Princess Charlene of Monaco was the epitome of effortless glamour as she attended the recent screening of Wedding in Monaco: The Media Event of 1956, which covered her husband Prince Albert's parents' wedding.
The former Olympic swimmer dressed her statuesque athletic figure in a flowing midi dress from Joseph, according to Royal Fashion Police. Known as the 'Volta' dress, the frock featured a soft satin material styled with pleats and a belt to accentuate her waist, which she styled in reverse. While it is available in scarlet and black, Charlene chose the soft champagne colour with matching pointed-toe heels.
Parted in the centre, Charlene styled her iconic short blonde hair into a no-fuss updo as she posed for photos alongside her husband, who wore a blue suit.
Inside the royal wedding of the century
© GettyPrince Rainier III and American actress Grace Kelly drew the upper echelons of society from around the world when they married in a Catholic religious ceremony at Saint Nicholas Cathedral on 19 April 1956, one day after their 16-minute civil ceremony in the Palace Throne Room.
Hollywood stars including Ava Gardner and Cary Grant were among those to witness the ceremony in person, but it was broadcast to an estimated 30 million viewers.
She wore a wedding dress by Oscar-winning MGM costume designer Helen Rose, which featured 450 yards of silk taffeta and thousands of hand-sewn seed pearls. A beaded lace Juliet cap, a transparent veil and custom David Evins pumps with her and her husband's name etched into them offered the final touches.
© GettyPrince Rainier III suggested he had regrets about the size of the wedding, calling it a "circus". He told UPI: "It was the biggest circus in history... We both agreed that we should really have got married in a little chapel in the mountains."
His son Prince Albert said his mother similarly found the media interest "overwhelming". "Mom said it was 'overwhelming.' That 'excited' or the word 'overjoyed' wasn't strong enough to express her feelings. My father said so too," he said in an interview with People in 2017.
© GettySadly, neither of his parents was there to witness his own wedding to Charlene in 2011. Princess Grace suffered a stroke while driving back to Monaco from Roc Agel in 1982, and she later died from her injuries after the car veered off the cliff edge.
Meanwhile, Rainier passed away from organ failure in 2005, having never remarried after losing his wife 23 years earlier.
