Why did Grace Kelly marry Prince Rainier?

[ThymeafterThyme]

She was a young, beautiful, talented actress at the peak of her career. Independently wealthy too.

It seems like she barely knew Rainier, they were like penpals.

She got to be a princess, but only a Serene Highness, and Monaco was a tiny principality held in low regard by other Western countries.

She looked utterly wretched on her wedding day - far more than Charlene did. I know what Grace Kelly did for Monaco but don't get what attraction it held for her.

Love?

She looked utterly wretched on her wedding day Having looked at some photos just now, I don't think she looked wretched at all, just overawed at the enormity of it all.

She didn't look 'wretched'

She looked dignified, which is not a quality one tends to see in the modern bride.

Because she wanted to.
I heard she and her father provided millions of dollars in dowry.
So not just a pretty face for an ugly minor European Royal.

She was brought up as a Catholic. The church part of the wedding is meant to be solemn. There is a picture of her in the car that is much more candid. She is smiling and looking into Rainer’s face.

Love? Maybe but she barely knew him. She gave up so much and I don't see what she got in return. Nothing she couldn't have found in her homeland.

She didn't look wretched

Because she wanted to

But why?

I heard she and her father provided millions of dollars in dowry

Again why? That wasn't normal in 20th century America, so why do it?

Wretched?

Very wretched…….

Well, she looked wretched to me. Caroline said both her parents hated the public nature of the ceremony so maybe it was that.

Why did you ever be with someone or marry?

She was in love and wanted a different life.

What do you know? Is she speaking to you from the other side?

I think people married in the 50s and 60s without knowing each other as well as people do now. I remember laughing at work one day when two young women were discussing how irresponsible a couple were for getting married without living together first. I told them that was what was normal in the 60s. They thought that was ridiculous but back then it would have been frowned on to live together.

Times change.

I suspect he was the prince that swept her off her feet? Who knows why people marry people particularly famous people from the past. Logic probably plays very little part in it. Romance and love and naivety probably plays a bigger role.

Why did you start this thread? Are you insinuating that she married him for reasons other than love?

Love, desire to be a princess, clouds reality which isn't as glamorous it turns out ... history does repeat itself.

It wasn't unusual also to marry having fallen in love through the writing of letters I think?

@aerosocks

Why did you start this thread? Are you insinuating that she married him for reasons other than love?

I'm not insinuating anything. I'm having an idle chat on a forum about royalty whilst waiting for a delivery. If you can't join in without getting worked up, maybe try another thread.

I've always wondered what Grace Kelly thought Monaco and marrying a man she barely knew would hold for her. She left behind a stellar career, friends and family for ...?

I remember laughing at work one day when two young women were discussing how irresponsible a couple were for getting married without living together first

Yes Caroline has said she married Philippe Junot so young because her parents were so strict, they wouldn't let her go on holiday with him, let alone live together.

@ThymeafterThyme

The only thing 'wretched' here is this rude and unpleasant thread.

It doesn't take a genius to see Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier were very much in love.

I don't know what the F you're on about quite frankly.

I think she’d had various disastrous relationships with co-stars (Ray Milland, Clark Gable, who must have been the best part of 30 years older than her) and had been engaged to a divorcé her family disapproved of (the clothes designer Oleg Cassini) plus she’d already made so many films and won so many accolades — I think that, given the sexism of the 50s and prevalent ideas about being ‘on the shelf’, she was slightly adrift and looking for something different.

She was fascinating!
I guess as a pp said, it was a romantic package-prince, palace, beautiful setting.
She had accomplished so much in Hollywood, but in those days you were looking to settle down by your mid to late twenties.
She'd had a few relationships with married men and may have been struggling to find someone 'suitable' who matched up to her own beauty, talent and intellect.
I wouldn't know, but would guess that she did marry for love and everything looking good on paper. She may have found the life stultifying to get used to initially, having lived very independently herself previously.
However, I also think she was very bright and forged her way with her own charitable projects and raising her children.
It's not a life I would have wanted-yes to the money, but no thanks to the fame, scrutiny and limitations.

Love? Maybe but she barely knew him

So she fell in love & felt she didn't need to get to know him more. People get married quickly all the time. Clearly she loved him. Its not like they had a whirlwind romance then divorced a year later. What a weird thread

She loved him, she made a great life for herself, had three children and never came near to divorce. Many people would envy her life !

In these days of OLD, many people fall in love before they meet the person in real life. It happened to me - maybe it happened to her.