Grace Kelly and Rainier III: the wedding of the century. Photos from the wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco

What girl does not dream of meeting her prince one day! The beautiful actress Grace Kelly managed to meet her love in the face of the 33-year-old Prince of Monaco and build with him strong family. The union was considered ideal, but Grace was married like herself happy woman at the beginning, so miserable, like a bird imprisoned in golden cage, at the end of life.

On the anniversary of the wedding, which took place on April 19, 1956, HELLO.RU recalls the love story of one of the most beautiful couples last century - Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier.

Click on photo to view gallery CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW GALLERY She is like a volcano under the snow. Behind her coldness lies an unimaginable heat of passion. Grace Kelly was born in 1929 to a wealthy American family. Her father was engaged in construction, and her mother, from whom she inherited a beautiful appearance, was a fashion model. Future princess, living in a luxurious mansion in one of the most prestigious areas of Philadelphia, was eager to be free. She wanted creativity, fame and a little bit of madness.

Little Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly first appeared on stage while studying at a religious college, where she received a strict, even for those times, education. After graduation, Grace moved to New York. It seemed to her that one day the whole world would lie at her feet. And so it happened, but not immediately. At first there were hundreds of trials, failures and falls. Grace did not lose heart, worked as a fashion model and at the same time learned the basics of theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Grace had a truly amazing appearance: porcelain skin, high cheekbones, big eyes, chiseled nose, sensual lips And a slim body. She skillfully emphasized her appearance with the help of exquisite outfits. Later, Tommy Hilfiger will say about her:

Grace Kelly is the only Hollywood actress to wear white gloves so naturally and gracefully. Even at home, alone with herself, she remained invariably glamorous and elegant. She dressed elegantly and feminine, loved clothes pastel colors and wide-brimmed hats.

At 20, Grace got her first role on Broadway. And two years later - the coveted role on television. Two more years have passed, and she has already become an Oscar nominee for her work in the film "Mogambo". She did not receive the award then. But still, in her small but bright acting career, one Oscar appeared - for the picture " country girl" in 1954.

Even the father of the actress Jack Kelly could not believe in such a quick and unexpected success:

I just can't believe Grace won an Oscar. Of all my four children, she is the one from whom I least expected help in my old age.

Grace Kelly, 1952

The most striking, and subsequently used in many films, was the image of an adventurer girl. Alfred Hitchcock was the first to find the "gold mine" and Grace's talent for working in this genre.

Grace Kelly and Alfred Hitchcock with wife Alma Reville, 1954 Grace's accelerating career could have brought her many golden statuettes and prestigious awards, but it could have ended with the fading of youth and beauty, which are so important in the acting world.

Grace herself was afraid of age, repeating:
Forty years is torture and the end for a woman. Be that as it may, she met Rainier in the prime of her life and at the peak of her career - at 27 years old. Brilliantly educated, intelligent and gallant - his manners betrayed in him the aristocrat that he was. Already at the age of 26, he ascended the throne of Monaco. After the death of Louis II, Rainier's mother, who was formally the heiress, abdicated in favor of her young son.

Grace Kelly and Rainier III

Rainier and Grace met at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 during a visit by a delegation of actors to the Prince of Monaco.

As the spouses themselves later recalled, that day both had Bad mood. Grace seemed to get up on the wrong foot, and on the way to the meeting she even got into a small car accident. Renier also had minor problems since the morning. But meeting Grace "lighted up his day," in the words of Renier himself.

Grace Kelly, 1955

Their romance did not start immediately, it was preceded by a long and interesting correspondence. Grace was very pleased with courtship and romantic letters, she noted that Renier wrote letters in a lively and easy language. He told her about the life of the monarch, told her about his castle and garden, describing everything, down to the scent of flowers.

But it was probably not only the romance of the young prince. Of course, he was fascinated by Grace, but as the sole ruler, he understood the importance and necessity of marriage. And the beautiful and fragile Grace seemed to him the best candidate.

A few months later, Rainier packed up and came to Philadelphia, where Grace's parents lived, to make an official proposal to his beloved.

I found my princess
Rainier said that day.

Grace and Rainier's engagement at the Kelly family home in Philadelphia

Grace agreed without hesitation, and soon stepped aboard an interatlantic liner that delivered her, along with her beloved poodle, close friends and personal hairdresser, straight to the dwarf state.

The actress's parents did not immediately accept her decision, believing that marriage to the prince of such a small state is a step back in her career. And her potential suitors were richer, for example, a few years before that, she asked for her hand arab sheikh with great wealth.

Be that as it may, a week after Grace's arrival in Monaco - on April 19, 1956 - a magnificent wedding took place, after which new life in which there was no longer a place for Hollywood. Grace Kelly became the Princess of Monaco.

Grace and Rainier's wedding, 1956

Rainier and Grace managed to achieve the often unattainable dream of other monarchs - to become truly loving. married couple. Although there were those who doubted the sincerity of their feelings, saying that Grace does not love Rainier, but only tries and learns to love him. There were also those who believed that the heart of the beauty belongs former lover- fashion designer Oleg Cassini.

Be that as it may, Grace did everything to make their family look perfect. The subjects of Monaco immediately accepted the new princess, who was so perfectly able to smooth sharp corners in the negotiations of her husband, and also had the ability to win over anyone.

The birth of children, in 1957, the daughter of Carolina, and in 1958, the son of Albert, increased the camp of her fans. The citizens of Monaco idolized their princess: she was young, beautiful, and during her outings to the people, any person from the crowd could shake her hand.

Grace Kelly and Renier with Albert and Caroline, 1958 After the birth of her youngest daughter - Stephanie - Grace was again offered to act, and her favorite director Alfred Hitchcock did it. But the princess could not decide on such a serious step without consulting her new family- residents of Monaco. The public did not support the idea, calling it a terrible frivolity. Of course, Grace had to give up the role, because her image, so carefully built over the years, could collapse at once.

Kelly justified all the hopes placed on her by her subjects, becoming Rainier perfect wife. Grace was actively involved in charity work, patronized the arts and gave birth to heirs, and her world fame and American spontaneity led to the many times increased popularity of Monaco. Grace Kelly was very fond of, she was considered the standard of style and feminine charm.

Grace Kelly, Rainier III, Albert and CarolineGrace Kelly with Caroline and Albert

Life went on as usual, but it was no longer possible to call the relationship between Grace and Renier impeccable over time. Over the years, the prince became withdrawn, practically refused social outings and spent most of his time in the castle with his beloved pets.

Grace, being a sociable person, really wanted to share her thoughts and ideas with people, she constantly held meetings, communicated with others. And Renier was jealous, believing that the inhabitants of Monaco love his wife more than himself.

At the age of 40, Grace had a depression - as she once assumed, the crisis associated with the fading of beauty did not pass her. By this time, the children had already grown up, and the spouses increasingly began to experience public scandals, which greatly upset Grace, who loves the ideal in everything.

Grace Kelly with her husband and daughters - Stephanie and Carolina Carolina had a high-profile and scandalous marriage behind her, Albert, who was the future heir, was not interested in anything but sports and girls, and the youngest daughter Stephanie grew up as a "boy" - she rode a motorcycle and despised feminine clothes. The image of an impeccable family that Grace had built so diligently was crumbling. She no longer considered her life fabulous, but her family ideal, although she tried not to show her disappointment to the public.

Grace Kelly, Rainier III and Stephanie

Shortly before the disaster that claimed her life, Grace, according to contemporaries, took a lover in Paris and practically moved to live with him. At the very end of her life, she dreamed of only one thing - to resume her acting career. Her violent and restless nature, which for so long hid behind the facade of an impregnable " snow queen' burst out.

On a clear autumn day on September 13, 1980, Grace and her daughter Stephanie had an accident. The princess, who had used the services of a driver all her life, decided to drive the car herself that day - under the pretext of a serious conversation with her daughter. On the way, Grace had a stroke and lost control.

Prince Rainier III with his daughter Caroline Celebrities and monarchs from America and Europe came to the funeral of the princess, local residents sobbed right on the streets, and Rainier walked arm in arm with his daughter and did not hide his tears.
Lord, I don't ask you why you took her from me, but I thank you for giving her to us. - these words were uttered at Grace's grave by her husband, Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

Rainier outlived his wife by a quarter of a century, having died in April 2005.

Grace would have turned 85 this year and Rainier would have turned 91. And their fabulous but not perfect marriage would have been 58 years old.

Playing the role of the princess in the film "Swan", in the same year Grace Kelly turned into a princess in reality. Hollywood actress wedding Prince Rainier III of Monaco took place April 19, 1956 and became one of the most striking secular events of the 20th century.

On this day, the streets of Monte Carlo were crowded with people - more than 20 thousand residents of the principality and fans of the actress gathered at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. The wedding ceremony itself was watched by 30 million inhabitants of the planet on television, and about 1000 guests of honor were present in the cathedral during the wedding. Among them are representatives of European royal families and Hollywood stars. They say that the British Queen Elizabeth II considered such an influx of celebrities "excessive" and refused the invitation to the wedding.

The luxurious bridesmaid dress was designed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer MGM studio designer Helen Rose. To this day, it is the most expensive work of the designer and the standard of wedding fashion. The ivory dress was made using 25 meters of silk taffeta and 125-year-old Belgian lace. By the way, Prince Rainier bought him out of the museum. The bride's head was decorated with a lace diadem, in her hands she held small bouquet from lilies of the valley.

At the end of the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds got into an open-top Rolls-Royce, donated to a couple by subjects of the principality, and drove around Monte Carlo with a festive cortege. Then the newlyweds and their guests were waiting for a gala dinner, at which Prince Rainier cut off the top of the six-story cake with a sword.

As a wedding gift, Grace Kelly received a yacht on which the newlyweds went to Honeymoon across the Mediterranean. When the yacht set sail from the shore, carnations rained down on it from the private jet of billionaire Aristotle Onassis, who facilitated the acquaintance of the newlyweds. Thus began a new round in the history of Monaco and Grace Kelly's acting career ended - after the wedding, her husband forbade her to act in films.

Grace Kelly takes the 5th line in the ranking of the most expensive wedding dresses in the world and is estimated at $ 300,000. Designed by costume designer MGM Helen Rose(1904 - 1985), who has already dressed Grace in the films "The Swan", "High Society" and others.

Helen Rose

The fact is that when Grace Kelly accepted the offer of Prince Rainier, she was still bound by a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

At that time, MGM carefully and zealously monitored the image of their stars. Therefore, they even sewed and gave the actresses wedding dresses: firstly, they looked appropriate, and secondly, it was a great advertisement.

The first dress I want to talk about is wedding dress which took place April 19, 1956 at 9:30 am.

Just allowing to buy a wedding dress in the nearest store, the Prince of Monaco could not for his bride. For wedding dress Grace Kelly Rose used over twenty-five yards of silk taffeta, one hundred yards of silk mesh and 125-year-old Brussels lace embroidered with sea pearls, over 30 people worked on this masterpiece for 6 weeks. They say that the wife of the actress paid for the fabrics, and he even bought the Brussels lace in some museum.

The top of the dress seems to be seamless, because the lace fragments were separated from the lace fabric and connected already on finished bodice(by the way, this is how they sew lace dresses, there is nothing unique here).

Helen Rose said that the dress should be: “...simple, but elegant, feminine, noble, and always regally majestic. And most importantly, the dress should not overshadow the beauty of Grace.

The dress arrived in Monaco with assembly instructions.

The dress itself consists of 4 parts: - lace bodice with sewn-in bodysuits and a small crinoline;

- taffeta petticoats; - head coverings with a headdress; - And top skirt with tren.

Helen Rose reasonably believed that the back of this dress should look no worse than the front.

The head, instead of the usual tiara for princesses, was crowned with a headdress - “juliet”, sewn from silk and lace, and the top of it was decorated with a wreath of orange blossom.

The bedspread was made of silk mesh, decorated with lace appliqués. Moreover, it was done delicately - so that Grace's face could be seen through it.

At the request of the bride, the prayer book and shoes were also covered with lace.

Princess gave wedding dress Philadelphia Art Museum. They treasure it so much that they wouldn't even allow it to be given to the Grace Kelly exhibition. In the end, we saw his replica. But even in this version, it makes an indelible impression.

Bridesmaid dresses were designed by another designer Joe Allen Hong. Moreover, before that, he first won the competition for the best sketch. Once I saw something like going to

In 1956, in the history of the small principality of Monaco, a new page: the local ruler Rainier III from the Grimaldi dynasty married American movie star and Oscar winner Grace Kelly, whose number of fans was several times greater than her new country. From that moment on, Monaco began to rapidly gain popularity among wealthy tourists and the cream of society around the world. And no wonder: after such a wedding, like Rainier and Grace, it simply could not be otherwise. The newlyweds did everything possible to make their celebration recognized as the event of the century. And it was noticeable even in the smallest details, most of which you most likely did not know.

Rainier did NOT give Grace a diamond on her engagement day

They say that it took the European prince and the American actress just a moment to fall in love with each other, and just a couple of months for the enchanted Rainier to propose to Grace Kelly. It happened on Christmas Day in 1955, and already on January 5, 1956, the lovers convened a small press conference at Grace's house in Philadelphia, during which the groom announced his intention to make the American a Monegasque princess, and the happy bride showed reporters her engagement ring. But there was no huge diamond in it.

Instead of the purest tapeworm on ring finger Grace shone a modest ring encrusted with small diamonds and rubies (a reference to the colors of the national flag).

What kind of decoration was it, and - most importantly - why was it so modest? The thing is that in those days Monaco was a very poor principality, so even the prince could not afford to immediately buy an expensive engagement ring for his bride. That day, Rainier presented the American with the so-called "ring of friendship." In the West, this is a very common tradition - the groom makes an offer to his beloved and gives an inexpensive ring as a promise that in the future he will be replaced by a more worthy example.

The famous emerald-cut diamond from Cartier appeared on Grace's finger only at the end of January, and his debut was very symbolic on the set. The bride, Rainier, continued to participate in the filming until the very preparation for the wedding, and in the middle of winter she was to play the main role in Charles Walters' film "High Society". At the same time, Grace noticed that her colleagues in the industry wear engagement rings with stones of several carats, and against their background, the thin jewelry from her prince looked completely frivolous.

The cute precious "ribbon" needed to be replaced urgently.

Luckily for Grace, her character in High Society was a wealthy socialite who, according to the script, was also supposed to get married soon. So, just a few days after the announcement of the engagement, Miss Kelly did receive her coveted massive diamond - though not from Rainier, but from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film company and only as a prop. The stone in it was a fake, but, what is most amusing, it was this jewelry that Grace stubbornly presented for the first weeks as a gift from Rainier. When her fiancé presented her with Cartier, the actress, to her own happiness, discovered that it was very similar to her “shooting” engagement ring and promptly replaced the fake with a real jewelry with a 10.47 carat solitaire.

This version is quite consistent, if you look closely at the rings of the heroine Grace in different frames of the film. In the first, a diamond (or rhinestone) flaunts, rather, oval shape. In the second one, there is the same “emerald” with two baguette-cut stones on the sides.

The celebration began two weeks before the celebration itself.

As you know, the actual marriage of Rainier and Grace took place in two stages - in the form of a civil and religious ceremony on April 18 and 19, respectively. However, the bride herself began to celebrate her wedding on April 4 - from the very day the Constitution liner set sail from the shores of New York to take the future princess and her American friends to Monaco. In total, there were 66 guests on the ship, as well as Grace's two dogs - a Weimaraner puppy, presented to the girl for the wedding, and her old poodle named Oliver.

The day before, Grace planned to hold a small press conference, but that evening almost 250 representatives of various media gathered on the pier in New York, trying to capture the happy bride.

The cruise across the Atlantic lasted for 8 whole days, and during this time there was not a single evening that Grace's guests were not offered a festive cocktail, dinner and noisy party until morning. So they moored to the shores of Monaco, but here the American and her friends were waiting for a magnificent reception. On the shore, she was met by crowds of people who wanted to take a closer look at their future princess, American songs were played, and at the moment when the prince sailed on a luxury yacht to the liner, “rain” of white and red carnations fell from the sky. It was a ploy close friend Rainier Aristotle Onassis, who at that moment was flying over the principality in a private jet.

Folk festivities took place in Monte Carlo for several more days - right up to the wedding ceremony itself.

Grace had four wedding dresses

Speaking about Grace Kelly's wedding, we are used to remembering only one of her dresses, which, in fairness, was really the most important, and later also one of the most quoted by other famous brides. The gorgeous ivory outfit was designed by MGM costume designer Helen Rose and was reportedly made by 30 tailors over the course of six weeks. Its current value is estimated at about $300,000.

Grace's wedding dress declared a triumph of modesty, but in reality only the silhouette was modest in it. The dress consisted of ten separate elements, the tailoring of which took about 25 meters of taffeta and 100 meters of silk. Expensive vintage Brussels lace was adorned with thousands of small pearls that hid all the seams and extra folds, creating the effect of a precious haze that covered the bride's body. It was this outfit that went down in history, however - we recall once again - officially the wedding of Grace and Rainier lasted two days, and it is hard to imagine that a celebrity of Kelly's level would allow herself to be limited to just one dress.

Grace put on her white wedding dress religious rite April 19, preceded by a civil ceremony and at least three more dresses.

The girl demonstrated the first on April 18 in the morning during a civil marriage in the princely palace. Pale pink ensemble consisting of a closed jacket and fluffy skirt to the ankle, was decorated with expensive French Alençon lace and complemented by a miniature "juliet" and short gloves.

A little later already lawful spouse Renier changed this outfit for another ankle-length dress, in which she received congratulations from the public during the day.

Grace's headdress was of strategic importance

Officially, Grace Kelly married on April 18, and therefore formally had even more rights to wear the precious tiara to the religious ceremony on the 19th. But the actress did not do this, preferring the same "juliet", which this time was decorated with pearls, as well as wax and paper orange blossoms. From a distance, the headdress looked like a full-fledged tiara - at the same time, it held much tighter in the bride's hair, supporting her long veil. By the way, the tulle for her was also made wisely - designer Helen Rose picked up the maximum for Grace transparent fabric, remembering that the face of a star should be seen equally well not only by all guests, but also by millions of viewers.

Grace didn't have a wedding bouquet

At least in the form in which we present it today. According to the catalog of the exhibition of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which just shows Grace's wedding dress, in the middle of the 20th century, most pious brides, according to tradition, went to the altar not with a bouquet of flowers, but with a small prayer book (this custom was especially common in the southern United States). Rainier received her beloved as a gift before the ceremony itself, and MGM has already decorated it with silk, pearls and lace. A small bouquet of lilies of the valley was just a decoration of the prayer book and nothing more - it is no coincidence that during the official photo shoot the flowers were even removed from the frame. For uselessness.

The bride and groom said "yes" not twice, but three times

In theory, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly were supposed to exchange vows only twice - before the head of government on April 18 and before the representative of the Pope on the 19th. However, in reality, it turned out that the lovers said “yes” to each other one more time.

The thing is that the civil marriage ceremony of Grace and Rainier had to be held twice - once officially, and the other - for television people from MGM. And everything would be fine if it were not for the frank tediousness of the whole procedure, because, according to the protocol, the Minister of State had to not only ask the consent of the spouses, but also read them all the articles Civil Code that concern family law, as well as list all 142 official titles of the prince. In total, the entire ceremony lasted about 40 minutes, and then it was duplicated again for the press. Not a very romantic event, you see. But at the same time very necessary, from a strategic point of view.

The wedding reception was too posh for little Monaco

The bride and groom, as well as representatives of the Monegasque government, dreamed of making the wedding of Rainier and Grace a very glamorous event that would secure the status of the new secular capital of Monte Carlo. All the celebration different estimates, cost about 45-55 million dollars, but since the film company that collaborated with Grace agreed to take on most of the costs, the organizers of the event were in no hurry to limit themselves to anything.

The marriage of the Prince of Monaco and the American actress really took place on highest level. The wedding reception was given both after the civil and after the religious ceremony, and on April 18, about 3,000 citizens were able to attend a solemn lunch with cake and champagne.

The reception on the 19th was more "chamber" - only 600 guests, among whom were famous politicians, representatives royal families, businessmen and, of course, stars. For them, the best chefs of Monaco and France have developed a great menu: caviar, shrimp, smoked salmon, salami, soup, lobster, chicken and, of course, champagne. He crowned this entire gastronomic symphony with a huge a wedding cake in six tiers, decorated with reduced copies of the facades of the Monegasque palace, scenes from the history of the country “painted” with glaze, as well as figures of cherubs having mercy under the Crown.

In a word, the reception turned out to be very pompous in every sense, only the ambitions of the hosts somewhat exceeded their capabilities - after all, the princely possessions were simply not designed for such a number of guests. The result was that, sitting at the table, people could barely fit cutlery and glasses in front of them, not to mention gloves, hats, handbags and menu cards. Actually, even the bride and groom themselves were awkwardly crowded at a very small table.

Honeymoon didn't start too romantic for Grace

On the evening of April 19, after the ceremony and reception, the newlyweds went on a honeymoon cruise around the Mediterranean on the snow-white yacht Deo Juvante II ( wedding gift Aristotle Onassis pare). However, as soon as the ship left the port, the newly-made princess felt unwell, and the crew had to anchor close to the shore so that Grace could get used to the rolling a little.

Every girl dreams of meeting a prince. The beautiful actress Grace Kelly not only met and fell in love with the 33-year-old Prince of Monaco, but also built a strong family with him. Their union was considered ideal. Grace, who was the happiest woman at the beginning of her marriage, turned out to be a bird imprisoned in a golden cage at the end of her life.

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly was born in 1929 in Philadelphia in the family of millionaire Jack Kelly, who earned his first big money as the owner of the Kelly firm. Brick work. There were four children in the family. All children grew up in strict rules and were not spoiled by their parents. The main role in shaping Grace's future personality was played by the girl's uncle, actor George Kelly, it was he who noticed her talent at a young age.

By the age of fourteen, Grace Kelly was already playing in the theater, and in front of her eyes the girl turned from an ugly duckling into a real beauty. She had many admirers, but Jack Kelly tried to shield his daughter from early love interests.

Moving to New York

The girl managed to get rid of her father's guardianship only after moving to New York. IN big city Grace made many new acquaintances. In the company of friends, she felt liberated. Grace Kelly studied at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. There she met student Herbie Miller, and attractive guy became her friend. The girl worked as a fashion model, and sent all the money she earned to her family.

Luck smiled at the girl during the casting for the film High Noon, which was going to be filmed in Hollywood. In April 1952, Grace woke up famous, the film "High Noon" where she starred, received three Oscars at once.

Acquaintance of Grace Kelly with Rainier III

In 1955, when Grace Kelly became truly famous and led a delegation of US filmmakers during the Cannes Film Festival, she received an offer to visit the Principality of Monaco. Then many celebrities dreamed about it, but Grace reacted to this proposal rather reservedly.

Everything did not go according to plan from the very beginning. Due to the fact that the electricity was cut off in her hotel, the actress managed to dry her hair completely, she came to the meeting with the prince in a rumpled dress and with a bun on her head. Rainier was also not delighted with the upcoming meeting, but as soon as the prince saw an attractive blonde who was rehearsing a bow of greeting at the mirror, he fell in love with her at first sight. Then there was a fascinating walk through the park and a nice conversation. It turned out that common themes they have more than enough. Despite her carelessness, Grace Kelly was quite educated and was able to conquer the prince not only with her appearance, but also with her knowledge of many topics.

The meeting ended, and the girl flew home, she sent a letter to Renier, in which she thanked him for the reception. The Prince of Monaco was over thirty, he was looking for a future wife and mother of his children. Whatever you say, Grace was at the right time and in the right place.

The wedding and married life of Grace Kelly and Rainier III

By this time, actress Grace Kelly's career had reached its peak. She was tired of the admiring glances of men, she had to make a decision how to live on. On December 25, Prince Rainier visited the Kelly family, he proposed marriage to Grace, and she said yes to him. wedding ceremony took place in Monaco on April 18, 1956. The bride was in a dress that took a hundred meters of ancient lace, which was searched for in all the museums of France, and her veil was decorated with one thousand pearls.

It was truly royal wedding. The dowry of the future princess was two million dollars. At that moment, Grace decided what she wanted from life. The girl completely abandoned her career as an actress, her family worried her much more than working in a movie. Less than a year later, Grace gave birth to her husband's daughter, who was named Carolina Louise Margarita, a few years later, Albert Alexander Louis Pierre, heir to the throne, was born.

Grace Kelly's stay in Monaco had a positive effect on the growth of the economy in the Principality. Even before the wedding with Renier, Grace Kelly was a fairly recognizable person, it was her name that added the number of tourists who began to visit Monaco. Grace Kelly has devoted all her free time charity, in addition, she was engaged in raising her own children.

In 1965, the couple had a third child, it was a girl, she was named Stefania Maria Elizaveta. Unfortunately, Grace Kelly could no longer have children - the fourth boy died without being born. It was rumored that after that, Prince Rainier cooled off towards his wife: he became a real tyrant, jealous and humiliated her, believing that the inhabitants of Monaco love his wife more than himself. Grace forgave her husband everything. In 1981 they celebrated a silver wedding.

Last years

Time passed, the children grew up. Carolina had a high-profile and scandalous marriage behind her, Albert, who was the future heir, was not interested in anything but sports and girls, and the youngest daughter Stephanie grew up as a "boy" - she drove a motorcycle and despised feminine clothes. The image of an impeccable family that Grace had built so diligently was crumbling. She no longer considered her life fabulous, but her family ideal, although she tried not to show her disappointment to the public.

Shortly before the disaster that claimed her life, Grace, according to contemporaries, took a lover in Paris and practically moved to live with him. At the very end of her life, she dreamed of only one thing - to resume her acting career. Her violent and restless nature, which had been hiding behind the facade of the impregnable "snow queen" for so long, rushed out.

Once she decided to talk to her daughter face to face, and for this she decided to refuse the services of a driver and herself got behind the wheel of a car. It was fatal mistake. Immersed either in her thoughts, or in a conversation, the wife of Prince Rainier made a mistake, the car drove off the road and fell from a great height.

Journalists said that there was a quarrel in the car, and Grace Kelly had a stroke. Never having recovered from the accident, the princess died, it happened on September 14, 1982. At that time, she was only 52 years old. Youngest daughter Stefania, who was with her mother in the car, survived. There were hardly any scratches on it. great love ended tragically, and it was a huge loss for Monaco and the whole world.

Rainier's life after Grace's death

Celebrities and monarchs from America and Europe came to the funeral of the princess, local residents sobbed right on the streets, and Rainier walked arm in arm with his daughter and did not hide his tears. By his decree, he banned the screening of films in which his wife starred in Monaco. He increasingly remained alone with himself, and less and less appeared at secular receptions.
oriental tale against the backdrop of world politics conquered the whole world and ended, unfortunately, in tragedy.