Princess Grace in Wedding Gown Lies Face Down in Dust Kisses Relics of Saint

(Thursday, April 19, 1956, Toronto Daily Star)

Princess Grace of Monaco gave her bridal bouquet to the patron saint of her new country this afternoon.

It was her first official act as here serene highness and wife of Prince Rainier III.

The radiantly lovely new princess was smiling happily as she drove amid the cheers of her people to the tiny chapel of Ste. Devote, patron saint of the tiny principality on the Mediterranean.

Release White Pigeons

There, in her beautiful semi-precious wedding gown, she lay face downward in the dust and dirt to kiss the relics of this early Christian martyr-saint whom the Monegasques revere as their patron.

Dozens of white pigeons were released as Grace's lips touched the relics - honoring the legend that when Ste. Devote died two doves flew from her mouth.

But within minutes of this public act of faith, Princess Grace, Rainier, the bridesmaids and their friends were listening to gay dance music at a champagne luncheon in the palace.

Parts With Parents

By mid-afternoon she was witnessing a soccer game between hot-blooded Latin teams from Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona.

At the palace luncheon Grace has a chance to say good-by to her parents, brothers, sisters and her intimate Philadelphia friends.

In the words of papa John B. Kelly: "I guess we won't be seeing here for a long time - maybe not until next fall."

After the soccer match the honeymoon trip started aboard the royal yacht "Deo Juvante II" - a cruise of about a month's duration, during which Rainier and Grace will be received by Pope Pius XII in a special audience.

Clasps Princes Hand

Grace hardly had been seated in her car after the ceremony with three women and two footmen helping her adjust her skirt, when she clasped Rainier's hand and held it tightly as the car waited two minutes for the rest of the procession to form behind them and roll down the hill between a land formed of French Alpine troops.

Grace waved slightly to newsreel cameramen while the car halted but the wind kept tugging her veil to which she held a hand occasionally.

Seemed Self-Conscious

Grace smiled at her subjects who crowded outside the cathedral cheering, waving and applauding she and Rainier. Rainier smiled warmly at his bride but still seemed self-conscious as the car started through the crowd.

Getting to the car, Grace and the prince walked slowly down the steps of the cathedral as trumpets flourished and two photographic helicopters fought for space over the cathedral square.

Started at Daylight

The Riviera principality began to turn out at daylight for the climax of the week long celebration. Early birds were in the palace plaza with camp stools at dawn making sure of a good view of the couple as they separately made their way the 300 yards from the palace to the cathedral.

Britain and the U.S. staged a military show for the first-comers. The British Royal Marine band with strutting drum-major, paraded around the square. Following it were detachments of U.S. and British sailors and a color guard of U.S. marines. All are from navy ships in port for the festivities.

Rainier's gleaming white yacht strung with gay pennants, lay in the small port below the palace, with a police guard at the gangway. A five-foot gilt crown topped the masthead.

On War Footing

Monaco's harried police force waved traffic through the town and tried to crowd hundreds of tourist's automobiles into spaces sufficient for only dozens of cars. The principality was virtually on a war footing, with every member of the small police forces, the 40-man fire department and the 65 member guard mustered out for the event. They were reinforced by French police brought in from nearby Riviera spots.

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