On Jan. 23, 1957, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and his glamorous wife, Grace Kelly, welcomed their first daughter, Princess Caroline of Monaco.
At the time, Kelly dominated the fashion press as a Hollywood actress turned Royal, who in her movies like Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch a Thief” and “Rear Window,” used fashion as a defining factor. Like her mother, Princess Caroline became known as one of the best-dressed women in the world and a fashion icon with intimate industry relationships.
Caroline was one of the first royals to wear a traditional white wedding dress for her first marriage, before defining the style of her second and third marriages with more pared-back styles.
Ahead, learn more about Princess Caroline of Monaco’s three royal weddings, featuring wedding dresses and ceremony looks by Marc Bohan for Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel and more.
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On June 29, 1978, the young Princess Caroline of Monaco married Parisian banker and known playboy Philippe Junot. The ceremony took place in an outdoor courtyard on the grounds of Prince’s Palace in Monaco, where her mother had previously married.
For the occasion, Princess Caroline of Monaco was dressed in Christian Dior by Marc Bohan; the House’s longest-serving designer, who was a close friend and favored designer of her mother, Princess Grace. The white floral embroidered organdie dress featured a sheer, round neck lace bodice, fluid sleeves and a soft, full skirt. She topped the romantic, ‘70s style look off with two hair buns decorated in white flowers and a sweeping veil in lieu of a tiara.
Princess Caroline and Junot divorced two years later.
Caroline went on to marry sportsman and Italian heir Stefano Casiraghi on Dec. 29, 1983. As her marriage to Junot was not yet annulled, she and Casiraghi were wed in an intimate civil ceremony in the Chamber of Mirrors of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco.
At the time, Princess Caroline held a highly regarded, fashionable reputation for being demure and extremely classy, reflected in her second wedding’s ensemble — the second designed by the House of Christian Dior. For the intimate ceremony, Princess Caroline donned a simple cream silk charmeuse dress with a matching hair bow.
During their marriage, the pair welcomed three children: Andrea Casiraghi, Charlotte Casiraghi and Pierre Casiraghi. As a mother, Princess Caroline never let go of style and continued to lead as a European style icon for her minimalistic, controlled and elegant dress. The couple remained together until Stefano Casiraghi tragically died in 1990 in a sailing accident during a race.
In 1992, the Catholic church granted an annulment of Princess Caroline and Junot’s marriage following the tragic passing.
In mourning, Princess Caroline moved to Provence and wore floor-length, black and white microfloral dresses, often with espadrilles and short, pulled-back hair, which became a huge fashion moment all over Europe.
Princess Caroline then married for a third time, to Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick, in Monaco on Jan. 23, 1999.
By this time, she was a beloved muse, client and personal friend of not only the House of Christian Dior and Marc Bohan but also the House of Chanel, under the helm of the creative director and designer, Karl Lagerfeld.
During a secret ceremony, Princess Caroline said “I do” in a light blue Chanel suit with gold buttons—similar to the House’s fall Couture 1997 runway set, which she wore the same year. The style icon’s favored look continues to prevail, as seen in her frequent appearances in head-to-toe Chanel tweeds.
During their marriage, they welcomed their daughter, Princess Alexandra, before separating in 2009.
Since a young age, Princess Caroline has been a fashion favorite and will go down in history as one of the most elegant and understated European Princesses next to Princess Diana, who was known for more glamorous looks.
