Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, 1961
Sixty-four years ago this month Ireland was bracing itself for the state visit of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace on June 10. The visit captured the public imagination and was a well documented affair. Throughout her stay the Princess was a huge attraction and much attention was paid to how she dressed.
Even in the weeks leading up to the visit it was constantly reported in Irish newspapers. As the Anglo Celt newspaper reported at the start of June:
Prince Rainier of Monaco and Princess Grace will arrive In Dublin on the afternoon of Saturday, June 10th, to begin their state visit to Ireland. They will travel from Paris on an Aer Lingus flight, and will be accorded a ceremonial greet: Ing on their arrival at Dublin Airport. They will then proceed to Aras an Uachtarain, accompanied by a military escort of honour. Their route on this drive has been planned to take them through the centre of Dublin. They will proceed to the President's residence in Phoenix Park by way of Drumcondra Road, Dorset Street, O'Connell Street, O'Connell Bridge, Westmoreland Street, Dame Street, Parliament Street and the north quays. Prince Rainier and his wife will be the guests of the President and Mrs. de Valera until Juno 14th. On the day after their arrival, they will attend the opening of the International Festival of Music and the Arts in the Theatre Royal. On June 12th they will attend a concert at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and on the same evening the Festival Banquet in the Gresham Hotel. The Taoiseach, Mr. Lemass, will give a reception in their honour in Dublin Castle on June 13th.
Later the visit to Kerry was also widely reported on, as was the fashions of the royal party:
Yesterday Monaco's ruler and his family spent their first full day in Kerry, at the Great Southern Hotel, Parknasilla. It was a quiet family day for Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, starting late in the soft, dull and rather damp morning. Of the entourage, Lord Killanin, Monagasque Consul-General, was the first to appear at a little before, 10.a.m. Next out were the children, Princess Caroline (3) and-Prince Albert (2), with their nurse, for a walk around the golf links before luncheon.
The Prince, dressed in a mackintosh wind-cheater and petrol blue trousers, and Lord Killanin spent the morning pottering about in the boathouse with fishing tackle and looking over the possibilities of going fishing on a choppy Kenmare River.
A never-ceasing topic at Princess Grace's hotel is clothes…So far, she arrived in a straight, full-length, white camelhair coat with a cinnamon silk head. On Tuesday at dinner: a shot-silk floral motive, green evening suit, pencil line. And yesterday morning, a white accordion-pleated skirt, beige cardigan, lemon and white silk head carf worn in the same style as Tuesday….
For more information search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com )