Monaco has officially launched a year of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the marriage of Princess Grace of Monaco and Prince Rainier III with a special event at the Princess Grace Irish Library on April 2, 2026…

The commemorative programme began with a talk by Wolfgang Frei, who offered fresh insight into the work of his uncle, the Irish photographer Edward Quinn. Widely regarded for capturing the glamour of the Côte d’Azur in the 1950s, Quinn documented an era shaped by film stars, artists and royalty.

Frei traced Quinn’s path from Ireland to London and ultimately the French Riviera, where his discretion and professionalism earned him the trust of an international elite. This access allowed him to photograph both public occasions and deeply personal moments.

Central to the presentation was Quinn’s relationship with Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III. Frei highlighted a series of photographs taken in 1955 that captured the couple’s first meeting, arranged during the Cannes Film Festival, when Grace Kelly was in the region following her Academy Award-winning performance in The Country Girl and while promoting To Catch a Thief.

Taken at the Prince’s Palace, the images show a poised Hollywood actress and a reserved sovereign at the very start of a relationship that would soon captivate the world. Frei noted that these photographs did more than document a meeting—they helped shape the narrative of what became one of the most celebrated royal weddings of the 20th century, held on April 19, 1956.

The talk also explored Quinn’s broader body of work, including his coverage of Monaco’s high society, notably the Bal de la Rose founded by Princess Grace. Today, Frei and his wife continue to preserve and promote the Edward Quinn archive, ensuring that these defining images of Riviera history remain accessible.

Library director Paula Farquharson described the evening as a strong opening to the anniversary programme, setting the tone for a year that honours not only a historic royal union, but also the photographer who first captured its beginnings.