We’ve got exciting updates from the big wedding anniversary exhibition in Monaco, thanks to a little boots-on-the-ground reporting from a lovely reader. Get excited: there’s jewelry involved!
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the wedding of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly, and the Grimaldis have mounted a major exhibition dedicated to the wedding at the Prince’s Palace. Last month, Prince Albert II and Princess Caroline toured the exhibition. I was a little disappointed to see that the photos released by the palace didn’t showcase any jewelry on display.
But I had a nagging feeling that the exhibition must contain some of Princess Grace’s wedding jewels. My suspicions were heightened when information came out about the new Cartier exhibition in Melbourne, where the Grace-related jewels on display are the replicas from Grace of Monaco instead of the real thing. And then, one of our lovely readers, Sian, visited the exhibition herself and confirmed that there are indeed numerous jewelry pieces included!
Here’s one of the photos of Grace’s pearl and diamond necklace that Sian has generously shared with us. She reports that all of the jewelry I had hoped would be included is indeed on display, including the diamond engagement ring, the wedding pearl demi-parure, the festoon necklace and lattice bracelet, and the Bains de Mer Tiara. Hooray!
Sian treated us to two views of the Bains de Mer Tiara from her time at the exhibition. This photograph shows off the trio of elements that can be removed from the tiara and worn as brooches or hair ornaments.
And this side view, also shared by Sian, shows the way that the diamond-set base of the tiara threads through each of the diamond and ruby ornaments.
Sian reported that her favorite jewelry piece from the exhibition was this diamond festoon necklace, which was one of Grace’s wedding gifts from the National Council.
Sian told me that the Cartier necklace is “a stunner in person, with substantial diamonds sparking like mad.” She also shared this photograph of the necklace from her visit.
Overall, Sian shared that the exhibition was enjoyable, adding that it “gives a vivid sense of the glamour and scale of the occasion.” She did offer one more interesting tidbit: Grace’s wedding dress, which she donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is now too fragile to travel. The dress included in the Prince’s Palace exhibition is a replica.
Tickets for “The Wedding of the Century” are now on sale, with the exhibition running until September 25 at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco. Enormous thanks once again to Sian for her excellent, generous reporting. Please join me in giving her a big round of applause!
