A Romanov Just Got Married In Saint Petersburg
The first royal wedding in Russia since the fall of the Romanov dynasty a century ago
--
For the first time since the bloody events of the Russian Revolution over a hundred years ago, a royal wedding took place in the city of Saint Petersburg and it featured a Romanov. The mainline Romanov family was infamously killed during the events of the revolution leaving the dynasty in ruins and dethroning them forever. But today, a distant relative descended from one of the few living members of the Romanov dynasty reappeared on the world stage to tie the knot with his longtime love interest.
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov moved back to Russia three years ago after living in Western Europe for most of his life. He is descended from another Grand Duke who fled Russia in 1917 to avoid the violent political uprising. He tied the knot with Rebecca Virginia Bettarini in an opulent ceremony at St. Isaac’s Cathedral that looked like an event from a bygone era.
A royal spectacle
The event drew living monarchs, royal relatives and monarchists from across Europe. It was the first event of its kind since the marriage between Czar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra. That wedding took place in 1894. That marriage ended when the family was executed in a basement by Bolshevik revolutionaries.
George Romanov is the self proclaimed heir to the now defunct Romanov throne and royal line. The wedding had a guest list of over 1,500 people that drew the wealthy, powerful and famous from around Europe.
Unlike the royal weddings in the United Kingdom, this wedding was not broadcast to the western world but was covered rather mildly in print media.
Putin’s cold shoulder
Despite the age of monarchs being long over, the specter of monarchism still haunts Europe. There were several prevalent monarchists in attendance at the wedding who have openly advocated for the return of the old-style monarchies to Europe and the world. Such an event highlighting…
