Just over a year after winning an Academy Award, American actress Grace Kelly embraced a new role as a real-life princess.
On April 18, 1956, her two-day wedding celebration with Prince Rainier III began in Monaco. The marriage, linking a glamorous Hollywood star with the sovereign of a picturesque Mediterranean principality, seemed straight out of a film—prompting the press to call their courtship a modern fairy tale. The wedding reflected this glamour: Grace wore an outfit designed by Oscar-winning costume designer Helen Rose; film crews, photographers, and over 1,000 reporters gathered to cover the event; and the guest list sparkled with international celebrities.
A civil ceremony took place first in the prince’s palace throne room, where Grace wore a chic light pink suit. Later that day, a public celebration attended by about 3,000 Monaco residents was held. The following day, Grace and Prince Rainier III married again in a religious service at St. Nicholas Cathedral. For this ceremony, Grace wore one of the most iconic wedding dresses ever—a high-necked gown crafted from Belgian lace, silk, and seed pearls, also designed by Helen Rose, who had won an Academy Award and whose creation was a gift from MGM studios, Grace’s former employer.
Both ceremonies were broadcast live across Europe. For international viewers elsewhere, the events were recorded and quickly shipped overseas for broadcast in the U.S. and beyond. This event marked a turning point: on 12th April, Grace had arrived in Monaco as an American actress after crossing the Atlantic. Just over a week later, she left on a seven-week Mediterranean honeymoon aboard a yacht as Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco.