Princess Grace Challenge Cup

The Princess Grace Challenge Cup is a rowing event for women's quadruple sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to female crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may combine to make an entry.

The event is named after Princess Grace of Monaco who was the Academy Award winning American actress Grace Kelly. Upon marrying Rainier III, Prince of Monaco in 1956, she became Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, but was generally known as Princess Grace of Monaco. Her father John Kelly, Sr. was an Olympic rowing gold medal winner, and her brother John Kelly, Jr. won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley in 1947 and 1949.

A year before the Princess's untimely death in 1982 she was invited to present the prizes at the Royal Regatta.

The Princess Grace Challenge Cup was first presented in 2003 by The President of the Australian Olympic Committee John Coates. In 2004 Grace's son Prince Albert of Monaco gave out the prizes at the Royal Regatta.

Year Champions
2011 - Princeton Training Center "B", USA
2010 - Gloucester Rowing Club and Leander Club, England
2009 - Leander Club & Westminster School, England
2008 - Wallingford Rowing Club & Reading University, England
2007 - South Australian Institute Of Sport, Australia
2006 - Marlow Rowing Club & University Of London, England
2005 - TSSKA Ukraine, Ukraine
2004 - Leander Club & University Of London, England
2003 - TSSKA Ukraine, Ukraine
Events at Henley Royal Regatta
Men's eights
  • Grand Challenge Cup
  • Ladies' Challenge Plate
  • Thames Challenge Cup
  • Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
  • Temple Challenge Cup
  • Henley Prize
Men's coxed fours
  • Britannia Challenge Cup
  • Prince Albert Challenge Cup
  • Henley Prize
Men's coxless fours
  • Stewards' Challenge Cup
  • Visitors' Challenge Cup
  • Wyfold Challenge Cup
Men's coxless pairs
  • Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
Men's quad sculls
  • Queen Mother Challenge Cup
  • Prince of Wales Challenge Cup
  • Fawley Challenge Cup
Men's double sculls
  • Double Sculls Challenge Cup
Men's single sculls
  • Diamond Challenge Sculls
Women's eights
  • Remenham Challenge Cup
  • Henley Prize
Women's quad sculls
  • Princess Grace Challenge Cup
Women's single sculls
  • Princess Royal Challenge Cup


Famous quotes containing the words princess, grace, challenge and/or cup:

    You may be a princess or the richest woman in the world, but you cannot be more than a lady.
    Jennie Jerome Churchill (1854–1921)

    But our old subtle foe so tempteth me
    That not one hour I can myself sustain.
    Thy grace may wing me to prevent his art,
    And thou like adamant draw mine iron heart.
    John Donne (1572–1631)

    Seas of bright juice suffuse heaven.

    The earth by the sky staid with, the daily close of their junction,
    The heav’d challenge from the east that moment over my head,
    The mocking taunt, See then whether you shall be master!
    Walt Whitman (1819–1892)

    Sisters define their rivalry in terms of competition for the gold cup of parental love. It is never perceived as a cup which runneth over, rather a finite vessel from which the more one sister drinks, the less is left for the others.
    Elizabeth Fishel (20th century)