Monaco's royal family make an appearance on the balcony at the Palais Princier for National Day. Photo / Getty Images
Monaco's royal family make an appearance on the balcony at the Palais Princier for National Day. Photo / Getty Images
Attending Monaco’s National Day celebrations, Princess Caroline’s daughter Alexandra stepped out in an elegant silk Dior.
For the Monégasque royals, National Day is one of the most important dates in the calendar. “La Fête du Prince”, as it is known locally, is marked by a mass at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, and the royal family make an appearance on the balcony at the Palais Princier.
With this appearance comes an opportunity for a fashion moment, and the Monégasque clan is a stylish bunch, with close ties to Chanel. But the highlight this year came courtesy of Princess Alexandra, who stepped out in a chocolate brown silk suit originally owned and worn by her grandmother, Princess Grace of Monaco, in the early 1960s – and re-worn by Alexandra’s mother, Princess Caroline, for the same National Day celebrations in 1993.
Anything worn by Princess Grace is a piece of fashion history – the movie star-turned-princess is remembered as one of the most stylish women of all time, and earlier this year, a Givenchy dress from the same period sold at auction for $325,000 – far exceeding its $60,000-80,000 estimate.
Princess Alexandra stepped out in a chocolate brown silk suit that was originally owned and worn by her grandmother. Photo / Getty Images
The suit worn by Princess Alexandra on Tuesday was by Dior, from Marc Bohan’s tenure at the helm. Bohan enjoyed a long and successful career at the house, also designing garments for Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren. Jackie Kennedy was a fan too, but as America’s First Lady, she couldn’t be seen favouring luxury French labels over American ones, so she had Bohan’s designs copied by the US-based designer Oleg Cassini.
“This fabulous piece not only reflects Princess Grace’s enduring relationship with the fashion house but also highlights the vision of Marc Bohan, Dior’s third creative director, who played a pivotal role in shaping its legacy,” says Hanushka Toni, the founder and CEO of designer vintage retailer Sellier. “Dior pieces from this era are collectors’ treasures, and to see one tied so intimately to a royal family adds another layer of historical and cultural significance, thus making it invaluable in the luxury resale market.”
Princess Grace wore the suit during one of her balcony appearances in the 1960s. Photo / Getty Images
The suit holds significant historical, cultural and fashion importance, agrees Antonia Johnstone, the founder of designer vintage boutique Sign of the Times: “Dior, at the time, was highly selective in creating bespoke pieces for royalty and high-profile figures which adds to the suit’s rarity.
“Many of [Princess Grace’s] outfits, especially from Dior, were carefully preserved and are now part of royal collections or private archives. This makes them highly coveted pieces in the world of fashion history and it is such a joy to see them passed down within her family.”
Bohan’s Dior became a go-to for other European royals too: he went on to design Princess Caroline’s wedding gown for her first marriage to Philippe Junot, and Queen Silvia of Sweden’s wedding gown when she married King Carl Gustaf.
Despite there being 61 years between Princess Grace’s balcony appearance in the suit and Princess Alexandra’s, the suit still appeals to a contemporary eye. You don’t need to be a fashion expert to acknowledge that the cut is exceptional: the jacket features a wide, round, collared neckline, a nipped-in waist and slightly curved hem that references Dior’s famous “Bar” shape. The skirt falls just below the knee, a flattering length and reflective of the era.
Each member of the family has styled the suit differently: Princess Grace wore it with a cream hat and pearl brooch, while Princess Caroline opted for a red velvet hat and ivory gloves.
Princess Alexandra made the suit her own too, teaming it with high black courts, diamond earrings and a snakeskin-print bag, her hair styled in a low bun with a brown ribbon tied in a bow – an elegant, contemporary twist of which Princess Grace would surely approve.
