Three royal brides for October

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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 MonacoCivil 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 CornwallCivil 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 NetherlandsCivil 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 LuxembourgCivil 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.

5 September Royal Brides

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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

Two royal brides for August

Two royal brides for August

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August might be a popular time for brides across Europe but for royal brides, it's not that hot a date. What with all those regal relatives heading off to their summer palaces for a bit of a break, getting all the royal guests in one place for an August wedding can be hard work. But in one country, they don't let that get in their way of holding a royal wedding. Norway loves an August marriage and in the last fifty years, it's given us two of the continent's biggest royal weddings in that month. Here's a look back at two royal August brides....

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Sonja Haraldsen married Harald of Norway on August 29th 1968 in Oslo

This was a controversial royal wedding at the time but it's produced one of the most successful regal partnerships of the last century. When Harald, then Crown Prince of Norway, fell in love with a merchant's daughter called Sonja Haraldsen there were more than a few raised eyebrows. Harald, the only person in Norway with succession rights to his country's throne, was supposed to marry royalty and his declaration that he'd remain single rather than wed anyone other than Sonja put his monarchy in a tricky situation. No marriage meant no heirs which meant a constitutional crisis. Harald got his way and as a sign of the royal approval his match had won, his father King Olav walked the bride to the altar of Oslo Domkirke on Augus 29th 1968 - her own father had passed away nine years earlier. Harald and Sonja have been notoriously happy and hugely successful - just after their silver jubilee in January 2016, they had approval ratings of 90%. The couple went on to have two children and now have a whole bevy of grandchildren to keep them busy. Their joint 80th birthday celebrations earlier this year attracted a huge show of popular support. This is one love match that has lasted and then some.

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Mette-Marit Tjessem Hjoiby married Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway

on August 25th 2001 in Oslo

Another August wedding in Oslo, another controversial love match. Harald and Sonja's son, Haakon Magnus, followed in his parents' footsteps by causing all kinds of debate with his choice of partner. The Crown Prince fell in love with Mette-Marit Tjessem Hjoiby who already had a son from a previous relationship and who had been involved in a party set that raised eyebrows. Haakon held firm and his parents backed him with the resulting royal wedding, the first major match of the 21st century, turning into a regal celebration like no other. There was a glittering guest list, a very loved up bride and groom and one of the best royal wedding dresses ever. No one was surprised when Haakon and Mette-Marit turned into a super romantic married pair. Sixteen years and two more children on, they're still starry eyed about one another. Norway's August royal brides are winners all the way.