Grace Kelly's Bridesmaids: Who Were They?

Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 was a spectacular event, attended by over 600 guests and watched by 30 million people on television. Kelly had six bridesmaids, including her older sister, Margaret Kelly Davis, and five of her closest friends: Judith Balaban Kanter, Maree Frisby, Rita Gam, Carolyn Scott Reybold, Sally Parrish Richardson, and Bettina Thompson Gray.

Grace Kelly's sister, Margaret Kelly Davis, was her matron of honour

Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 was a real-life fairy tale. The actress-turned-royal's nuptials were attended by 600 guests and watched by over 30 million people on live television. Kelly had six bridesmaids, chosen from her family and closest friends.

Grace Kelly's sister, Margaret Kelly Davis, known as Peg, was her matron of honour. Their younger sister, Elizabeth, was unable to attend the wedding as she was heavily pregnant at the time. Peg's daughters, Meg and Mary Lee, were also part of the wedding party as flower girls.

Margaret's role as matron of honour was significant as it highlighted the close bond between the sisters. Grace Kelly's decision to include her sister in the wedding party reflected the importance she placed on family. Margaret's presence by Grace's side offered a sense of comfort and support on such a momentous occasion.

In addition to Margaret, the other bridesmaids were Bettina Thompson Gray, Maree Frisby, Rita Gam, Carolyn Scott Reybold, and Sally Parrish Richardson. These women were Grace Kelly's closest friends, and their inclusion in the wedding party further emphasised the strong connections and friendships that Kelly cherished.

The wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier was a grand affair, with a guest list including famous faces such as Cary Grant, Ava Gardner, and Gloria Swanson. The ceremony was followed by a lavish reception, where guests dined on caviar, lobster, champagne, and a 200-pound, six-tier wedding cake.

Grace Kelly's wedding remains an iconic event, with her gown becoming one of the most recognisable wedding dresses of all time. The bridesmaids' dresses, in pale yellow, also left a lasting impression, with one of the bridesmaids, Maree, donating her organza gown and hat to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Bettina Thompson Gray was Grace Kelly's classmate and roommate

Bettina Thompson Gray was a fellow actress, classmate, and roommate of Grace Kelly. The two met at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and shared a room at the Barbizon, a rooming house for aspiring actresses and models in New York. Gray was one of Kelly's bridesmaids when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.

Gray was initially “dead set against” the idea of her classmate and friend Judith Balaban Quine writing a book about her experience as a bridesmaid at Kelly's wedding. She thought that “everybody's written enough" and that "it's so boring". However, she eventually relented and cooperated with Quine, later saying that she was “very proud” of her friend for writing the book.

In an interview, Gray reflected on her initial reluctance, saying:

> "I said, 'Judy, everybody's written enough. It's so boring, billions of people having gone through what we went through.' "

However, after reading the book, she said her reaction was quite different:

> "When I first read the book, one minute I was in tears, the next I was bursting out laughing."

Gray's support for Quine's book, titled "The Bridesmaids", demonstrates the enduring friendship between the women who shared the experience of being bridesmaids at Kelly's wedding. It also highlights how their lives and friendships evolved after the wedding, showing that while the wedding was a pivotal moment, their stories continued to unfold and change in fascinating ways.

Maree Frisby was a friend from Kelly's pre-Hollywood days

Maree Frisby was a friend of Grace Kelly's from her pre-Hollywood days. The two became friends as teenagers when they attended Stevens High School in Germantown, Philadelphia. Maree was a young divorced mother when she was one of Kelly's bridesmaids, wearing a yellow organza gown and hat, which she later donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Kelly's wedding gown is also displayed.

Frisby's friendship with the new princess continued long after the wedding, with the two friends frequently telephoning each other and travelling together in Europe, Canada, and the United States. Maree Frisby died in 2012 from an aneurysm.

Maree was one of six bridesmaids at Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, which was attended by over 600 guests and watched by over 30 million people on live television. The other bridesmaids were Bettina Thompson Gray, Sally Parrish Richardson, Rita Gam, Carolyn Scott Reybold, and Judith Balaban Kanter (later Quine).

Carolyn Scott Reybold was Kelly's neighbour in Manhattan

Carolyn Scott Reybold was one of Grace Kelly's bridesmaids when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. Reybold was Kelly's neighbour in Manhattan, living in the room next to Kelly in the Barbizon Hotel for Women. The two became fast friends, bonding over their shared interests in music and ballet. Kelly introduced Reybold to her future husband, Malcolm Reybold.

Carolyn Scott Reybold was a beauty queen from Ohio who moved to New York City in 1947. She won the Queen of Steubenville beauty contest at 19 and used her $500 cash prize to fund her move. She aspired to be a model and, after taking up residence in the Barbizon, was scouted by a fashion photographer almost immediately. She went on to have a successful modelling career, working with renowned photographers such as Francesco Scavullo and Richard Avedon.

In the early '90s, Reybold's life took a turn for the worse. She divorced her husband, lost a fortune in bad investments, and her 24-year-old daughter died in a drunk driving crash. She ended up living in a homeless shelter in Manhattan. In 1989, her story was exposed in a national tabloid by her daughter, Nyna Giles, who wrote a book about her mother's life and friendship with Kelly.

Carolyn Scott Reybold died in 2007 at the age of 79.

Sally Parrish Richardson was a former actress and classmate of Kelly's

Sally Parrish Richardson was a former actress and classmate of Grace Kelly's at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was also a resident at the Barbizon, a rooming house for aspiring actresses and models in New York, where she lived in close proximity to Kelly.

Richardson retired from acting before Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, for which she was a bridesmaid. Following her own marriage, she travelled to Monaco to be part of the bridal party.

After the wedding, Richardson and her husband maintained a relatively calm and content life, seemingly unaffected by the political and social upheavals of the 1960s. She was widowed several years ago and, after her children went to college, she began working as the director of volunteer services at a New York hospital.

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