Hollywood star Kelly and Rainier’s first meeting was made part of by the ‘Gone With the Wind’ actress Olivia de Havilland threaded. Already in 2017, the now deceased Oscar winner had opposite People talked about their role in the mating process. “I’m tempted to believe it was fate,” de Havilland said at the time.
On May 4, 1955, she and her husband Pierre Galante were the editor-in-chief of the magazine Paris match, traveled to Cannes by train. When Galante learned that Grace Kelly was traveling with him, he had the idea that she should meet Prince Rainier. When the train arrived in Cannes, de Havilland ran to Kelly to propose the meeting. She asked her on the platform if she would agree to a meeting with the Monegasque prince.
“She agreed immediately, but made the highly professional stipulation that such a meeting must first be approved by the studio sponsoring her visit to Cannes: MGM,” said the ‘Gone With the Wind’ star.
Turbulent start of a long-standing love
After securing Kelly’s approval, Galante attempted to arrange a meeting for the two to meet the following afternoon. He told Kelly over the phone that Rainier had invited her to a reception at the palace, but the Hollywood star initially declined due to a commitment in Cannes. The appointment was pushed back an hour and Kelly relented.
The morning before Grace Kelly’s fateful encounter with Prince Rainier was reportedly a tumultuous one. She didn’t have a hair dryer, makeup light, or iron handy. Kelly smoothed her hair and changed into her only wrinkle-free suit. The elevators at “The Carlton” hotel where she was staying were out of order, she had to walk down the stairs to meet the Galante waiting outside the hotel and then to get to the car. A car full of photographers stopped them, and when Kelly and Galante finally got to the hotel, Rainier wasn’t there.
According to Prince Albert, his mother was greeted by one of the Prince’s employees. For 55 minutes, Kelly was then entertained by Palace manager Michel Demaurizi, who, according to Albert, kept Grace Kelly “heroically” busy. Like Albert recentlyr Paris Match told, Demaurizi led them through the rooms of the great chambers of the palace.
Source-kurier.at