Description:

Prince Rainier III of Monaco
[Monaco], November 23, 1984
Prince Rainier III ALS & Presentation Photo to Fashion Designer, Two Years After Grace's Death
Archive
A lengthy autographed letter from Prince Rainier III to friend and notable fashion designer Vera Maxwell. 2pp on monogrammed letterhead, 6.5" x 8.25", [Monaco], November 23, 1984. Boldly signed "Rainier" at conclusion. Together with an 8" x 10" portrait photograph depicting Prince Rainier and his son Albert with their dog, signed and inscribed in the lower margin: "To Vera with love… the boys!/ Rainier". Featuring expected, flattened letter folds and minor surface creasing throughout. The photograph exhibits evident soiling to lower middle, not affecting signature, with isolated discoloration present at bottom left corner. Overall, a very good pairing.

The Prince writes in part:

"Many thanks for your letter and news. Yes I was very happy and proud of my two kids whilst they were in New York. Of all I heard of their stay and appearances, I knew they would have been very good. Of course! They were happy at 755 Park Avenue. They were less bothered than if they had been at the Regency.

I think they had fun going on the TV shows after being of course quite scared before!

All is well here. Of course lots of wishes and a lot of work! I have not been able to spend as much time in Marchais as I would have liked to. It rained a lot in the morning of the national feast day and the outdoor festivity had to be cancelled.

We are off to Paris and Marchais until before the circus festival. Then we will all be back.
Caroline is well and lovely- little Andrea is fine and so cute. Stefano is so nice and serious. He's good for helping also. A lovely little family.

How's business? I do hope that you are not over-working yourself and getting tired?!
I have no plans to come over to N.Y. for the time being. I may get the urge! Lots of love, dear Vera."

Rainier III (1923-2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005, having ruled the Principality for almost 56 years. During his reign, he was responsible for the transformation of Monaco's economy, shifting from its traditional casino gambling base to its current status as a tax haven and cultural destination. The Prince also coordinated the substantial reforms of Monaco's constitution, which limited the powers of sovereign rule. In 1956, Rainier married American film star Grace Kelly (1929-1982), an event which generated global media attention. The couple had three children, including Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Vera Huppe Maxwell (1901-1995) was an pioneering American sportswear and fashion designer. Her designs were notably made in a range of sizes, generally going up to a size 18 or 20 at a time when it was unusual for a designer to produce clothing above a size 8. Maxwell, who often visited the royal family in Monaco, was first a friend of Rainier's late wife, Princess Grace, after they met at the 1955 Neiman Marcus Fashion Awards.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 8" x 10" (largest)
  • Medium: Archive

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 29, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000