Princess Alexandra of Hanover just opened one of fashion’s most extraordinary family archives. The 27-year-old royal has reworn a glittering golden Givenchy gown that belonged to her late grandmother, Grace Kelly, bringing the couture creation back into the spotlight more than six decades after the Princess of Monaco wore it during royal wedding celebrations in Athens.
Alexandra revealed the vintage fashion moment in an Instagram post shared on September 18, posing in the floor-length gown covered in intricate golden embellishment. “Yellow mood in archival Givenchy,” she captioned the photos.
The understated caption hardly gives away the history behind the dress. Grace Kelly wore the same Givenchy creation in May 1962 while in Athens with her husband, Prince Rainier III of Monaco, for celebrations surrounding the marriage of Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark and Prince Juan Carlos of Spain, the future Queen Sofía and King Juan Carlos I of Spain.
© Getty ImagesAnd Alexandra did not simply reference her grandmother’s famous style. She wore the actual gown.
Princess Alexandra Wears Grace Kelly’s 1962 Givenchy Gown
The archival Givenchy design is a golden-yellow, floor-length gown with a fitted column silhouette, scoop neckline, low V-shaped back and shimmering embellishment.
The surface of the gown features metallic embroidery, beads and sequins. Alexandra allowed the vintage couture to take center stage. She wore her hair long and straight and accessorized with delicate jewelry and a simple black clutch.
© @alex.hanoverGrace, meanwhile, gave the Givenchy design the full royal treatment when she wore it in Athens. Historical photographs show the Princess of Monaco accessorizing the gown with formal jewels, white opera-length gloves and a sash, with her blonde hair swept into an elaborate updo.
Princess Alexandra Has Worn Grace Kelly’s Clothes Before
This is not Alexandra’s first trip into her grandmother’s wardrobe. For Monaco’s National Day celebrations in November 2024, she appeared in a chocolate-brown vintage skirt suit that had belonged to Grace.
Alexandra confirmed its provenance herself, writing on Instagram, “Wearing my grandmother’s suit.” That appearance offered an early glimpse of how the younger generation of Monaco’s royal family is preserving Grace Kelly’s fashion legacy by actually wearing pieces rather than keeping everything behind museum glass.
© GC ImagesAlexandra has spoken about borrowing from her mother Princess Caroline’s wardrobe, too. “I take a lot of things from my mother’s closet,” she previously said, adding that Caroline was “getting used to it and even finds it funny.” Alexandra also connected borrowing family clothes with changing attitudes toward consumption and “spending less and better.”
Grace Kelly’s Givenchy Fashion Legacy Lives On
Grace Kelly’s relationship with couture helped establish a fashion image that remains instantly recognizable decades after her death in 1982.
The 1962 golden gown also reflects her connection with Hubert de Givenchy. Reports documenting the dress describe the designer and Princess Grace as both fashion collaborators and friends.
© Getty ImagesFollowers quickly recognized the family connection. One commented, “Hommage à la Princess Grace,” while another wrote, “Wow, you just look like your grandmother in the yellow dress.”
Who is Princess Alexandra of Hanover?
Princess Alexandra is the daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco and Ernst August, Prince of Hanover. Through her mother, she is the granddaughter of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III and the niece of Monaco’s reigning Prince Albert II.
Is Princess Alexandra of Hanover engaged?
© WireImage
© WireImageYes. Alexandra announced her engagement to longtime partner Ben-Sylvester Strautmann in September 2026. Her engagement ring features a 4.8-carat fancy yellow diamond, creating an especially fitting pairing with her grandmother’s golden Givenchy gown.
