It’s been 60 years since movie legend Grace Kelly gave up a life of Hollywood royalty in favor of actual royalty. In 1956 the 27-year-old actress was wed to Prince Rainier III and she was thereafter known as Princess Grace of Monaco. Most people don’t realize that she only appeared in 11 films in an incredibly short movie career between 1951 and 1956. Once she became a princess, Grace left entertainment behind and focused all of her energy on philanthropic work. Kelly founded AMADE Mondiale, a non-profit organization whose mission was to protect the “moral and physical integrity and spiritual well-being of children throughout the world, without distinction of race, nationality or religion and in a spirit of complete political independence” according to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Kelly died in a car accident while suffering from a stroke at the age of 52 in 1982.
The video below shows clips from her breathtaking wedding featuring a gorgeous wedding gown that was a gift from the movie studio she left behind, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The gown was designed by costumer Helen Rose and constructed within the MGM wardrobe department. The event was called the “wedding of the century” by press at the time. Watch the video below and decide for yourself if the ceremony lived up to its name.