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Friday, October 1, 2021

The marriage of HIH Grand Duke George of Russia and Victoria Romanovna Bettarini

The bride and her father

 



The weather was crisp, autumnal, sunny with clouds, and in the 50s today when HIH Grand Duke George of Russia was united in marriage with Rebecca Virginia Bettarini.   Rebecca, who converted to Orthodoxy last year, will be styled as HSH Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanov

The wedding at St Isaac's Cathedral was the first Imperial wedding held in Russia since before the Revolution.  The guests included  King Simeon and Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians,  Crown Princess Miriam, the widow of Simeon's eldest son, Crown Prince Kardam (who died in 2015), and her elder son, Prince Boris,  King Fuad II,  Crown Prince Muhammed Ali, and Crown Princess Noal Zahir of Egypt,  Prince Charles-Philippe, Duke of Anjou, Prince Charles Lobkowicz, the Duke of Orléans, Crown Prince Leka and Crown Princess Elia of Albania, the Duke and Duchess of Aosta,  Princess Lea of Belgium,  Hereditary Prince Charles of Croy,  Prince Heinrich XIV Reuss, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the Prince and Princess Murat  Luis Alfonso de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú and his wife  Margarita Vargas Santaella, the Duke and Duchess of Braganza and their two older children, the Prince of Beira and Princess Maria Francisca, Prince Michel of Serbia,  Prince David Bagration and his Princess Irina, and his brother, Prince Irkaly Bagration, David and Irkaly's father, Prince Jorge Bagration (1944-2008) was a first cousin of Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, the groom's mother.

Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein and their sons and daughter-in-law, Prince Wenzelaus, Prince Rudolf, and Princess Tilsim were also present.  No other reigning royal houses attended the wedding.

The Grand Duchess and her older half-sister,  Helene Kirby, Countess Dvinskaya attended the wedding as did Princess Victoria's parents, Ambassador Robert Bettarini, and his wife Carla.   

Unfortunately, Grand Duke George's father, Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, is unwell and was could not attend the wedding.   Franz Wilhelm's younger half-sister, Desiree, and her husband, Juan Carlos Gamarra Skeels, the Peruvian Ambassador to the United Kingdom did attend the wedding.

These photos were taken by a guest, who wishes to remain anonymous.  This person is the copyright holder


Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein

Happy mom: Grand Duchess Maria


Grand Duke George











Helene Kirby, Countess Dvinskaya

The wedding is online to view

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn0jYyFYSY4

3 comments:

  1. Who are the military-appearing people inside and outside the cathedral? Does that imply there was some sort of state recognition of this event?

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    Replies
    1. ...they are Russian military...I cannot speak to "state recognition", but the military guard are genuine.

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