On April 19, 1956, Grace Kelly married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, trading in her successful movie career to become the Princess Consort of Monaco. The world was riveted by what became known as the “Wedding of the Century.” Taking a cue from Grace Kelly, American actress Meghan Markle quit acting in anticipation of marrying Prince Harry on May 19, 2018.
From 1951 to 1956, Kelly dazzled the world with her star performances during the Golden Age of Hollywood. In only five years, Kelly starred in 11 feature films, including “The Country Girl,” “High Noon” and “Rearview Mirror.” However, when Kelly met Prince Rainier at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955, her life changed irrevocably.
Her fairytale wedding spanned two days. It was internationally publicized and filmed by MGM. Kelly allowed the movie studio to record her nuptials so she could break her contract with them. Their civil ceremony on April 18, 1956, was attended by about 3,000 citizens of Monaco. Then, on April 19, 1956, there was a lavish religious ceremony with 700 guests, that included celebrities such as Conrad Hilton, Cary Grant, Gloria Swanson, and Ava Gardner. Guests dined on caviar, lobster, champagne, and a 200-pound six-tier wedding cake.
Designed by Oscar-winning costume designer Helen Rose, Kelly’s wedding dress reportedly required 30 seamstresses and used 150 yards of taffeta, tulle and silk. Created over a six-week period, it features antique Brussels lace and hundreds of tiny pearls. Instead of wearing a crown, Kelly opted for a Juliet cap, decorated with lace, seed pearls and paper orange blossoms to hold her 90-yard veil in place.
Although Kelly tragically died in a car accident in 1982, her memory lives on in her films, as well as all of the beautiful footage of her fairytale wedding.