The Man Behind the Lens: How Edward Quinn Captured the Romance of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier
The 1950s Côte d’Azur was the ultimate playground for the global elite, a place where Hollywood glamour collided with European royalty. At the center of this intersection was Edward Quinn, a Dublin-born photographer with an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. Quinn didn’t just document the rich and famous. he captured the intimate, unscripted moments that defined an era, most notably the first encounter between actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco.
The Orchestrated Meeting of 1955
The first meeting between Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier was not a chance encounter, but a strategic editorial move. During the 1955 Cannes Film Festival, Gaston Bonheur, the editorial director of Paris Match, suggested that a meeting between the Hollywood star and the bachelor prince would make a compelling story. Prince Rainier agreed and Quinn was tasked by the magazine to document the event.
The journey to the palace was marked by a moment of chaos. As the team traveled to the rendezvous, the driver for Grace Kelly—Monsieur Lapinière, a representative of Metro Goldwyn—braked suddenly on the main road. Quinn, driving closely behind to ensure he didn’t miss the action, crashed into the back of Kelly’s car. Despite the collision, the group proceeded, stopping briefly at the bar of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo for sandwiches before arriving at the palace just after 3:00 PM.
An Exclusive Tour of the Palace
Upon arrival, the group was greeted by Colonel Severac, the commander of the palace. Because Prince Rainier was delayed, Quinn and Kelly were guided through the palace by Michel Demorizi, one of the prince’s personal servants. The tour included several historic sites:
- The Salle du Throne: Where the reigning princes of the Grimaldi family were enthroned.
- The York Chambers and Salle des Glaces: Key architectural highlights of the royal residence.
- The Napoleonic Museum: A stop where Grace Kelly expressed particular interest in a lock of Napoleon’s hair.
From Jazz and the RAF to the Côte d’Azur
Edward Quinn’s path to becoming a world-renowned photographer was far from linear. Born in 1920 in Dollymount, Dublin, Quinn spent the early years of World War II as a jazz musician in Belfast. A pivotal moment occurred when he survived a German air raid that caused a church roof to collapse beside him, an event that inspired him to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a radio navigator.
After the war, Quinn worked as a navigator on charter planes traveling between Europe and Africa. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Swiss national Gret Sulser, who was working in Monaco. Quinn followed her to the French Riviera, where he initially returned to music. To fit the expectations of dance bands at the time, he adopted the Italian-sounding stage name “Eddie Quinero.”
Recognizing a gap in the market for a photographer who could document the high society of the Côte d’Azur, Quinn taught himself the craft using books and magazines. He quickly established a niche, becoming the go-to photographer for the era’s most significant figures.
A Portfolio of Legends
Quinn’s versatility and ability to put his subjects at ease allowed him to capture some of the 20th century’s most iconic personalities. His portfolio includes a vast array of subjects, including:
- Cinema Icons: John Wayne, Brigitte Bardot, and Audrey Hepburn. According to Quinn’s nephew, Wolfgang Frei, Quinn may have even helped Hepburn secure her breakout role.
- Political and Cultural Figures: Winston Churchill and Edith Piaf.
- The Arts: Thousands of photographs of Pablo Picasso.
- The 1955 Meeting: Documented the first encounter between Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier for Paris Match.
- Diverse Background: Transitioned from a Belfast jazz musician and RAF navigator to a professional photographer.
- Celebrity Access: Became a staple of the Côte d’Azur, photographing legends like Winston Churchill and Pablo Picasso.
- The “Eddie Quinero” Era: Used a pseudonym while performing in dance bands before pivoting to photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Edward Quinn?
Edward Quinn was an Irish photographer from Dublin who became famous for documenting the celebrities and royalty of the French Riviera, specifically the early relationship between Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco.
How did Quinn end up photographing Grace Kelly?
He was hired by the magazine Paris Match after their editorial director, Gaston Bonheur, arranged a meeting between Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier during the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
What other famous people did Edward Quinn photograph?
Quinn’s extensive body of work includes photographs of Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill, Brigitte Bardot, John Wayne, and Edith Piaf.
Edward Quinn’s career serves as a testament to the power of adaptability and timing. By blending his adventurous background with a self-taught mastery of photography, he captured the essence of mid-century glamour and provided the world with an intimate look at the birth of one of history’s most famous royal romances.