A Graceful Royal Wedding

Everyone is talking about the upcoming Royal Wedding between William and Kate so I thought it would be fun to look back at another Royal Wedding.  In April 1956, America's Princess, Grace Kelly, became a real princess when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco.  The civil service occurred on April 18th but it was the larger religious ceremony on April 19th that captured the world's attention. It was customary for the studio to provide their stars with their wedding dresses so MGM Studio gifted Grace with her dress designed by Helen Rose.  "It was a high-necked, long-sleeved gown with a fitted torso and billowing skirt made of twenty-five yards of silk taffeta, one hundred yards of silk net, peau de soie, tulle and 125-year-old Brussels rose point lace. She wore a Juliet cap that was decorated with seed pearls, orange blossoms, and a veil of 90 yards of tulle." Looking back at it today, it's a shame that almost all modern brides choose strapless dresses for their own weddings. She looked unbelievably gorgeous as I'm sure Kate Middleton will on her big day.

Graceful Sailing

I don't know if I am going to look as chic as Grace Kelly on my cruise but I sure am going to try!  On April 4, 1956, Grace along with 50 members of her family, friends and bridesmaids, 84 pieces of luggage, and her poodle boarded the SS Constitution on route to France and her new life as a princess. She was seen off by thousands including hundreds of members of the press.  The trip across the Atlantic took eight days and she passed the time playing charades, shuffleboard and walking her dogs on deck. When they arrived in Monaco, the ship had to anchor just outside of the harbor and Prince Rainier's yacht the “Avante II” was sent out to the ship to bring Grace ashore.  The rest as they say, is history.  But more importantly, does anyone have a poodle I can borrow?