Grand Duke George Romanov, the only son of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, and a third great-grandson of Emperor The wedding took place at St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the former capital of the Russian empire, Reuters reports. His mother decreed that Bettarini would have the title of Princess, with the predicate "Her Serene Highness" and the right to use the surname Romanova from her marriage, which therefore implies that theirs is a morganatic union. Russia celebrates first royal wedding in more than a century Copyright 2020 - 2023 by FamedBorn.com. Support for a return to the monarchy in Russia is mixed. Mr. Zolotov, the journalist, said some Russians were not impressed with what 30 years of democracy had delivered and wouldnt mind giving a different model a try, though not necessarily with the Romanovs again. See Photos From the First Russian Royal Wedding in 100 Years. The 1976 wedding in Madrid was attended by four kings (Juan Carlos of Spain, Umberto of Italy, Simeon of Bulgaria and Leka of Albania) and six queens (Sofia of Spain, Ioanna of Bulgaria, Margarita of Bulgaria, Geraldine of Albania, Susan of Albania, and Farida of Egypt). She attributes to him the title of Tsesarevich and he bears, as a title of pretence, the prefix of "Grand Duke" with the style of Imperial Highness; as a cadet member of the branch of the House of Hohenzollern which formerly ruled the German Empire and Kingdom of Prussia, he is also traditionally entitled "Prince of Prussia" with the style of Royal Highness. The idea is very attractive to some because of the pervasive perception that democracy doesnt work anyway, he said, noting that the transition from communism to capitalism during the 1990s remains a source of national trauma, and that Russia after two decades of Mr. Putins rule is hardly democratic. At the time of the marriage of the Grand Duke Georges parents in 1976, it was agreed by the Head of the Imperial House of Russia and the Head of the Royal House of Prussia that children of the marriage would be first and foremost Russian dynasts. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, Genealogy and Succession Within the Imperial House, Non-dynastic Descendants of the Romanoff Family, The 1976 Wedding of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, The Christening of HSH Prince Alexander Georgievich Romanoff, The Website of the Russian Imperial House, The Chancellery of The Russian Imperial House, The Chancellery of the Russian Imperial Orders, The Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (R.O.C.O.R. A descendant of Russias imperial Romanov dynasty married his Italian bride Friday in the countrys first royal wedding in more than a century. Both Bagration and Romanoff are now equally dispossessed:which needs the official recognition of which?. ), "Law and Familial Order in the Romanov Dynasty" by Russell E. Martin, "The Romanoffs and the Bagrations" by Daniel Sargis, "World War II and the House of Romanoff" by Tolsktikovich & Zakatov, The Abdication of Nicholas II: 100 Years Later, 1924: "Who Shall Be The Emperor of Russia? celebrates its first royal wedding She changed for the museum reception, sporting an embroidered white ballgown with a puff-sleeved jacket. A descendent of Russia's Romanov monarchy, which was toppled in the 1917 revolution, has married in a lavish ceremony in St Petersburg. Most of the morganatic children of these marriages are also no longer alive. The 26 morganatic marriages mentioned above occurred decades before the Grand Duchess Maria became head of the dynasty. Elizabeths sister the Grand Duchess Anna had married the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and had a son, Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. With the permission of the Grand Duke Vladimir, the five dynasts directly after him in the line of succession (Grand Duke Andrew, Grand Duke Boris, Grand Duke Dmitri, Prince of the Imperial Blood Vsevelod, and Prince of the Imperial Blood [later Grand Duke] Gavriel) issued the so-called 1938 Declaration, announcing the Grand Duke Vladimirs succession as Head of the Imperial House and listing all the other living male dynasts in their order of succession to the throne. He and his now-wife, Victoria, moved to Russia in 2019. Mikhailovich, 40, was born in Madrid and raised in France and Spain. But Blogger Two for whatever reason is apparently highly offended by the Grand Duke Kirills continuation of this well-established practice. How does the Dynasty's 1938 declaration affect Andrew, Olga, and Rostislav Romanoff? He and Ms. Bettarini, now Romanovna, began dating while they lived in Brussels, but the pair moved to Moscow two years ago to run the philanthropic foundation they established together in 2013. The perception is, Whatever system you have you end up with a czar anyway, that the Russian people deep down have a monarchist mentality, he said. After the Revolution, was Russian Legitimism Synonymous with Reactionary Politics? For example, Grand Duke Dmitri, Prince of the Imperial Blood Vsevelod, and Prince of the Imperial Blood Gavriel requested and received permission to marry morganatically, and their spouses were given the morganatic titles of Princess Romanovsky-Ilyinsky, Princess Romanovsky-Pavlovsky and Princess Romanovsky-Strelninsky, respectively. By 1924, Kirill was sure that they had all been executed and that he could wait no longer. WebGrand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russias income source is mostly from being a successful . Is Grand Duke George a Romanoff or a Hohenzollern? Two recent posts by a pair of amateur bloggers were recently brought to our attention, and we wish to address them. The Wedding of Tsesarevich Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff (wearing the Chaumet Lacis Tiara) at the Russian Museum of Ethnography in Saint Petersburg on the evening of October 1st, following their Wedding at the Saint Isaacs Cathedral in Saint Petersburg.There was a Reception at the Members of the dynasty who requested permission from the Grand Duke Kirill or the Grand Duke Vladimir to marry non-dynastic spouses immediately received permission and also were given, if they sought them, morganatic noble (that is, non-royal) princely titles for their wives and children. The first Russian royal wedding in 100 years is taking place in St Wedding ceremony of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and his fiancee, Italian citizen Rebecca (Victoria) Bettarini, at St Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg, Russia on September 30, 2021. Born in Finland by happenstance, Vladimir and his family had escaped the fate suffered by Czar Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, and their children and relatives: execution in 1918 at the hands of the Bolsheviks who had taken over Russia. What is the difference between the Russian Imperial House and the Romanoff Family? Every Russian emperor from Alexander I through Nicholas II had enforced the equal marriage law. The 1938 Declaration reiterated what the dynastic laws already made clear:that the children born of post-1917 marriages that did not conform to the dynastic laws were not members of the dynasty. - . The Russian dynastic laws specified male-preference primogeniture. They were members of a junior branch of the dynasty (descended from the third son of Emperor Nicholas I):Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaievich, his brother Grand Duke Peter, and the latters son Prince of the Imperial Blood Roman. Bettarini, 39, who converted to the Russian Orthodox faith last year and After 100 Years, a Royal Wedding in Russia Evokes Days of the But unfortunately for him, it is the head of the dynasty who gets to decide these questions, and the head of the dynasty was the Grand Duke Vladimir, not Blogger One. Grand Duke Michael Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov, a descendant of Russia's last royal family, married his wife Rebecca Bettarini in an ornate ceremony in St. Petersburg. Russia celebrates first royal wedding in more than a century Second, the comparison is highly flawed. During the monarchy, the dynastic laws specified that, when a new member of the dynasty was born, the Emperor would immediately enter his or her name into the Book of the Imperial Family, an act that confirmed the newborns membership of the Imperial House and right of succession to the throne. Does the Russian Imperial House seek the return of properties seized by the Bolsheviks? By omitting their names, the 1938 Declaration announced that such people as Paul Ilyinsky (son of Grand Duke Dmitri, who signed the 1938 Declaration), Vladimir Andreivich Romanoff (son of Grand Duke Andrew, who signed the 1938 Declaration), Andrew Romanoff (son of Prince of the Imperial Blood Andrew Alexandrovich), and Nicholas Romanovich and Dmitri Romanovich Romanoff (sons of Prince of the Imperial Blood Roman) were not members of the Imperial House. Vladimir outlived Roman and all the other living male dynasts. Should the Grand Duchess at some future point change this law? WebGrand Duke Michaels income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. We have estimated Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russias WebIn June and July 1918, the Bolsheviks brutally murdered Emperor Nicholas II, his son Tsesarevich Alexei, and the Emperors brother, the Grand Duke Michael. The bride wore a white satin gown by fashion designer Reem Acra, and the Lacis Tiara by Chaumet. We've received your submission. Among the list of royal attendees were Princess La of Belgium, Queen Sofia of Spain, Prince Rudolph and Princess Tilsim of Liechtenstein, and the last czar of Bulgaria, Simeon II. WebHis Imperial Highness the Heir, Tsesarevich, and Grand Duke George of Russia was born on March 13, 1981 (New Style) in Madrid, on the eve of the 100th Anniversary of the martyrdom of his great-great-grandfather, Emperor Alexander II the Whatever decision they might make, it should be based on what is appropriate for the dynasty in the 21stcentury. More than a century after the last czar and czarina were assassinated in the wake of the Bolshevik revolution, a collection of Europes noble families gathered to celebrate Russias first royal wedding since the days of the imperial monarchy. Anyone can read what you share. He returned to live in Russia in 2019, and is involved in numerous charities. Empress Elizabeth called her nephew Peter of Holstein to Russia and created him a Grand Duke of Russia. Assembled aristocrats wore fur, feather hats and fascinators as they watched a host of golden-clad priests bless the union. A Romanov relative married in an extravagant St. Petersburg ceremony. In exile, Kirill made no effort to deprive such princes of the imperial blood of their rights to the throne. ST. PETERSBURG, Russia Under the watch of a ceremonial honor guard, the bride walked slowly down the aisle as a flock of young attendants held her 23-foot train aloft. What do the terms "Dynast" and "Non-Dynast" mean? She is the self-proclaimed heir to Russias imperial throne. No member of the Romanov family ever thought we would come back here, he said in an interview on the eve of the nuptials. The veneration of the royal family is the embodiment of this monarchist attitude that exists in the church, said Andrei Zolotov, a Russian journalist who has covered the Orthodox Church for three decades. Olga Maltseva/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Open Post | Wedding of Grand Duke George Grand Duke George The succession laws provided that, upon the death of the last male dynast, the succession would pass to the line of the female dynast most closely related to the last emperor. Nicholas II entered the names of the two daughters of Kirill and Victoria Feodorovna into the Book of the Imperial Family:Princess of the Imperial Blood Maria Kirillovna and Princess of the Imperial Blood Kira Kirillovna. His great-grandfather was Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who fled Russia in 1917, according to Reuters. Blogger One, in his opposition to the successive legitimist heads of the Russian dynasty, is obviously annoyed and frustrated by this. Blogger One insists on referring to the Grand Duke George of Russia as aPrince of Prussia.He refers to the fact that the Grand Dukes father is a Prince of Prussia. The Emperor also specified that marriages of princes of the imperial blood to spouses not of royal rank would be morganatic, and that the non-dynastic children of such marriages would be given new surnames and coats of arms. Descendant of tsars becomes first Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Of Russia, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Family, Facts, Age, Net Worth, Biography and More in FamedBorn.com, English singer-songwriter, rapper and actor, Way to Find Birth on Today - Celebrity birthdays. All three are now saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. After Kirill declared himself Emperor, his three children, as children of an Emperor and Head of the Imperial House, automatically became the Grand Duchess Maria, Grand Duchess Kira, and Grand Duke Vladimir. Despite the grandeur, the three-day wedding extravaganza featured controversial elements. The bride opted for a long-sleeved, simple gown for the ceremony, featuring a long train. Victoria Bettarini is t A descendant of Czar Michael I, the duke inherited a fortune worth some $12 billion at the age of 25, becoming one of the worlds youngest billionaires when his father For the groom, a Romanov and descendant of the imperial throne, and his Italian bride, the wedding represents the pinnacle of their attempts to re-establish a monarchic presence in Russias public life. WebGrand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia Net Worth. Other royals at the event included Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Leia of Belgium, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. While the leadership of the church recognizes the grand duchesss claim to the throne, there are other Romanovs who dispute it. 4 were dynastic marriages to royal spouses:those of Grand Duke Vladimir, his two sisters Maria and Kira, and his daughter Maria. First, based on the documents issued by the Grand Duchess Marias chancellery in Moscow, she clearly has not changed the law. The reigning emperors had traditionally given new surnames to morganatic spouses and children, names like Yurievsky, Paley and Brassov. This is the heritage of Europe. The other dynasts who contracted the 26 non-dynastic marriages apparently did not consider this to be important. Lenin had died early in 1924, and there were much turmoil and uncertainty as to what would happen in Russia. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russias Net Worth: $1-5 Million Age, Height & Body Measurements Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia is currently age Please enter valid email address to continue. The married couple leaves Saint Isaacs Cathedral as Russian honour guards salute them. Among the men in Mr. Romanovs coterie was Konstantin Malofeev, a conservative businessman who has been an ardent advocate for a return to monarchy since falling in love with The Lord of the Rings as a teen. The groom was Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov, 40, a descendant of the Russian imperial throne, and his Italian partner was Rebecca Bettarini, 39. A descendant of Russia's long-defunct Imperial family just .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}married in St. Petersburg, marking the country's first royal wedding in over a century. In Russia in particular, the favourable media coverage has been marked by a fascination with the first wedding in Russia of a member of the Imperial House in more than a century. The Grand Duchess Maria of Grand Duke George Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (18631919) Kirills declaration upset the aged and emotionally shattered Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (mother of Nicholas II). first royal wedding George Romanov's great-grandfather, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich (who was a first cousin of Nicholas II), escaped the revolution and fled to Finland, later relocating to This is a very specious argument for two reasons. Is the issue of who heads the Russian Dynasty a simple one or a complicated one? The rings worn by members of the Russian Imperial Family often had diamonds, sapphires, and rubies, reflecting Russias national colours white, blue, and The Grand Duke George of Russia was given this ring by his mother, the Head of the Imperial House of Russia, H.I.H. This year he was added to the FBIs wanted list.. Vladimir, as Head of the Imperial House, deemed this a dynastic marriage, based on the facts that the Bagrations had reigned over the Kingdom of Georgia until the 19thcentury and that in a solemn 1783 treaty Catherine the Great had committed to have Imperial Russia recognise the royal status of the Bagrations for all time. .css-1fgik18{color:#323232;display:block;font-family:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-font-smoothing:auto;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1fgik18:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1fgik18{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1fgik18{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1fgik18{font-size:1.3125rem;line-height:1.2;}}Charlotte Casiraghi's Best Looks Ever, 37 Royal Family Photos Taken By Kate Middleton, The Most Iconic Photos of Princess Charlotte, Princess Charlotte Turns 8! Was Grand Duke Kirill the First Romanov to Leave Russia? 15 of them recognised the Grand Duke Kirill as Head of the Imperial House and his son the Grand Duke Vladimir as his fathers Heir. Fish contaminated with "forever chemicals" found in nearly every state, CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. Trump fatigue, Missing teens may be among 7 found dead in Oklahoma, authorities say, Gordon Lightfoot, "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" singer, dies at age 84, Bob Lee died from three stab wounds, medical examiner says, At least 6 dead after dust storm causes massive pile-up on Illinois highway, Oklahoma governor signs gender-affirming care ban for kids, U.S. tracking high-altitude balloon first spotted off Hawaii, Russia has first "royal wedding" in 127 years, Russia holds first "royal wedding" since Bolshevik Revolution. In 1911, however, Nicholas II reiterated that the equal marriage rule applied to all dynasts, whether grand dukes or princes of the imperial blood. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. King Charles' coronation: The schedule, and how to watch the ceremony, Astronomers detect "Scary Barbie" black hole ripping apart huge star, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo found dead at 46, King Charles III's net worth and where his wealth comes from. Grand Duke George Romanov got married The wedding on Friday represents, at least in part, the evolving memory of the Russian empire and the family that ruled it for 300 years. Blogger Two, who is not Russian, writes from North America. It was thought unlikely that the throne would ever pass to any of them. Both outfits were, of course, topped off with a tiara. After 100 Years, a Royal Wedding in Russia Evokes Days of the Czars, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/world/europe/russia-romanov-wedding.html. All Rights Reserved. Mikhailovichs great-grandfather, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, fled Russia during the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, escaping first to Finland and later relocating with his family to Western Europe. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Among the 1,500 guests were some 50 royals from European countries including Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Spain. A post shared by The Royal Watcher (@the_royal_watcher) Royalty from around the world have gathered in St. Petersburg for the Wedding of Tsesarevich Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia, the only son of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (the Head of the House of Romanov) and Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia, and Nob. A royal wedding occurred in Russia on Thursday the country's first such event in more than 100 years. He is from Russian Empire [now Russia]. WebIn 1976, Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, daughter of the Grand Duke Wladimir, Head of the Russian Imperial House, married in Madrid His Royal Highness Prince Franz-Wilhelm of Prussia. PICTORIAL: Russias first royal wedding since 1917 Will her son, when he succeeds as dynastic head, decide to change it? Her treatment of the marriage of her son to a spouse who was not born a princess of a royal house conforms fully to the dynastic laws. Contact | Privacy Statement | Terms & Conditions. To the extent that children or grandchildren may regret that their dynastic forebear did not contract a dynastic marriage, that is now past history. Across the street from the cathedral, Olga, 57, was giddily taking photos of the wedding guests as they emerged. ?????????? ; German: Georg Mikhailowitsch Romanow; born 13 March 1981) is the heir apparent to Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia, a claimant to the disputed Headship of the Imperial Family of Russia. 19 male dynasts survived the Revolution. "This was the first place in Russia to which we returned," George Mikhailovich, 40, told news website Fontanka.ru about the choice of St. Petersburg for his wedding. 1, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich and Grand Duchess Maria, Grand Duke Wladimir and Grand Duchess Leonida, 1967 Fiftieth Anniversary Commemorations of the Revolution in the USA, Wedding of Grand Duchess Maria and Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich, Grand Duchess Maria and Grand Duke George, Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Vladimir Alexandrovich. Mr. Prigozhin was indicted by U.S. prosecutors for alleged connections to a troll factory that investigators say spearheaded Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 United States election. After the wedding ceremony, which lasted for almost two hours, one-third of the guests were invited for a reception at the Russian Ethnographic Museum, which was founded by Russias last tsar, Nicholas II. WebGrand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (Russian: ; 23 August 1863 28 January 1919) was a Grand Duke of Russia, first cousin of Emperor Alexander III of [The following sources for the above chronology are gratefully acknowledged:Succession to the Russian Imperial Throneby Archbishop Antony;The Russian Imperial Successionby Brien Purcell Horan;The Russian Succession in 2013, Simplifiedby Brien Purcell Horan; andA Throne, Which Not For An Instant Might Become Vacantby Professor Russell E. Martin, Ph.D. Tatler reports that Victoria wore the Lacis Tiara from Chaumet, which is apparently a modern reimagining of the Russian kokoshnik tiara, the same style of tiara as worn by Princess Eugenie at her 2018 wedding. Russia Hosts First Royal Wedding Since Bolshevik Revolution Prince Franz-Wilhelm of Prussia (a descendant of a sister of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia). 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bettarini, 39, wore a diamond tiara and flowing white dress, the long train carried by her bridesmaids. Victoria Romanovna Bettarini walks down the aisle, accompanied by her father, Roberto Bettarini. RFE/RL journalists report the news in 27languages in 23countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. He argues that her branch of the family enforced the equal marriage law to exclude others but that she was now changing the law for the convenience of her son. In 1979, his morganatic son Nicholas Romanovich Romanoff formed a private organisation called the Romanov Family Association, which now groups together descendants of the many non-dynastic marriages contracted by various dynasts since 1917. When the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, took over, the grand duke escaped to Finland then Western Europe. The Grand Duke Kirill continued the same practice in the 1920s, giving morganatic spouses and children names like Krassinsky and Ilyinsky. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov, 40, tied the knot with his 39-year-old Italian fiancee, Rebecca Virginia Bettarini, at St. Isaac's Cathedral in the presence of dozens of royals. A survey the following year by the state-owned VTsIOM found that 68 percent of Russians are categorically against autocracy as a form of government, though the same number of 18-to-34-year-olds were tolerant of the idea of monarchy. See New Photo, King Charles Coronation: The Complete Guest List, Royals Confirmed to Attend Charles's Coronation, What Tiara Kate Will Wear to Charles's Coronation, Kate & Princess Charlotte Attended the Ballet, Best Photos of Princess Alexandra's Royal Wedding. The families present here built Europe as we know it., Mr. Malofeev is believed to be well-connected to the Kremlin, as is Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the owner of a catering business that provided food for some of the wedding events. Victoria's father, Ambassador Roberto Bettarini, an Italian diplomat, walked her down the aisle and accompanied her as she entered the wedding reception. But Mr. Malofeev has been under U.S. and E.U. Wedding ceremony of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and his fiancee, Italian citizen Rebecca (Victoria) Bettarini, at St Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg, Russia on September 30, 2021. Despite connections to Kremlin-linked officials, and a tacit government consent for a limited monarchial presence, Moscows response to the wedding was tepid. As a law student, he wrote his dissertation on legal avenues to restore Russian royalty. He is from . St. Isaacs Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the site of the nuptials. The two living members of the Imperial House today, the Grand Duchess Maria and her son, the Grand Duke George, have made clear that they are not members of the Romanov Family Association (RFA), a private organization. The Grand Duke Kirill and his wife Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna (born Princess Victoria Melita of Great Britain and Ireland) had one son, Prince of the Imperial Blood Vladimir (1917-1992). Facts are stubborn things. After Kirills death in 1938, Prince of the Imperial Blood Andrew also sent a letter dated 1 November 1938 to his uncle confirming that the Grand Duke Vladimir had succeeded as head of the dynasty (it is self-evident that after the death of Kirill as Head of the Imperial House, his son inherits by right of seniority:personally, I considered Kirill as such and now I recognize his son as such. Royal engagement: his Imperial Highness the Grand Duke George Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov, 40, and his Italian fiance Rebecca Virginia Bettarini, 39, were preparing to say their vows at Saint Isaac's cathedral in the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg in the presence of dozens of European royals. The rings worn by members of the Russian Imperial Family often had diamonds, sapphires, and rubies, reflecting Russias national colours white, blue, and red. But since the 1990s, the familys legacy has been embraced by the powerful Russian Orthodox Church, which canonized Nicholas II, Alexandra and their five children in 2000.
