Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein were married 40 years ago on March 20, 1982 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City. Like her sister a month earlier, Princess Margaretha chose the Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara for her wedding headpiece. A convertible necklace made by Van Cleef and Arpels, the piece had been a wedding gift for to her mother, Princess Josephine of Belgium, in 1953 by the Belgian colony of Congo (read about its fascinating history over at The Court Jeweller). The streamlined tiara was a striking contrast to the ruffled dresses fashionable in the early 1980s- notice the triple tiered ruffles on those sleeves!
Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg and Archduke Carl Christian of Austria were married 40 years ago on February 6, 1982. Marie-Astrid wore the Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara, a convertible necklace made by Van Cleef and Arpels and gifted to her mother, Princess Josephine of Belgium, when she married Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg in 1953 by the Belgian colony of Congo (this piece has a fascinating history explained over at The Court Jeweller). Not only was the streamlined tiara one with tangible family connections, it made a great counterpoint to Marie-Astrid’s ruffle trimmed dress.
The religious marriage of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and his longtime Italian partner Rebecca Bettarini took place today at St Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the first Romanov wedding to take place in this cathedral in over 300 years.
Rebecca’s gown is a collaborative creation made by Reem Acra and Elina Samarina for Sergio Marcone Moscow.
“Reem Acra has exquisite taste and her gowns are designed holistically as if they were a masterwork of architecture, I had only two requirements: a refined and modern dress made of Italian Silk Mikado, in the classic Italian wedding gowns of the 1960s.” – Rebecca Bettarini
“The dress is a classic that is made to give a nod to the purity of the symbolism of marriage. Made of European fabric and designed in New York, and worn in Russia it’s a combination of 3 worlds and a tribute to our common roots.” – Reem Acra
The gown, in ivory Italian Silk Mikado, features a high neckline, fitted bodice, long sleeves, natural waist and a full ballgown skirt.
Elina Samarina drew from Russia’s long, rich tradition of embroidery, using the traditional Torzhok style to embroider the Romanoff family crest onto the silk tulle veil in gold thread.
“It pays a joint tribute to the Italian and Russian culture. It showcases a blend of Russian craftsmanship and Italian elegance. It connects with symbols and motifs every Russian can identify with. It expresses continuity between the present and the past, and it’s issued of a high skilled collaboration between our countries.” – Elina Samarina
Rebecca topped the veil with Chaumet’s “Lactis” tiara, a modern retake on the traditional Russian Kokoshnik shape.
A modern revisiting of the Russian kokoshnik, Victoria Romanovna chose the Lacis #tiara for her wedding today with Grand Duke George Mikhailovich. With this exceptional #HighJewellery creation, Chaumet writes a new chapter in its longstanding story with Russia and the #Romanov. pic.twitter.com/eqzeq5W2w3
Following the ceremony, Rebecca removed the cape train and veil to lay her white orchid bouquet on the graves of Grand Duke George’s grandparents, Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duchess Leonida, in the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. The resulting photographs give great view of the silhouette of her gown and tiara.
Rebecca’s attendants wore gold and dark green velvet Tudor style pearl trimmed dresses with matching Kokoshnik headpieces made by Russian brand Russkaya Korona
For tonight’s gala dinner, Rebecca, who will now be known as HSH Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff, wore a hand embroidered silk tulle gown also by Reem Acra. Elina Samarina added another Russian-designed element to the ensemble with a white silk Mikado cape inspired by traditional designs and embroidered in a Torzhok style. It looks like her bridal tiara was placed further back on her head, a look I much prefer.
We conclude our look back at Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s wedding today with the remaining royal guests and what a glittering group it was!
Queen Paola wore the elegant Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau. She and King Albert attended with Prince Phillippe, the men both in uniform with caps (Princess Mathilde was in the last trimester of her pregnancy with Princess Elisabeth and remained at home).
Princess Kristine Bernadotte (3rd wife of Prince Carl Bernadotte who was born a Swedish prince/Duke of Östergötland but ended up a Belgian prince thanks to his mother’s lineage after relinquishing Swedish succession) wore a tiara of unknown origin which, following her death in 2014, remains a mystery.
Prince Willem-Alexander attended with fiancé Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti (they married a few months later on February 2, 2002) who wore the base of the Dutch royal collection’s Antique Pearl Tiara. While we’re used to seeing this tiara with the pearls, this was Máxima’s first tiara outing and the smaller scaled version made a great inaugural piece for her.
One poignant comment yesterday wondered if we’d ever see such a glittering array of jewels at a single event. After all of the social distance and pared-down scale of events we’ve all experienced over the past year and a half, it seems impossible, doesn’t it? I have, however, hopeful that as the next generation of crown princesses enters adulthood, the weddings of these future queens will enthrall and delight just as those of their parents did.
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit;s late afternoon wedding on August 25, 2001 carried a formal dress code. We don’t often cover tiaras here but any daytime diamonds are fair game here at Royal Hats so we’re going to sparkle up the rest of this week and look at the jewels and gowns worn by royal guests to this event (I’ll leave discussion about the jewels to expert Lauren Kiehna and link to her comprehensive history of each diadem).
Princess Benedikte wore her Star and Pearl Tiara. Her eldest daughter, Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, wore her mother’s wonderful floral tiara; her younger daughter, Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, is shown below in coral, in an open design tiara I’ve not been able to identify.
We don’t chat tiaras much here but like hats, a tiara’s shape or scale can suit (or not suit!) their wearers and the ensembles with which they are paired. Which ones here stand out to you most?
Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein were married 40 years ago on March 20, 1982 at Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City. Like her sister a month earlier, Princess Margaretha chose the Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara for her wedding headpiece. A convertible necklace made by Van Cleef and Arpels, the piece had been a wedding gift for to her mother, Princess Josephine of Belgium, in 1953 by the Belgian colony of Congo (read about its fascinating history over at The Court Jeweller). The streamlined tiara was a striking contrast to the ruffled dresses fashionable in the early 1980s- notice the triple tiered ruffles on those sleeves!
We conclude our look back at Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s wedding today with the remaining royal guests and what a glittering group it was!
Royal Hats 