When it comes to the most celebrated bridal gowns of the 20th century, Grace Kelly’s wedding dress for her nuptials to Prince Rainier of Monaco certainly tops the list.
The dress reflected that of a Hollywood actress marrying into the Monégasque royal family, one that went on to inspire the wedding dress choices of thousands of women after her including Kate Middleton, whose 2011 Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown bore a close resemblance.
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Not only was Grace Kelly at the height of her career when she married the dashing prince 67 years ago this week, after her nuptials she was to become a princess and her gown had to reflect that. The wedding was broadcasted by multiple European channels and was witnessed by over 30 million viewers who tuned in to catch the first glimpse of the dress which was designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Helen Rose.
Rose had worked on Kelly’s wardrobe in four of her films so the actress trusted her intrinsically. The gown was a gift from MGM Studios to their most famous star, hand-made by the studio’s wardrobe department using ivory faille and 100 yards of silk net.
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Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, with its high neckline, fitted bodice and a silk taffeta skirt featuring thousands of hand-sewn pearls and a three-foot long train, took months to create. Under the lace bodice was a slip skirt support and under-bodice. Then there was the foundation, ruffled and smoothing petticoats under the pleated silk faille skirt, plus a train insert and silk faille cummerbund which completed the outfit.
The royal-to-be decided not to wear a wedding day tiara and instead chose a lace and pearl embellished Juliet Cap which held her veil in place. The veil itself was chosen in a fabric that would keep her face as visible as possible to the 600 guests and millions watching live and included two tiny lovebirds appliquéd around the edges.
Rather than a huge bridal bouquet, at the time many religious brides instead carried a bible, as Grace Kelly did. The book was a gift and was embellished with silk, lace and pearls and she carried it alongside a small bunch of lilies of the valley.
For her wedding shoes, Grace Kelly wore a small 2.5-inch heel so she wouldn’t tower over her husband who wasn’t much taller than her. The shoes were designed by David Evins with seed pearls, lace and her name embossed into the left shoe (and Prince Rainier III’s into the right), with a copper penny for good luck.
On 19 April, Hollywood stars and high society gathered en masse at Monaco’s Saint Nicholas Cathedral, including Aristotle Onassis, Conrad Hilton, Egypt’s former King Farouk, Randolph Churchill and Ava Gardner, to witness the nuptials. During the wedding breakfast, guests were treated to lobster, caviar and a six-tier wedding cake by the Hotel de Paris's pastry chefs, from which two live turtle doves were released after Rainier sliced through it with his sword. The couple then left in a Rolls-Royce, a gift from their subjects, and sailed away on their honeymoon on board Deo Juvante II, a gift from Aristotle Onassis.
While this is the royal wedding the world remembers, the couple were in fact first married in a civil ceremony in the throne room of the Royal Palace the previous day, on 18 April, in keeping with the tradition of the Monaco royal family.
For this earlier, more low-key service, which was not televised, Grace Kelly plumped for a more low-key bridal ensemble. Grace Kelly wore an elegant pink brocade two-piece, made with taffeta and covered with French Alençon lace, also designed by Helen Rose.
Chic and understated, it was the perfect warm up to slipping into one of the most famous wedding dresses of all time.
