WEDDING FLOWERS: Luxembourg Royalty
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Showing posts with label Luxembourg Royalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luxembourg Royalty. Show all posts

Royal Wedding Outfits: Stephanie of Luxembourg

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What's better than a royal wedding dress? Why, two royal wedding dresses of course. While more than one recent royal bride has gone through both a religious and civil ceremony to marry, not all of them get to do the double dress whammy. But Stephanie de Lannoy wasn't going to say 'I do' in just one frock. The future Grand Duchess of Luxembourg gave us two regal wedding looks for her two ceremonies five years ago this week. On the anniversary of her civil marriage to Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, here's a look back at what Stephanie wore to say 'I do' first time round.


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The civil marriage of Stephanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy and Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie de Luxembourg took place at the Hotel de Ville in Luxembourg City on October 19th 2012. The then mayor of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, was in charge of proceedings - he, of course, is now the country's Prime Minister.




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The royal wedding of Stephanie and Guillaume was a huge affair and attracted a lot of global coverage, not least because the groom was the last heir to the throne of his generation to get married. But while the guest list for the religious marriage on October 20th included royalty from just about every corner of Europe and beyond, the civil wedding was for family only and rather low key. Apart from the huge crowds, endless flags and mammoth walkabout that came with it.




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For this first foray into the royal wedding spotlight, Stephanie chose a Chanel suit in dark cream with some rather slinky silver highlights. It is pure Chanel from its tweed texture to skirt and jacket shaping and it's really rather elegant.



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But as this is a wedding, and a royal one at that, there had to be a bit of bling. We all know that Luxembourg's royals can outglitter the best and rest of them without even blinking and Belgian born Stephanie showed she was more than with her husband's family on that, adding a silver bag and shoes  (Chanel, natch, as you can see from the soles) to her first wedding outfit and all without looking like a Christmas tree. They, in turn, welcomed her into the sparkly fold by all choosing outfits in muted metallic shades - yep, even Grand Duchess Maria Teresa kept it low key in burnished gold for her first born's big day. Elegance everywhere.




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It all works rather well together and while all brides are beautiful, Stephanie really did shimmer and shine on the first of her big days. The girl's a trooper, too. You can see her main wedding dress here tomorrow but before then pop back for a reminder of the rather lovely gala gown she wore on the night of October 19th for the glittering dinner sandwiched between her two weddings. Anyone who can entertain royalty just after one marriage and just before another is a duchess on a grand scale. Oh, and she rewore the Chanel at the end of wedding two for a fireworks performance. Stephanie of Luxembourg had being a royal bride down to a tee.

Three royal brides for October

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Stephanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, was an October bride
(photo Grand Cour Ducale)

You don't get that many royal weddings in October. It's getting chilly for a start and this part of the year in modern times is often pencilled in for overseas tours and State Visits while the regal agenda firmly beds in after the summer break. But every now and again we get an early autumn royal bride - here's a trio that said 'I do' in October.






Countess Stephanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy, October 19th and 20th 2012
The marriage of Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Stephanie de Lannoy in October 2012 was billed as the last wedding of an heir to the throne for the best part of a generation. The bride, who speciliased in languages, became engaged to her prince in April 2012 and they married in a civil ceremony at the Town Hall in Luxembourg on October 19th before a religious marriage at Notre Dame Cathedral the following day attended by royalty from around the world. Five years on, they are turning into the stars of a new royal generation.



Infanta Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santisima Trinidad of Spain, October 4th 1997
Once upon a time, Spain's monarchy was among the most popular in the world and one of its favourite members was the Infanta Cristina. When the second daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain married Olympic bronze medal handball player, Inaki Urdangarin, in Barcelona on October 4th 1997 the bride was just about as popular as a bride gets and the couple were feted as a golden pairing among their generation. They were created Duke and Duchess of Palma de Mallorca  by the bride's father and had four children together. But a lot has changed in the past twenty years. The couple were accused of financial irregularities and ended up on trial. Earlier this year, Cristina was acquitted of fraud but her husband was found guilty of embezzlement and is appealing. But the wedding present of a proud papa is gone - Cristina lost the right to use the title of Duchess of Palma in 2015 before her acquittal. She remains sixth in line to the Spanish throne.



Serena Alleyne Stanhope, October 8th 1993
The Queen's nephew, the new Earl Snowdon, was always a glamourous member of the extended Royal Family and when he married in 1993 it was a glittering affair. His bride, Serena Stanhope, was a distant cousin of Diana, Princess of Wales and wore a dress inspired by the famous creation chosen by her new mother-in-law, Princess Margaret, over two decades earlier. The marriage, at St Margaret's Church, Westminister on October 8th 1993, made front pages around the world and the bride's outfit remains among the most famous of modern royal times.

5 royal outfits for a civil marriage

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Royal civil weddings, eh? Why on earth would anyone be thinking about those right now? Odd. But as we are, let's talk outfits. Several European royals have had a civil and religious wedding on the same day in which case there's no change for the bride. They can keep their big frocks to themselves right now. We're looking at outfits made purely for a civil marriage. Other brides have said 'I do' in front of a registrar in a different outfit from the one worn to the church for their religious wedding or blessing afterwards. Among them is Claire Lademacher whose civil wedding to Prince Felix of Luxembourg took place on September 17th 2013. In honour of that, and the possibility we might just be doing civil weddings in the UK again sometime soon, here's a look at five recent times we've seen royal brides dressed for a civil marriage.


Princess Claire of Luxembourg
Civil Ceremony September 17th 2013


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And the bride wore white. No surprises there then. Claire Margareta Lademacher's civil marriage to Prince Felix, second in line to the throne of Luxembourg, took place in Konigtein near Frankfurt on September 17th 2013. Claire, whose civil wedding took place near her home town as is traditional, chose a simple but striking ivory dress with cap sleeves and a peplum waist. Keeping it bridal, she carried a bouquet of cream roses with white flowers and added something blue with aquamarine jewels. The couple's religious wedding took place on September 21st 2013.



Princess Charlene of Monaco
Civil Ceremony July 1st 2011


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Charlene Lynette Wittstock went for all blue when she wed Prince Albert II of Monaco in a civil ceremony in the principality on July 1st 2011. The bride chose a shimmering shade that was dubbed 'Charlene blue' after the wedding. Charlene also helped design the outfit alongside Karl Lagerfeld. It was a surprising look, pairing chiffon trousers with a neat jacket. But it made more sense in the evening when the bride lost the jacket and revealed the trousers were part of a rather cutting edge strapless outfit. This is perhaps the most unusual royal wedding outfit we'll see in a long while. The couple's religious wedding took place on July 2nd 2011.




The Duchess of Cornwall
Civil Ceremony April 9th 2005




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Camilla Rosemary Parker Bowles kept things much more traditional when she said 'I do' to the Prince of Wales in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9th 2005. Camilla chose a chiffon cream dress with applique details at the hem and a cream coat, both by Robinson Valentine. There was a cream hat with feathers, by Philip Treacy, but no flowers for this civil marriage - Camilla kept the bouquet for the blessing at St George's Chapel, Windsor, later that day.




Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
Civil Ceremony May 17th 2001




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Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst was pretty in pink for her civil wedding to Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands on May 17th 2001 in The Hague. Constantijn was the first of the three sons of Beatrix of the Netherlands to wed and his bride got things off to a bright start with a rosy wrap coat and pale mauve wide brimmed hat that made sure no one lost this new princess in the crowd. Laurentien was the only one of the three brides of that royal generation to have a separate outfit for her first ceremony - she was traditional in white for her religious wedding in The Hague on May 19th 2001.




Stephanie of Luxembourg
Civil Ceremony, October 19th 2012



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Let's head back to where we started because the recent royal brides of Luxembourg have been kind in providing civil wedding outfits. Stephanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy chose a cream Chanel suit for her civil marriage at the Town Hall in Luxembourg City on October 19th 2012. The new Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg kept the accessories simple for this part of her wedding celebrations letting the famous jacket and skirt style speak for itself. The couple's religious wedding took place on October 20th 2012.
Photo credit: Grand Cour Ducale, Eric Chanel.

Sapphires for September: Luxembourg

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Spot the sapphire - the sparkling Nassau tiara as worn by Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg in an official portrait
(photo Grand Cour Ducale)

Sapphires have sparkled in regal jewel collections for centuries and their deep blue colour is as much associated with royalty as any other. The birthstone for September can be found in stunning settings in the jewel boxes of many of the current ruling houses of Europe. Here's Luxembourg's dazzling diadem in sapphires for September.






The sapphire and diamond tiara used by the royal ladies of Luxembourg traces its history back to the middle of the 19th century. The Nassau tiara was first owned by Adelheid-Marie, the second wife of Adolphe of Nassau who became Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890 at the age of 73. By then his Grand Duchess had owned her sapphire tiara for well over two decades.





She would pass it on to her granddaughter, Marie-Adelaide, who became the first woman to take the throne of Luxembourg in its modern form on her accession in 1919. Her reign wasn't a huge success and her perceived support for Germany in World War One led to her abdication in 1919 in favour of her sister, Charlotte, the grandmother of the present Grand Duke, Henri. Grand Duchess Charlotte wore the tiara and it flowed silently and without fuss into the family collection where it's become a favourite in more modern times.




It features one solitary sapphire in the centre of a diamond filled frame. The sparklers are set in a leaf design with a row of diamonds at the top and they climb to a subtle arch above the round sapphire. And because this is a royal tiara there's an extra row of diamonds that can be added at the bottom, for when a bit more regal sparkle is required.

  


Grand Duchess Maria Teresa is fond of this tiara but she's also lent it out to several younger members of Luxembourg's Royal Family with Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie wearing it for an official portrait as well as for part of the accession celebrations for King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in 2013.  It's a pretty and rather delicate tiara which gets added regal punch from the stunning blue stone at its centre. A delight of a diadem and all because of its sapphire for September.

5 September Royal Brides

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Princess Claire of Luxembourg was a September royal bride
(photo Grand Court Ducale/ Guy Wolff)

September isn't the most popular month for royal weddings. Summer holidays are still coming to an end and everyone's getting back into the swing of the royal agenda. That's not to say the month is a marriage free zone and to prove it here are five September royal brides.






Claire Margareta Lademacher, September 17th and 21st 2013


Claire Lademacher was a royal bride twice over in September 2013 when she married the second in line to the throne of Luxembourg, Prince Felix. The couple wed in a civil ceremony in Germany on September 17th and again in a religious ceremony in Saint-Maximilien-La-Sainte-Baume in France four days later. Princess Claire has worked in bioethics and carries out occasional royal engagements. Felix and Claire have a two year old daughter, Amalia, with this royal bride expecting her second baby in October 2016.



Sophie Lara Winkleman, September 12th 2009


Sophie Winkleman was known as a TV actress before her royal romance with Lord Frederick Windsor became public. The Cambridge graduate announced her engagement to Frederick, son of the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent, on Valentine's Day 2009 and the couple married on September 12th that year at Hampton Court Palace. Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor have two daughters, Maud who is now three, and Isabella, who was born in January this year.



Tessy Antony, September 29th 2006


Tessy Antony was a controversial royal bride when she said 'I do' to the third son of the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg on September 29th 2006. She was just twenty, the groom had just turned twenty one and they had had a son together six months earlier. Tessy had met her husband, Prince Louis of Luxembourg, while serving in the country's army and their royal romance made headlines around the world. Their marriage in Gilsdorf in Luxembourg got plenty of global attention. However, there was no fairytale ending. The couple, who welcomed a second son in 2007, divorced in 2017. 


  


Princess Astrid Josephine-Charlotte Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Marie of Belgium, September 22nd 1984


Princess Astrid of Belgium, second child and only daughter of the then Prince and Princess of Liege, married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este on September 22nd 1984 in Brussels. Her marriage gave her the title of Imperial and Royal Highness and seven years later she became the daughter of a monarch when her father became King Albert II of the Belgians. A change in the succession law gave her rights to the throne of Belgium for the first time soon after her father's reign began. Astrid and Lorenz went on to have five children and in May 2016, this royal bride became a grandmother for the first time with the arrival of Anna Astrid, the daughter of her elder son, Amadeo.

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Princess Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark, September 18th 1964

Anne-Marie of Denmark became Queen of Greece on her wedding day, September 18th 1964, but while her road to her royal wedding was bumpy, life afterwards would prove even more turbulent. Her groom was King Constantine II of Greece who had inherited a tricky throne from his father, King Paul, in early 1964. By then he had made it clear he wanted to marry Anne-Marie, youngest daughter of King Frederick IX of Denmark, who he had met when she was thirteen and he was accompanying his parents on a state visit to her home country. They announced their engagement in July 1964 and on September 18th that year, at the age of eighteen, Anne-Marie married Constantine in Athens. They would go on to have five children together but much of their married life was lived in exile after the Greek monarchy fell. The couple now have a home again in Greece and have welcomed nine grandchildren to their family.

12 royal birthdays for August

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Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway celebrates her birthday in August

August is traditionally quiet on the royal front. The summer holidays beckon and as the rest of us head off for a bit of a break, the royals do exactly the same leaving a great big gaping hole where the photos, smiles and appearances usually go. But that's not to say a royal fix will be hard in August because it's also a bumper month for birthdays. Get the cards ready, here are 12 royals who will be celebrating in August.



Prince Louis of Luxmbourg is 31 on August 3rd 2017

Louis Zavier Marie Guillaume was born on August 3rd 1986 in Luxembourg. He is the third son of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who were still heirs at the time of Louis' birth. He went to school in Luxembourg and Switzerland. The past year has been a sad one for Louis - his union with Tessy Antony ended with the couple announcing they were parting after 11 years of marriage. The couple has two sons together, Noah and Gabriel.



Charlotte Casiraghi is 31 on August 3rd 2017

Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi was born on August 3rd 1986 in Monaco, the second child and first daughter of Princess Caroline and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi. Her father died when she was four and Charlotte went to live in France with her mother and two brothers. Charlotte attends major events in Monaco with her family. She has a son, Raphael, from her relationship with French actor, Gad Elmaleh.



Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson is 74 on August 3rd 2017

Christina Louise Helena was born on August 3rd 1943 at the Haga Palace, near Stockholm, the fourth daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and his wife, Princess Sybilla. Soon after the birth of her only brother, the future King Carl XVI Gustaf, her father died. Christina married Tord Gosta Magnuson in 1974 and gave up her HRH title as a result.The couple has three sons. The past year has seen Princess Christina being treated for chronic leukaemia.




Princess Beatrice of York is 29 on August 8th 2017

Beatrice Elizabeth Mary was born on August 8th 1988 at the Portland Hospital in London, the first child of Andrew, Duke of York and his then wife, Sarah. She went to school in Berkshire and university in London. In the past year there has been debate about whether she and her sister, Eugenie, should become full time royals but for now Beatrice's appearances are limited to major events like Trooping the Colour as well as a handful of engagements for charities she is involved in.


Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau is 49 on August 11th 2017

Mabel Martine Wisse Smit was born on August 11th 1968 in Pijnacker in the Netherlands to Hendrik Los and his wife, Florence. Her father died when she was young and she took her stepfather's surname when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit in 1984. She married Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands in 2004 after her future husband had given up his rights to the throne following controversy about their relationship - the Dutch Prime Minister said that the couple had given incomplete information about Mabel's relationship with a drugs dealer, Klaas Bruinsma. Mabel and Johan Friso had two daughters. The prince died in 2013, eighteen months after a ski-ing accident which had left him in a coma. Princess Mabel has worked in the fields of humanitarianism for many years.



Princess Anne, The Princess Royal is 67 on August 15th 2017

Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born on August 15th 1950 at Clarence House, London, the second child and first daughter of the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Her mother became Queen in 1952 and Anne was second in line to the throne for eight years before the birth of her brother, Andrew. She won the European Eventing Championship in 1971 and competed in the 1976 Olympics. She married Captain Mark Phillips in November 1973 and they had two children, Peter and Zara. Following their divorce, Anne married Timothy Laurence. The Princess Royal carries out hundreds of public engagements every year and is also known for her work with Save the Children. She now has three granddaughters.



Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway is 44 on August 19th 2017

Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby was born on August 19th 1973 in Kristiansand, Norway to Sven Hoiby and his wife, Marit. Her parents divorced when she was young and she grew up in Kristiansand. She had a son, Marius, in 1997 and she was a controversial royal fiancee when her engagement to Crown Prince Haakon Magnus was announced in 2000.  They married in August 2001 and have two children together, Ingrid Alexandra and Sverre Magnus. The Crown Princess is now a popular member of her country's Royal Family and has a high profile with public engagements and her work to improve literacy and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS.







Prince Gabriel of Belgium is 14 on August 20th 2017

Gabriel Baudouin Charles Marie was born on August 20th 2003 in Anderlecht, Belgium, the second child and first son of the then heir to the throne, Philippe, and his wife, Mathilde. Gabriel's father became King of the Belgians in July 2013 and he is now second in line to the throne. He attends school in Belgium and is taking on an increasing number of public appearances with his family.


Princess Maria Laura of Belgium is 29 on August 26th 2017

Maria Laura Zita Beatrix Gerhard of Belgium, Archducess of Austria-Este was born on August 26th 1988 in Woluwe-St-Lambert in Belgium. She is the second child and first daughter of Princess Astrid of Belgium and her husband. Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este. She wasn't a Princess of Belgium at birth, acquiring that title and succession rights in 1991 with a change in the law. Her grandfather, Albert, became King of the Belgians in 1993 and abdicated in favour of her uncle, Philippe, in 2013. Maria Laura makes very few public appearances and is currently studying.



Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is 73 on August 26th 2017

Richard Alexander Walter George was born on August 26th 1944 in Northamptonshire, the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and his wife, Alice. He is the youngest of the grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary.He studied architecture at Cambridge and was set for a career in that field when his older brother, William, was killed in an air crash in 1972 making Richard heir to their father. He became Duke of Gloucester on Henry's death in 1974 and has carried out a wide range of public engagements on behalf of the Queen ever since. He married Birgitte van Deurs in 1972 and the couple has three children and six grandchildren.


 


Prince Nikolai of Denmark is 18 on August 28th 2017

Royal grandchild coming of age alert. Yes, you're really int the royal grandparents club when you have a second generation descendant hitting eighteen and that's what will happen to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark this August. Nikolai William Alexander Frederik was born on August 28th 1999 at the University Hospital of Copenhagen. He is the first child of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra. His parents divorced when he was five and they had joint custody of Nikolai and his younger brother, Felix. He is now a student and appears with his family on major royal occasions.

  
  

Anne-Marie of Greece is 71 on August 30th 2017

Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on August 30th 1946 in Copenhagen, the third daughter of the then Crown Prince, Frederik, and his wife, Ingrid. Her father became King of Denmark in 1947 and she grew up in Copenhagen with her sisters, Margrethe and Benedikte. She married King Constantine of Greece in 1964 just months after his accession to the throne. The couple went into exile in 1967 and raised their five children in London. They now have nine grandchildren.

Photo credit: Grand Cour Ducale

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