go well in the morning. Excited about meeting the crowned lady, Grace was unhappy with her dress and hairstyle, and on the way she had a minor accident.
The prince was late for his meeting with the actress, which made him nervous and angry. According to legend, Rainier saw Grace for the first time in the hall where the meeting was scheduled, when she was rehearsing a curtsey in front of the mirror. This charmed Rainier so much that his bad mood disappeared.
The shooting went off without incident, and Grace returned to Cannes. There, during a conversation with another former admirer, French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont, she only mentioned in passing that Rainier was “very nice.”
However, immediately after meeting, they began a secret correspondence that lasted almost six months. The mediator in this matter was one of the prince’s closest assistants, the American priest Father Francis Tucker.
Rainier later said that with each letter, he and Grace “opened up more and more to each other.” He told Grace biographer Donald Spoto that it was a difficult task to find someone who could be both his soul mate and his lover at the same time. They became friends long before “the priest joined their hands.”
Their correspondence romance was a secret for a long time even for close people. Grace's friend Rita Gam recalled: Grace once said that she had “found her prince.” Not knowing who she was talking about, Gam at first thought that Grace was referring to the generalized concept of a “prince charming” that girls dream of, and only then it turned out that the prince was a real one.
Dowry and the “friendship ring”
Almost six months after they met, the Prince of Monaco made an official visit to the United States. Journalists, having heard about Rainier's matrimonial intentions, asked him point blank at the first press conference whether he had come to America in search of a wife.
After answering “no,” they asked the following “leading” question: “If you were looking for a wife, what kind of wife would she be?”
Rainier smiled and replied: “I don’t know, probably the best,” and then added a mysterious description of his future wife as “a certain lady with hair the color of the passing autumn and eyes blue or violet with specks of gold.”
A few days later, Rainier met with Grace and her family for a formal introduction.
For many years, Rainier dreamed of the impossible: to find the perfect princess for his small country and at the same time marry for love. Grace seemed to be the absolute embodiment of his dream, but she also had to overcome some “formal obstacles.”
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Rainier brought with him a doctor, whose task was to make sure that the bride was able to give birth to an heir. Grace, at the first moment, decided that the purpose of the examination was to make sure of her virginity, of which not a trace remained for a long time, and at first she refused.
The second obstacle was the dowry. Both the actress herself and her family were not poor, but the actress’s parents had to raise $2 million for the prince.
Before the official engagement, Rainier dropped a trial balloon, so to speak. He gave the bride a “friendship ring” with diamonds and rubies in the color of the Monaco flag, and only later presented the same famous ring with a 10.5-carat diamond from Cartier.
When the engagement became public, Grace told her friend Rita Gam: “I love his eyes. I can look at them for hours."
Rainier asked Grace to marry him on Christmas Eve 1955, and on January 5, 1956, the engagement was announced at a press conference at Kelly's home in Philadelphia.
Wedding of the century
Preparations for this “wedding of the century” took several months, and the ceremony itself was preceded by almost a week of festivities.
On April 4, 1956, New York journalists escorted the yacht Constitution to Monaco, on board were Grace Kelly, her family, 60 friends and the poodle Oliver, given to the actress by Cary Grant. Eight days later, on the morning of April 12, the ship, along with all the honest company, entered the bay of Hercules and dropped anchor.
Prince Rainier's brand new yacht Deo Juvante II came out to meet her from the port of Monte Carlo - the name of the yacht, which is also the motto of the Grimaldi house, written on the coat of arms of Monaco, means “with God's help.”
With God's help, the prince reached the bride's yacht and finally embraced her as thousands of white and red carnations rained down on them from the heavens. It was not God who did his best here, but Aristotle Onassis, whose seaplane staged this colorful show.
The residents of Monte Carlo watched the arrival of their new princess by occupying the pier and the windows of the houses overlooking the bay. The bride and groom are surrounded by enthusiastic screams, applause and camera flashes. Grace wore a dark blue suit and a wide-brimmed white hat, which greatly upset the gathered crowd, who wanted to see her face.
According to the law, Grace and Rainier had two ceremonies: civil and religious. The civil, more modest, took place on April 18, 1956, with the young couple there were five official witnesses, including Grace's sister Peggy and Rainier's sister Princess Antoinette.
The next day a religious ceremony took place. MGM, in exchange for releasing Grace from her contract, filmed and broadcast both weddings on television and the silver screen.
The bride's grandiose dress was also a gift from MGM. It was invented by costume designer and friend of the actress Helen Rose, and was sewn by 36 seamstresses over three weeks. The dress was decorated with antique lace, purchased for almost $2,500, and the bodice, veil and shoes were embroidered with pearls. The bride held a small bouquet of white lilies of the valley in her hands.
Grace chose six friends and her sister Peggy as her bridesmaids. The prince was accompanied by his cousin Count Charles de Polignac and the bride's brother John Kelly.
Both ceremonies ended with grand receptions attended by almost 700 guests, including Aristotle Onassis, hotelier Conrad Hilton, who represented US President Eisenhower, Francois Mitterrand, who was then the French Minister of Justice, and film stars: David Niven, Cary Grant, Gloria Swenson and Ava Gardner. There was even a special representative of Pope Pius XII.
It is not surprising that the groom and especially the bride had difficulty in enduring this “fun”. On the evening of April 19, they sailed into the sunset on the same yacht of Prince Rainier, but literally immediately dropped anchor again: Grace spent the first week of her honeymoon with the flu. In the following days we caught up on lost time, traveling along the French Riviera, the coast of Spain and Corsica.
Life after marriage
“I became a princess before I had time to think about it,” Grace once said. Gossips said that their marriage was a simple arrangement; friends only noticed that they were opposites.
Rainier was pragmatic, loved sports, expensive cars and animals in his zoo. Grace, on the contrary, was sensitive and loved art. Over time, the misunderstanding between them began to grow.
In the early years, Princess Grace devoted herself entirely to her family and her new small homeland. Its fame brought hundreds of tourists to the country, and Rainier's thoughtful rule ultimately made Monaco and its citizens one of the richest countries in the world.
Grace gave birth to Rainier's three children: Princesses Caroline and Stephanie and Crown Prince Albert. She was actively involved in charity work, and in her free time she made paintings from dried flowers.
A few years later, she was again invited to act in films, and she really wanted to return, but she could not make this decision alone. The country made the decision. The Monegasques unanimously opposed the return of their princess to Hollywood.
Meanwhile, the children grew up, and the royal family looked less and less like the ideal that Grace aspired to. Her eldest daughter Caroline got married and divorced almost immediately with scandal. The son was passionate about sports and girls and did not at all strive to settle down.
The youngest, Stefania, enthusiastically built a musical career and ignored secular conventions no less than her elders. The husband was too busy with government affairs and, according to rumors, Grace eventually began to take young lovers in an attempt to retain her vanishing youth.
***
On September 13, 1982, Grace Kelly was returning to Monaco by car with her daughter Stephanie. Under the pretext that she needed to have a serious talk with her daughter, she let the driver go and got behind the wheel herself.
At one of the serpentine turns, her Rover 3500 car flew into the abyss. Princess Stephanie miraculously survived, but her mother received life-threatening injuries. As it later turned out, Grace Kelly suffered a mini-stroke while driving, which caused her to lose control.
Her funeral became a tragedy, Prince Rainier walked behind his wife’s coffin, not hiding his tears, no past disagreements and rumors no longer played a role. Rainier outlived his wife by almost a quarter of a century, dying in April 2006. Their children still rule the small kingdom, which still idolizes its beautiful princess Grace.
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