When American actress Grace Kelly stepped ashore in Monaco in mid-April 1956, no one could have foreseen the magnitude of what was to follow. Her union with Prince Rainier III, watched by more than 30 million television viewers, would prove to be far more than a fairy tale. It would reshape Monaco’s identity, forever altering the principality culturally, socially and economically.

This year, seven decades on, Monaco’s leading institutions are marking the occasion with a sweeping programme of tributes extending across the next six months. At the heart of the celebrations sits a special evening hosted by MonacoUSA.

On Friday, April 17, MonacoUSA will host a Networking Event at Marius on the port of Monaco to mark the eve of the anniversary of the princely couple’s civil wedding. The event is free and open to the public, running from 18:00 to 20:00, with a cash bar available on the night. Guests must be aged 18 or over.

The Association’s featured guest is the Groupe Nice-Matin, who will present a remarkable Hors Série publication dedicated entirely to the 1956 wedding. Spanning 116 pages and available in both English and French, the magazine brings together nearly 150 photographs and documents, the majority of them previously unpublished.

According to Association Director Annette Ross Anderson, the publication will give readers a chance to see photographs taken by celebrated photographers alongside intimate images captured by local Monegasques, and to hear the personal stories of residents who were present for Grace’s arrival and the celebrations that surrounded it. For Anderson, the significance of the marriage reaches well beyond the romantic narrative that has endured for generations. “This partnership between an Oscar-winning American actress and a handsome European prince was so much more than a fairy tale,” she said. “Monaco would be changed forever.”

The evening will also feature a striking artistic centrepiece: a three-metre-tall sculpture of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III by renowned Brazilian optical artist Marcos Marin. The work was first displayed in the Jardins du Casino in 2024 and will be installed at Marius on the port for the occasion. MonacoUSA has also announced that further programme details will be revealed in the days ahead.

Featured image courtesy of Georges Lukomski – Archives du Palais Princier de Monaco