Belgian Royal Wedding Jewels
Yesterday in Rome, Prince Amedeo of Belgium married his longtime girlfriend, Elisabetta Rosboch von Wolkenstein. Amedeo is the son of Princess Astrid of Belgium (daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola) and her husband, Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este. Lili, as the bride is known, is the daughter of Ettore Rosboch von Wolkenstein and Countess Lilia de Smecchia.
Although Lili is related to several Italian noble families, she chose to borrow a bridal tiara from her new husband’s grandmother. The diamond tiara, made in the Art Deco style, originally belonged to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. She passed the tiara along to her daughter-in-law, Queen Astrid; after Astrid’s death, it was worn by King Leopold III’s second wife, Princess Lilian. Queen Paola, who now owns the tiara, began wearing it in the 1960s. And this isn’t the first time it’s been used as a bridal tiara.
It was also worn by the groom’s aunt, Queen Mathilde, on her wedding day in 1999.
The media revealed during the ceremony that Lili’s wedding gown was made by Valentino.
She also added a set of pearl and diamond pendant earrings to her bridal ensemble, which was topped off by a veil edged in lace.
Princess Astrid, the mother of the groom, is known for her sometimes-kooky outfits and hats. For her son’s wedding, though, she wisely kept things rather toned down, though she added a whimsical pearl necklace and pearl earrings to her soft blue dress and headpiece.
Amedeo’s uncle and aunt, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, posed with three of their four children outside the basilica.
Mathilde wore the diamond and pearl earrings she wore at her own royal wedding, plus a diamond bracelet and a burlap bag wrapped ’round her head.
Mathilde’s elder daughter, the Duchess of Brabant, also attended the wedding. You can’t see Elisabeth clearly in this photograph, but she was among the bridesmaids in the wedding party, as was her cousin, Princess Louise. (Here’s a clearer picture of Elisabeth in her bridesmaid attire.)
The groom’s grandmother, the Italian-born Queen Paola, wore a necklace of five strands of pearls, plus pearl and diamond earrings and a really interesting dragonfly brooch.
Another of Amedeo’s aunts-in-law, Princess Claire, kept her jewelry simple for the occasion, choosing a pair of small earrings and a wristwatch.
The eldest of Prince Amedeo’s three sisters, Princess Maria Laura, went with a monochrome look for her older brother’s wedding. I love the dramatic silver and green earrings she added to her green lace dress and green floral headpiece.
Like his new wife, both of Amedeo’s grandmothers were born in Italy. His paternal grandmother, Archduchess Margherita of Austria-Este, was born a Savoyard princess. Most of her elaborate jewels are worn today by Princess Astrid, and she appears to have gone jewel-free to her grandson’s wedding. No matter, though — that rather amazing walking stick adds a good bit of shine!
Through his great-aunt, the late Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte, Amedeo is related to the royal family of Luxembourg, too. Two of his Luxembourgish cousins, Prince Guillaume (on the right) and Prince Jean, both attended the wedding, as did Jean’s wife, Countess Diane de Nassau (who wore very dramatic earrings).
Princess Margaretha, Jean and Guillaume’s sister, attended the wedding with her husband, Prince Nikolaos of Liechtenstein. She wore golden earrings, a bracelet, and a simple necklace; I’m not sure if the piece on the front of her blouse is a brooch or a part of the garment itself.
Also on the guest list from Liechtenstein were Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle, who wore a pair of earrings that I’d love to get a better look at, plus a hat that doubles as the prow of various ships.
Another Luxembourgish princes, Marie Astrid, is related to Amedeo through the Belgian royals; Marie Astrid’s husband, Archduke Carl Christian, is a Habsburg like Prince Lorenz. Like many of her fellow attendees, Marie Astrid selected pearls for the day, wearing pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and a lovely pearl bracelet.
Carl Christian and Marie Astrid also brought along their children and their spouses, increasing the cousin total considerably.
Carl Christian’s sister, Archduchess Maria Constanza, attended with her husband, Franz Josef von Auersperg. Love the necklace.
And finally, there was a surprise Yorkie appearance at the wedding! Not sure whether Princess Beatrice knows the couple personally or was there representing another member of the Windsor clan, but she was a rather low-key guest either way. A bit of jewelry would have helped to spice up this blush-colored dress, but alas, there doesn’t seem to be any piece of visible bling here. Help, British jewelry industry: can’t any of you please recruit this British princess to be your spokesperson? She needs sparkle!
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