Today in History—April 18: How Grace Kelly Became a Princess

A little more than a year after winning an Academy Award, an American actress stepped into a different role: that of real-life princess. On this day in 1956, the two-day wedding celebration of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III began in the tiny European principality of Monaco.

The marriage of a glamorous Hollywood star and the sovereign prince of an idyllic Mediterranean setting certainly sounded like it could be the plot of a Hollywood movie—with the press christening the couple’s whirlwind courtship a modern fairytale—and the event rose to fit the description. The bride’s ensembles were designed by an Oscar-winning costume designer; film crews, photographers, and more than 1,000 reporters descended upon Monaco to cover the nuptials; the guest list glittered with international celebrity.

A civil ceremony was held first, on April 18, in the throne room of the prince’s palace, with the bride wearing an elegant light pink suit. A large public reception, attended by some 3,000 Monaco citizens, was held in the afternoon.

The next day Kelly and Prince Rainier III were married again, in a religious ceremony at St. Nicholas Cathedral. The bride’s gown for this occasion would become one of the most iconic wedding dresses of all time: an elaborate high-necked dress made of yards of Belgian lace, silk, and seed pearls. As with her suit the day before, the gown was the work of Helen Rose, a costume designer who had won an Academy Award for her creations, and was gifted by MGM movie studios, Kelly’s former employer.

Both ceremonies were broadcast live for European audiences. For the rest of the world, the ceremonies were recorded on film, which was then rushed overseas to be broadcast to audiences in the United States and elsewhere.

The occasion marked a significant turning point. On April 12 Kelly had completed her ocean voyage from the United States and entered Monaco as an American actress. Little more than a week later, she departed on a seven-week Mediterranean honeymoon aboard a yacht as Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco.