Who is Grace Kelly

Grace, Princess of Monaco née Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12 1929 - September 14 1982) was an Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress who, upon marriage to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco in 1956, became Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, but was generally known as Princess Gracia Patricia of Monaco. Princess Grace maintained dual American and Monegasque citizenship after her marriage. The principality's current Sovereign Prince, Albert II is the son of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. The American Film Institute ranked Grace Kelly No. 13 amongst the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.

(from Wikipedia...)

In December of 1955, Prince Rainier came to America on a trip officially designated as a tour, although it was speculated that Rainier was actively seeking a wife. (A 1918 treaty with France had stated that if Rainier did not produce an heir, Monaco would revert to France.) Prince Rainier met with Grace and her family, and after three days, the prince proposed. Grace accepted and the families began preparing for what the press called "The Wedding of the Century". The wedding was set for April 19, 1956.

News of the engagement was a sensation even though it meant the possible end to Grace's film career. Industry professionals realized that it would have been an impracticality for her to continue acting and wished her well. Alfred Hitchcock had quipped that he was "very happy that Grace has found herself such a good part."

Preparations for the wedding were elaborate. The Palace of Monaco was painted and redecorated throughout. The voyage of the American contingent to Monaco was an ordeal: on April 4, 1956, leaving from Pier 84 in New York Harbor, Grace, with her family, bridesmaids, poodle, and over eighty pieces of luggage boarded the ocean liner SS Constitution for the Riviera. Some 400 reporters applied to sail, though most were turned away. Thousands of fans sent the party off for the eight-day voyage. In Monaco, more than twenty-thousand people lined the streets to greet the future princess.

The wedding consisted of two ceremonies. On April 18, in the Palace Throne Room, a 40 minute civil ceremony was held. This was broadcast across Europe. To cap the ceremony, the 142 official titles (counterparts of Rainier's) that she acquired in the union were formally recited. The following day, the event concluded with the church ceremony at Monaco's Saint Nicholas Cathedral. Grace's wedding dress, designed by MGM's Academy Award-winning Helen Rose, had been worked on by three dozen seamstresses for six weeks. The 600 guests included Hollywood stars David Niven, his wife Hjordis, Gloria Swanson, Ava Gardner, the crowned head Aga Khan, and Conrad Hilton, and an estimated 30 million people watched on television. Frank Sinatra initially accepted the invitation to attend, but at the last minute decided otherwise, afraid of upstaging the bride on her wedding day. Queen Elizabeth flatly refused to attend on the grounds of there being "too many movie stars." The Prince and Princess left that night for their 7-week Mediterranean cruise honeymoon on Rainier's yacht.

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