A Timeline of Grace Kelly and Rainier III’s Relationship: From Romance to Royalty

Every girl dreams of falling in love with a handsome foreigner who turns out to be royalty and turns her into a princess, and for the most part, that never happens. Unless you are actress Grace Kelly in the 1950s. 

Everyone knows that story: the Hollywood actress met a prince and fell in love. But there’s so much more to the romantic tale than most people know. Below, we dive deep into the real Grace Kelly and Rainier III, Prince of Monaco’s relationship timeline, including the details surrounding her mysterious death. Keep scrolling for a play-by-play of their epic love story. 

May 6, 1955: A Hollywood star meets her prince

Fresh off her Oscar win for The Country Girl, Kelly jetted to the Cannes Film Festival, detouring to Monaco to take photos with its royal family beforehand. While there, she met Rainier III, Prince of Mónaco. According to reports, the two hit it off right away and began their romantic relationship shortly after in the form of letter writing. Kelly was 25 at the time, and Rainier was 31. 

Christmas 1955: A royal proposal in Pennsylvania

Christmastime 1955, the prince decided to forgo royal tradition and spend the holidays with his girlfriend in East Falls, Pennsylvania. While there, he proposed and Kelly said yes, despite only being with him for seven months. 

January 5, 1956: The couple goes public with their proposal 

A few days later, after a rather private proposal, Kelly and Rainier decided it was time to let the world in on their little secret: They were getting married! A press conference was held at the Philadelphia Country Club, and naturally, the world went crazy when they heard the joyous news. 

April 18, 1956: Grace Kelly and Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, get legally married 

Following a flurry of engagement parties, photos and news stories, Kelly and Rainier decided to legally marry in a civil ceremony at the Palace Throne Room in Monaco, with a total of 80 guests from 14 different counties in attendance. The ceremony was a requirement through the country’s Napoleonic Code. Reports claimed that both parties were over the moon about finally being able to call each other husband and wife. 

April 19, 1956: A wedding fit for a princess

A day after their civil ceremony, the couple headed to Monaco’s Saint Nicholas Cathedral and got married once again, this time in front of 700 guests from all around the world. MGM Studios also broadcasted it in exchange for Kelly ending her contract prematurely. The broadcast attracted over 30 million viewers. 

And while the wedding might have looked glamorous, according to the prince, he and his wife “both agreed that we should really have gotten married in a little chapel in the mountains.”

Following the ceremony, Kelly and Rainier went on a seven-week Mediterranean cruise on his yacht. This adventure served as the couple’s honeymoon. 

July 17, 1956: Grace Kelly’s final movie premieres 

After becoming a princess, Kelly had to leave her film career behind but two films were released after her wedding. The first, entitled The Swan, hit theaters on April 6, 1956, and the second— High Society—came out on July 17, 1956. Kelly didn’t attend either movie premiere. 

Following those, Kelly focused on her royal duties. She did appear in one short film in 1982 entitled Rearranged, but her role was quite small and it was released after she died. 

January 23, 1957: The pair become parents 

Less than a year after their wedding, Kelly and Rainier welcomed their first child, Princess Caroline. Following that, the couple had two more children: Prince Albert II (born on March 14, 1958) and Princess Stéphanie (born on February 1, 1965). 

All three children are alive and well to this day and have their own children. 

September 14, 1982: Tragedy strikes the royal family

After 26 years of happiness and joy, Kelly and Rainier’s love story came to an end on September 14, 1982, with the princess dying after she was in a car crash on one of Monaco’s infamous hairpin turns. She died from a stroke by the crash. She was 52 and her daughter, Stéphanie, was also in the car but survived. 

“Stéphanie told me, ‘Mommy kept saying, I can’t stop. The brakes don’t work. I can’t stop,’” Caroline said. “She said that Mommy was in a complete panic. Stéphanie grabbed the hand brake. She told me right after the accident, ‘I pulled on the hand brake, but it wouldn’t stop. I tried, but I just couldn’t stop the car.‘”

Following the crash, both Kelly and Stéphanie were taken to the hospital, where the former actress passed away hours later. 

“I still can’t go down that road, even if someone else is driving. I always ask them to take the other road.” Stephanie said. 

To this day, Kelly’s kids still actively think and talk about their late mother, with Albert saying, “Many times during the day, a week, not only do I find myself thinking of her, but a number of people still recall her to me. They remember her, and that’s a great tribute to her and who she was — to what an exceptional human being she was.” 

Reports on how Rainier responded to the accident and the death of his wife remain a mystery, but given the fact that he never remarried, it’s safe to say he was heartbroken. He also made a rare public comment in 1983, saying “She [Kelly] was always present and ready to do things either with me or for me if I couldn’t do them. 

“Let’s say the change is that we worked as a team, and the team has been split up.”

Rainier died in April 2005 at age 81 after a series of breathing, heart and kidney problems. At the time of his death, he was Europe’s longest-reigning monarch. 

A love story that lives on

Grace Kelly and Rainier III’s love story remains one of the most iconic tales of Hollywood meeting royalty. From their glamorous wedding to their shared dedication to family and Monaco, their relationship captured hearts worldwide. While their story ended tragically, Grace’s legacy as both a Hollywood icon and a beloved princess continues to inspire generations.