It was felt that the Gresham Hotel was not safe enough to accommodate Princess Grace of Monaco when she visited Ireland in 1973. The princess paid a two-day visit to Dublin in June to address a meeting of the Irish-American Cultural Institute.
In a letter outlining the arrangements, Lord Killanin, Honorary Consul General for Monaco, said he had booked a suite for the princess in the Shelbourne Hotel, Stephen's Green.
"Mr O'Sullivan of the Gresham has offered his suite, but I could not advise the princess to stay north of the river owing to the inconvenience of bomb scares, besides the general security position," Lord Killanin wrote.
It was Princess Grace's first visit to Ireland since she and her husband Prince Rainier holidayed here in 1963.
Alison Healy
