With the death of Prince Rainier Grimaldi III, in April this year, another look is bestowed on the legendary union between one of American’s greatest beauties and a monarch hoping for the survival of his kingdom.
A 1918 treaty between Monaco and France stipulated that Monaco would be recognized as an independent principality as long as the throne was occupied, otherwise the country would revert to France. Ending his six year long love affair with French actress Gisele Pascal, who was said to be barren, Rainier sought to marry and produce an heir to the throne of Monaco.
Grace met Rainier at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1955. Her friends thought it would be spectacular if she and Monaco’s Prince could pose for photographs, which would later be published in Paris Match. A meeting at the Palace was arranged but, on the day, the electricity in Grace’s hotel went down. All of her dresses needed ironing except one large floral number made of non-wrinkle material. Grace hated that dress, which she obviously had along for exactly such emergencies. Having no other choice, she pulled up her still wet, unset hair, and donned the dress.
The Prince, attending to official duties, was 45 minutes late for the meeting, which was considerably uncomfortable for everyone present. The photographer suggested that that they all go out onto the Palace grounds, which broke the ice. Rainier took Grace for a tour of his private zoo beside the pink 235 room hilltop palace.
Rainier is first said to have impressed her by the amicableness with which he petted and played with his tigers. The animals seemed to love him – and this may have been the moment when Grace first loved the Prince.
Though Grace had dated a serious number of Hollywood’s leading men as well as fashion designer Oleg Cassini, she had often told friends that she wanted to marry and have children. When Prince Rainier proposed it was first through his trusted and long time friend Father Tucker, who traveled to America to ask Grace if she would accept Rainier’s hand in marriage.
