When Grace Kelly was young, she reportedly once told her sister, “One day I’m going to be a princess.” And she was right. The wedding between the movie star and the ruler of Monaco was called “The Wedding of the Century” and set the standard for royal weddings. It started off with a 12-carat diamond Cartier engagement ring that Kelly paired with a now-iconic wedding dress for the occasion. The gown, which is said to have inspired Kate Middleton’s, included 25 yards of taffeta, 100 yards of silk net and thousands of pearls; it took 36 seamstresses six weeks to make. The couple’s religious ceremony took place on April 19, 1956 at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in front of 600 guests — including the likes of Cary Grant, Aristotle Onassis and Ava Gardner — and an estimated 30 million television viewers. After the ceremony the newlyweds drove through the streets of Monte Carlo in a cream and black Rolls Royce — a wedding gift from the people of Monaco. Seven hundred guests joined the prince and his new princess for a special luncheon reception at the Palace’s Court of Honour, where the couple cut their colossal six-tier wedding cake with Prince Rainier’s sword.
PHOTOS: A Royal Wedding in Monaco