Royal Insight Forum

Belgian Royal Weddings of the 20th and 21st century

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Top 10 Best Royal Wedding Dresses: #9. HRH Princess Claire (http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-10-best-royal-wedding-dresses-9-hrh.html) Information on Laurent and Claire's wedding

Royal Wedding Rewind: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/royal-wedding-rewind-king-philippe-and-queen-mathilde-of-the-belgians-2-153182/)

Wedding of Princess Astrid of Belgium and Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este | The Royal Watcher (https://royalwatcherblog.com/2018/09/22/wedding-of-princess-astrid-of-belgium-and-archduke-lorenz-of-austria-este/)

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Wedding Wednesday: Queen Paola's Gown (http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2012/01/wedding-wednesday-queen-paolas-gown.html) Information on Albert and Paola's wedding

Royal Wedding Rewind: King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/royal-wedding-rewind-king-albert-ii-and-queen-paola-of-belgium-2-144894/)

Royal Wedding Rewind: King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/belgium/royal-wedding-rewind-king-baudouin-and-queen-fabiola-141432/)

Belgian Royal Brides: Queen Astrid of Belgium (https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2015/12/belgian-royal-brides-queen-astrid-of.html)-Information on Astrid and Leopold's wedding

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Wedding Wednesday: Princess Mathilde's Gown (http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2013/07/wedding-wednesday-princess-mathildes.html)

Dutch royal weddings of the 20th and 21st century

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Royal Dress of the Day: Princess Mabel's Wedding Gown, Revisited (http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2018/08/royal-dress-of-day-princess-mabels.html)-Information on the late Prince Friso and Mabel Wisse-Smit's wedding

Royal Wedding Rewind: Willem-Alexander and Maxima of the Netherlands ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/royal-wedding-rewind-willem-alexander-and-maxima-of-the-netherlands-154710/)

Royal Wedding Rewind: Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/royal-wedding-rewind-prince-constantijn-and-princess-laurentien-of-the-netherlands-142216/)

Royal Wedding Rewind: Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/history-blogs/royal-wedding-rewind-princess-beatrix-of-the-netherlands-156640/)

The Royal Wedding of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/the-royal-wedding-of-princess-margriet-of-the-netherlands-154627/)

Royal Wedding Rewind: Juliana and Bernhard of the Netherlands ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/royal-wedding-rewind-juliana-and-bernhard-of-the-netherlands-135873/)

Luxembourg's royal weddings 20th and 21st century

Prince Felix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg's royal wedding: All the photos | HELLO! (https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/gallery/2018060469308/prince-felix-claire-lademacher-royal-wedding-luxembourg/1/)

Royal Wedding Rewind: Guillaume and St?phanie of Luxembourg ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/royal-wedding-rewind-guillaume-and-stephanie-of-luxembourg-151185/)

Royal Wedding Rewind: the wedding of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/luxembourg/royal-wedding-rewind-the-wedding-of-grand-duke-henri-and-grand-duchess-maria-teresa-155772/)

On February 7, 1901 in The Hague Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.   
1901 Wilhelmina Netherlands wedding dress | Grand Ladies | gogm | Royal wedding dress, Royal wedding gowns, Royal brides (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/13440498863171636)

Princess Irene of The Netherlands chose Rome, Italy for her wedding to Prince Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma to take place.   

The royal bride who defied expectations to follow her heart ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/netherlands/the-royal-bride-who-defied-expectations-to-follow-her-heart-170297/)


Today is the 85th wedding anniversary of the late Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard who married on Jan. 7, 1937. A few details here that I'd not known about their wedding. However now that I know more about the late queen who more or less created the "bicycling/social worker monarch" image famous in the Netherlands, they don't surprise me.
1. The date was chosen as it was the anniversary of her grandparents King Willem and Queen Emma.
2. Juliana did not vow to "obey" her husband.
3. The bridesmaids wore pastel rainbow colors as the bride thought they'd reflect happiness.

February 2, 2022 marks the 20th wedding anniversary  for King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima.

Video of the couple's civil wedding which happened before their religious ceremony. Only civil weddings are considered legal in the Benelux nations so Belgium's and Luxembourg's royals also have their civil ceremonies prior to the church ones.

Civil Wedding Ceremony of the Prince of Orange and M?xima Zorreguieta - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQDr7GBRt1E)

Note-In the twenty years since this video has filmed a number of guests and members of the wedding party have passed away. While some deaths were expected ie: Princess Juliana, Princess Christina, Prince Bernhard, Prince Claus, both W-A and Maxima have each had a sibling pass away as well.  :(

Here's a little information on her Valentino designed wedding gown and veil.

A Valentino royal bride: Queen Maxima?s classic wedding dress ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/netherlands/a-valentino-royal-bride-queen-maximas-classic-wedding-dress-171041/)

QuoteThe simple design consisted of a cowl neckline, three-quarter length sleeves, capped off by a five-metre-long train. The skirt of M?xima?s dress had been inset with panels of embroidered lace and flared out from the sides from an empire-line bodice.

Valentino went on to design the wedding dresses of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Tatiana Santo Domingo, who married Andrea Casiraghi, eldest son of Princess Caroline of Monaco.

M?xima paired her Valentino dress with the Dutch Pearl Button Tiara, a tiara with a long history in the Dutch Royal Family ? the base of the tiara reportedly dates back to Queen Sophie, wife of King Willem III, in the 1800s.

Five pearl buttons are routinely worn atop the diamond base, with Queen Juliana, Queen Beatrix and Princess Margriet all making regular use of the tiara ? Queen Beatrix even wore this tiara on her investiture day in 1980.

When M?xima wore the tiara on her wedding day, she?d swapped out the five pearl buttons for five diamond stars traditionally used as brooches or hair ornaments. The diamond stars belonged to Queen Emma previously.

M?xima?s veil was made of point d?esprit silk tulle and hand-embroidered with flower and tendril motifs. Her bouquet consisted of white roses, gardenia, lily of the valley, and greens.

A recap of the wedding of the GD and GDss of Luxembourg who celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day.

Here's some information about the bride's winter wedding gown by Balmain complete with fur trim on the collar, cuffs and hem. The bride wore the family's Belgian Congo tiara that was also worn on their respective wedding days by the late GDss Josephine Charlotte as well as Princesses Marie Astrid and Margaretha .

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Flashback Friday: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa's Wedding Dress (http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2011/02/flashback-friday-grand-duchess-maria.html)

Royal Wedding Rewind: the wedding of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/luxembourg/royal-wedding-rewind-the-wedding-of-grand-duke-henri-and-grand-duchess-maria-teresa-155772/)

QuoteOn the evening of 13 February, a gala dinner was held at the Government Palace for 110 guests; everyone sat at a U-shaped table to toast to the happy couple for the simple dinner.

Hereditary Grand Duke Henri married Maria Teresa in a civil ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace on 14 February before heading to the church for a religious ceremony. They said their vows at Notre Dame Cathedral with their families, foreign royals and government officials in the cathedral while thousands of others watched on television or in the streets. The couple did not choose Valentine?s Day on purpose as they did not realise they had chosen their wedding to be on the romantic holiday; Valentine?s Day was not widely celebrated in Luxembourg at the time.

Maria Teresa wore a custom Balmain gown. The white silk long-sleeved gown featured a bell skirt and fur trimming the wrist, neck and skirt. The embellished dress had a two-metre train that matched the length of her Brussels lace veil. Her new mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Jos?phine-Charlotte, loaned Maria Teresa her Belgian Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara to wear. Henri wore his black military uniform with the Order of the Gold Lion orange sash.

Maria Teresa was escorted down the aisle by her father, Jos?, and her sister, Catalina, served as a bridesmaid. The Archbishop of Luxembourg, Jean Hengen, officiated the Roman Catholic ceremony.

After the ceremony, the newly married couple walked out into the cold under swords held by the Luxembourgish Army. They then travelled to the Grand Ducal Palace, where they appeared on the balcony with their parents. Maria Teresa blew kisses to the crowd, and the couple shared a kissed on the terrace before the people. A reception for around 700 people followed in the palace.

And while I'm over a week in posting this news, 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the marriage between Luxembourg's  Princess Marie Astrid (sister of the current GD)  and Archduke Carl-Christian of Hapbsburg- Lorraine. The groom's grandmother Empress Zita who was the last Empress of  the Austro-Hungarian Empire was present along with many of Europe's Heads of State. The bride is related to many members of various royal houses.  The couple married on February 6, 1982 in Luxembourg.

Later in March, the bride's younger sister Princess Margaretha  and her husband Prince Nikolaus of Lichtenstein (brother of the reigning prince) will celebrate their ruby wedding as well.

Luxarazzi 101: Wedding of Princess Marie-Astrid and Archduke Carl-Christian (http://www.luxarazzi.com/2013/02/luxarazzi-101-wedding-of-princess-marie.html)


The sisters wore very similar white gowns from Balmain who was likely thrilled with the order of three wedding gowns over a period of 15 months.

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Wedding Wednesday: Luxembourg?s Almost Double Wedding (http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2012/08/wedding-wednesday-luxembourgs-almost.html)

For the wedding of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Maxima, the bride and groom entered the church together to Entrata Festiva, which was composed by the Dutch composer Juriaan Andriessen for the wedding of Willem-Alexander's parents in 1966.

A Faberge Nephrite Presentation Tray was one of Queen Wilhelmina's 1901 wedding gifts.   
http://www.fabergeresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/traypdf.pdf

The wedding dress of Countess Stephanie of Lannoy featured an enormous amount of intricate lace fabric.     
Royal wedding Prince Guillaume Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg 20-10-2012 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDgjuc-A3wU)

The  religious wedding of Princess Maria-Laura and Mr. William Isey today. Video of the bride and her father entering into the cathedral. Legally the couple were married in a civil ceremony earlier.

https://twitter.com/pierredevuyst/status/1568581510428598273?t=TbyyvXM4h_CFRD56pZhoxw&s=19

The bride is wearing the Savoy Aosta tiara from her father's family.

The Savoy-Aosta Tiara (https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2016/06/the-savoy-aosta-tiara.html)

King Philippe of Belgium's niece Princess Maria Laura tied the knot with her fianc? | Daily Mail Online (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11199491/King-Philippe-Belgiums-niece-Princess-Maria-Laura-tied-knot-fianc.html)

Today marks the anniversary of the late Queen (Princess) Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard.

The royal bride who led the way in marrying for love rather than duty ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/the-royal-bride-who-led-the-way-in-marrying-for-love-rather-than-duty-185357/)

QuoteOn a cold, January day in 1937, a happy young couple stepped out into the chilly air to make royal history. Princess Juliana of the Netherlands married Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld before a royal guest list and surrounded by thousands of her fellow Dutch citizens who had come to share her special day. But this was more than just a royal wedding. Juliana was then heir to the throne of the Netherlands, waiting in line behind her popular mother, Queen Wilhelmina. A female heir to a queen regnant was virtually unheard of at the time and Juliana?s wedding proved to be ground breaking in more ways than one.

The princess whose royal wedding had to wait until the heir to the throne had married ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/the-princess-whose-royal-wedding-had-to-wait-until-the-heir-to-the-throne-had-married-185463/)

QuoteIt?s not the most talked about royal wedding of all time but the marriage that took place on a cold, January day in 1967 has proved to be an important one for the Dutch Royal Family. Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, aunt of the current monarch King Willem-Alexander, wed Pieter van Vollenhoven in a regal setting and the couple have gone on to be among the most solid supporters of their royal dynasty.

The bride was the third of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands? daughters to get married in as many years but unlike her sisters, Margriet managed to say ?I do? without attracting any of the controversy that had surrounded the other two royal weddings.

A look back at Maxima Zorriguetta's wedding dress today as the couple celebrate their 21st anniversary.   :hearts:

Take a look at the opulent wedding dress for a fairy tale princess ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/netherlands/take-a-look-at-the-opulent-wedding-dress-for-a-fairy-tale-princess-186186/)

First photo from the Civil Wedding in Luxembourg of Princess Alexandra and Nicolas Bagory.

https://strytl.blob.core.windows.net/storytile-net-content-pool-5509/aef6c782-0245-403a-8370-dcc41719ca12.jpg

Arrival and balcony videos from today.

https://twitter.com/WDehandschutter/status/1649765166018379776?t=cQ46jJmTWcsamWMgRdKhyA&s=19

https://twitter.com/ChristinsQueens

RTL - ?ischt Fotoen online: D'Prinzessin Alexandra an den Nicolas Bagory hu sech d'Jo-Wuert ginn (https://www.rtl.lu/news/national/a/2054299.html)

In the one video I liked how Princess Alexandra walked over to the individual who held a bouquet of flowers. I liked how Alexandra gave the bouquet to Nicolas.   

For her religious wedding this description declared it seems Princess Alexandra is wearing the Chaumet Tiara without pearls.   
http://www.twitter.com/courtjeweller/status/1652315336417443840

Yes and she was one of the most beautiful brides out there.  Loved her gown!

On May 29, 1998 the civil wedding ceremony of Prince Maurits and Marilene van den Broek was held at Het Loo Palace.