Junior Rasmussen
Grace Kelly, also known as Grace of Monaco, was an American actress who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. She received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards and was ranked 13th on the American Film Institute's list of 25 Greatest Female Stars. For their honeymoon, the couple cruised around the Mediterranean on the Royal yacht 'Deo Juvante II', gifted to them by Aristotle Onassis. The yacht was renamed 'M/Y Grace' and is currently owned by Ecuador-based cruise company Quasar Expeditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | April 1956 |
| Honeymoon duration | Seven weeks |
| Honeymoon type | Mediterranean cruise |
| Yacht name | Deo Juvante II, M/Y Grace |
| Yacht owner | Prince Rainier, Grace Kelly |
| Yacht gift | Wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis |
| Yacht features | Hot tub, wine cellar, Grace Kelly Suite |
| Yacht length | 147 feet |
| Yacht weight | 298 tons |
| Yacht capacity | 18 passengers, 9 cabins |
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What You'll Learn
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier's yacht honeymoon
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco had a seven-week Mediterranean honeymoon cruise on the prince's yacht, the Deo Juvante II. The yacht was a wedding gift to Grace from Prince Rainier. The newlyweds set sail the night of their wedding, which took place on April 18, 1956, with a civil ceremony and a religious ceremony the following day.
The yacht was originally named the M/Y Grace when it first hit the water in 1928. It was crafted by Camper and Nicholsons in Southampton, England, weighing 298 tons and measuring 147 feet in length. An Argentinean named Santiago Soulas commissioned the yacht, naming it after his daughter Monica. Soulas kept the yacht for four years before selling it to a Greek gentleman, who renamed it Rion. In 1938, it was acquired by Sir George Tilley, chairman of the Prudential Insurance Co. However, in 1939, the British conscripted it for the war effort.
The yacht then became the property of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, who renamed it Deo Juvante II. They honeymooned aboard the yacht, cruising along the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia. During a stopover on their honeymoon cruise, they attended a ball at the Majorca Yacht Club and took in a bullfight in Majorca. The yacht remained in their possession until 1958, when it was sold to a Monaco-based businessman who renamed it Daska.
The yacht changed hands several times before being acquired by Quasar Expeditions in 2007. The company spent two years renovating and modernising the vessel, rechristening it the M/Y Grace—the original name given by Santiago Soulas. Today, the M/Y Grace is owned by an Ecuador-based cruise company, Quasar Expeditions, and can accommodate up to 18 passengers in nine cabins with colonial-style interiors. The yacht is marketed towards honeymooners who wish to start their married life in the style of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier.
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The wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier
Grace Kelly, an American actress who had achieved stardom in several significant Hollywood films of the early to mid-1950s, wore a dress designed by MGM's Helen Rose for the civil ceremony. It was made of pale pink taffeta, covered by cream lace, and designed as a high-necked, fitted dress with a flared skirt. She accessorized with kid gloves and a matching Juliet cap. For the religious ceremony, Helen Rose also designed the dress, which took six weeks to create and required three dozen dressmakers.
The wedding was described by biographer Robert Lacey as "the first modern event to generate media overkill," and the couple themselves would later describe the services as "overwhelming." The groom, Rainier III, who had ascended to the throne of Monaco in May 1949, reportedly remarked that the celebrations were "the biggest circus in history" and that he and his bride would have preferred a more low-key wedding in "a little chapel in the mountains."
Following the wedding, the couple departed for their honeymoon, a seven-week Mediterranean cruise on the prince's yacht, the Deo Juvante II, gifted to him by Aristotle Onassis. The yacht, built by Camper and Nicholsons, weighed 298 tons and was 147 feet long. The newlyweds sailed along the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia and made a stop in Palma de Majorca, where they attended a bullfight and a ball at the Majorca Yacht Club.
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The civil ceremony
For the civil ceremony, Grace Kelly wore a high-necked, fitted dress with a flared skirt, made of pale pink taffeta and covered by cream lace. She accessorized with kid gloves and a matching Juliet cap. The dress was designed by Helen Rose, who also designed the dress for the religious ceremony the following day.
Following the civil ceremony, a reception was held later that day and was attended by 3,000 Monégasque citizens. The wedding attracted mass attention from the public and was described as the "wedding of the century" and the "world's most anticipated wedding" by the media. The marriage was also described as "the first modern event to generate media overkill" by Robert Lacey, a biographer.
The newlyweds then departed for their honeymoon, a seven-week Mediterranean cruise on the prince's yacht, the Deo Juvante II, gifted to Grace by Rainier. The yacht, built by Camper and Nicholsons, was originally named Monica by its commissioner, an Argentinean named Santiago Soulas, after his daughter. The yacht was later renamed Rion when sold to a Greek gentleman, Zarch Couyoumbian, and was eventually acquired by Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly as a wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis.
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The religious ceremony
On April 18, 1956, Grace Patricia Kelly, an American actress, married Prince Rainier of Monaco, thereby becoming Princess Grace of Monaco. The couple had a civil ceremony in the Palace Throne Room of Monaco, followed by a religious ceremony the next day, on April 19, 1956.
The wedding was a grand affair, with an estimated 30 million viewers tuning in to watch the ceremony on television. Grace's wedding dress was designed by MGM's Helen Rose and was worked on for six weeks by three dozen dressmakers. Following the ceremony, the couple set sail on a seven-week Mediterranean honeymoon cruise aboard the prince's yacht, the Deo Juvante II, a gift from Aristotle Onassis.
The yacht, which featured a hot tub and a wine cellar, took the couple along the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia. The newlyweds also stopped in Majorca, where they attended a ball at the Majorca Yacht Club and took in a bullfight.
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The reception
The wedding was a grand affair, attracting widespread media coverage and attention from the public. It was described as the "wedding of the century" and the "world's most anticipated wedding." Over 30 million viewers tuned in to watch the ceremonies, which were broadcast by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and nine television networks. The civil ceremony was officiated by Marcel Portanier, Monaco's Minister of Justice, and the religious ceremony was presided over by Bishop Gilles Barthe.
The bride, Grace Kelly, was an American actress who had achieved stardom in several significant Hollywood films of the early to mid-1950s. She received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. The groom, Prince Rainier, was the sovereign prince of the Principality of Monaco, having ascended to the throne in May 1949.
The wedding party included the bride's father, John Kelly, and her brother, John Kelly Jr., as well as the groom's attendants, Count Charles de Polignac, Lieutenant Colonel Ardant, and others. The child attendants included the bride's nieces and the groom's nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Following the wedding, the couple departed for their honeymoon, a seven-week Mediterranean cruise on the prince's yacht, the Deo Juvante II, gifted to Grace by Rainier. The yacht, built by Camper and Nicholsons, was 147 feet long and weighed 298 tons. During their honeymoon, they cruised along the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia and attended a ball at the Majorca Yacht Club.
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Frequently asked questions
Grace Kelly and her husband, Prince Rainier III of Monaco, honeymooned on a yacht along the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia.
The yacht was called the Deo Juvante II, or the M/Y Grace.
The yacht was a wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis.
Grace Kelly married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, on 18 and 19 April 1956 at the Prince's Palace of Monaco and the Saint Nicholas Cathedral.
For the civil ceremony, Grace Kelly wore a high-necked, fitted dress with a flared skirt made of pale pink taffeta and covered with cream lace. The dress was designed by Helen Rose.
