Remembering Princess Grace of Monaco: her glamorous life in pictures on the anniversary of her wedding day
Princess Grace of Monaco’s name has become a byword for elegance and style. She has become the perennial symbol of the Hollywood Golden era despite having given up her career as one of the industry’s leading ladies for love and becoming a princess.
Her legendary status remains unmatched and her influence is perpetual: she radiated poise, beauty and, yes, grace, in every photo.
Her fairytale engagement to Prince Ranier was announced at the Kelly Family Home in Philadelphia on January 5, 1956, followed by a press conference at the Philadelphia Country Club. The following day, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly hosted a celebratory ball at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, which was attended by many members of New York high society.
As her marriage is back in the spotlight, revisit Tatler’s December 2010 cover interview with Princess Charlene, then Charlene Wittstock
The announcement of their engagement took many of those who knew Kelly by surprise since the couple had known each other for a relatively short time – but it was big news, running on the front page of the New York Times. The couple got married shortly thereafter, on 18 April, and had three children before her tragic death.
On that fateful day of September 14, 1982, Princess Grace lost control of her car, which veered off a mountain road by the Cote D’Azur. She was rushed to a Monaco hospital and sustained a mild cerebral haemorrhage, but died the following night after her husband, Prince Rainier III, instructed doctors to turn off her life support.
What followed was a global outpouring of grief for the former screen legend and celebrated beauty who was later buried in the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco, as mourners lined the streets to wave her off.
Princess Grace’s death was made even more tragic by the fact it could’ve been avoided and felt like a cruel twist of fate. She had made no secret of her aversion to driving. However, she reportedly insisted on getting behind the wheel of her favourite car – a 1971 Range Rover 3500 – to drive her beloved daughter, Princess Stéphanie, to the train station. Princess Grace told the chauffeur she would reluctantly drive as there wasn’t any space for all of them with the backseat full of luggages and clothing, as Stéphanie was leaving for school.
Princess Stéphanie, who was 17, survived after managing to escape the wreckage. She ended up with broken vertebrae. Prince Rainier, who did not remarry, was buried alongside her when he died in 2005. The royal was said to have never fully gotten over his wife’s passing.
Here, Tatler takes a look back at the life of a legendary film star who will forever encapsulate an impossibly glamorous era.