Hello my dear readers. Today I invite you to look at the incredibly chic vestments of the representatives of the Romanov dynasty.
The last empress violated the centuries-old traditions of the Romanov royal family, and contemporaries saw this as a tragic omen.
From an early age, the girls in the imperial family chose their future husband from among the grand dukes of Russia and abroad, and their weddings were of national importance.
Each element of the ceremony was painted to the smallest detail, and the appearance of the bride is one of the most important moments of the event.
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland. wedding photography
The most stringent requirements are imposed on brides from the “first level” of the family, i.e. those who can ascend the throne in the future. A severe test is not only the ceremony itself, in which any delay can be considered a bad omen, but also the wedding dress.
Empress Maria Feodorovna in coronation clothes on May 15, 1883.
The “wedding dress code” was determined by Emperor Nicholas I in 1834 and applied not only to the main characters of the ceremony, but also to the guests. The design of wedding dresses is the same, but some adjustments in style, embroidery and decor are allowed in accordance with the fashion and taste of the bride.
Grand Duchess Elizaveta Mavrikievna in her wedding dress, Russian wedding crown and Russian wedding tiara. April 27, 1884
Wedding dresses are made of silver threads, decorated with precious stones and delicate embroidery. Two obligatory accessories are a long veil and an ermine. This is the kind of clothes that cannot be worn without the help of court ladies.
Wedding photo of Georgian Prince Konstantin Bagration of Mukhrani and Princess Tatyana Konstantinovna of Russia.
During the wedding ceremony, the bride must wear a wedding veil and a diamond tiara over it. She also wears ceremonial earrings and a necklace that suits her.
The Diamond Fund in Moscow keeps in its collection the only wedding tiara of the Romanovs, which remains today in Russia. It was worn by Empress Maria Feodorovna at her wedding with Paul I, and then by other brides of the imperial family.
On June 3 (15), 1884, in the court cathedral of the Winter Palace, Princess Elizabeth married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich; “Mavra” (Princess Elisabeth of Saxony of Altenburg) in her wedding dress, April 1884.
The tiara is shaped like a kokoshnik with a huge pink diamond in the center. It contains a total of 175 large Indian diamonds and over 1200 small round brilliant diamonds. The central row is decorated with large free-hanging diamonds in the form of drops.
Tiara.1810
Wedding decorations can be chosen from family heirlooms or made especially for the occasion. For example, at the wedding with the Greek Prince Nicholas, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, the granddaughter of Emperor Alexander II and cousin of Nicholas II, put on a Cartier diamond headdress and a corsage decoration made of a diamond ribbon.
Tsarskoye Selo (Russia), Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia and Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark on their wedding day in the portrait hall of the Catherine Palace.
The total outfit of the bride of the royal wedding weighs 25-30 kilograms. Sitting in it all day is no easy task, not to mention moving!
Alexandra Feodorovna’s wedding dress from the Hermitage; Alexandra Fedorovna (right).
Traditionally, brides from the Romanov family donate their wedding dresses to the church for charity. Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Empress of Russia and wife of Nicholas II, decided to keep her own.
Therefore, her wedding dress has survived to this day (it can be seen at an exhibition in the Hermitage).
Wedding of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna
Many at court do not approve of the Empress’s decision and are convinced that her rejection of the centuries-old tradition will bring misfortune to the family. And so it went…
How do you like this beauty? Would you like to wear such splendor to your wedding?
