 |
| All images: Marlene A. Eilers Koenig collection |
Princess Anne of France and Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Apulia, were married today in Naples "with gorgeous and impressive ceremony amid extraordinary scenes of public enthusiasm," reports the New York Times.
It was a gathering of royalty "seldom seen in Italy, headed by the Kings of Italy and Spain. Several hundreds of thousands of "excited spectators, bubbling over with enthusiasm," made this wedding one which will be "remembered for years by Neapolitans."
The bride and groom "moved in a majestic cortege" from the palace of Capodimonte through the streets of Naples, arriving at the San Ferdinando palace, where the civil wedding occurred.
Princess Anne and her father, the Duke of Guise, and the Duchess of Aosta, were in the first carriage. The Duke of Apulia was in the second carriage with the Duke of Aosta and the Duchess of Guise.
The procession moved slowly through the streets "under a hail of flowers and amid a tornado of applause.
At the San Ferdinando palace, the bridal party was met by King Vittorio Emanuele of Italy, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and Queen Amelie of Portugal, as well as all the princes of the Houses of Savoy and Bourbon and members of foreign royal houses.
Princess Anne was dressed in an "ivory white satin dress with a long train, ornamented with a bouquet of orange blossoms at the waist." Her veil was made of "delicate Chantilly lace falling down her back and covering the whole train."
The very precious lace had been in the Orleans family for several generations and was also worn by the Princess' mother, the Duchess of Guide at her own wedding. The lace was fixed to Anne's head "by a wreath of orange blossoms surmounted by a diamond and emerald diadem."
The Duchess of Aosta, the former Princess Helene of Orleans, was dressed in a gown of silver lame, her "head covered by Brussels lace clasped by the wonderful diamond diadem of the Aosta family."
The Duchess of Guise wore a gown of "blue Lyons silk with gold lame." Her veil made from Chantilly Lace was held in place by a diamond and sapphire tiara. She wore the entire parure of jewels that belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette of France," which consisted of a diadem, necklace, earrings with a pendant, a large buckle "supporting the train of her dress, and a brooch with pendant, all of diamonds and sapphires."
The civil wedding took place in the palace's main hall. The ceremony took a few minutes before the procession moved to the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola. The plaza was filled with "several thousand invited guests."
The appearance of the bride and groom and their families were greeted with "tremendous cheers and waving of handkerchiefs, hats, and parasols."
Throughout the ceremony, the bride and groom "knelt on red damask, gold-fringed hassocks before the altar rail."
When the religious wedding was finished, the newly married Duke and Duchess of Apulia appeared at the basilica's front door, "looking the picture of happiness." They walked across the Piazza San Ferdinando and into the palace.
Luncheon was served to 150 guests, and refreshments were "served to a couple thousand other guests in another hall."
The celebrations went on through the evening.
The Duke and Duchess of Apulia are first cousins, as the Duke of Guise and the Duchess of Aosta are brother and sister.
Other royal guests included Crown Prince Umberto of Italy, the Duke of Spoleto, the Count of Turin, the Duke of the Abruzzi, the Duke of Genoa, Duke of Pistoia, Duke of Ancona, Princess Giovanna of Savoy, Prince Philipp of Hesse, husband of Princess Mafalda of Savoy, Prince Paul of Greece, Archduchess Maria Immaculata of Austria, Queen Amelie of Portugal, Princess Marie Jose of Belgium, Princess Irene of Greece, and representatives of the houses of Orleans Braganca, Bourbon-Parma and Habsburg-Tuscany.
Queen Elena did not attend the wedding as she is mourning for her sister, Princess Vera of Montenegro, who died last week.
No comments:
Post a Comment