Saint Petersburg: Russia's First Royal Wedding In A Century Underway

Russia first royal wedding: Russia's Grand Duke George Romanov is marrying his fiance Rebecca Bettarini in Saint Petersburg on October 1. The couple's union will mark Russia's first royal wedding in more than 100 years. The last royal wedding to be hosted in Russia took place before the Romanov dynasty was toppled as a result of the Bolshevik revolution.

Romanov and Bettarini will exchange vows at Saint Isaac's Cathedral and the ceremony is being attended by numerous royals including Queen Sofia of Spain, former king and queen of Bulgaria, Princess Tilsim and Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein.

The royal guest list is not surprising, considering the fact that Romanov, an Oxford graduate, is related to multiple royal families in Europe, including the British royal family. Romanov's mother Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova, who has claimed to be the heir to Russia's imperial throne, is the granddaughter of a cousin of Nicholas II, Russia's last tsar. Nicholas II was executed by the Bolshevik revolutionaries in 1918 along with his wife and children.

LIVE: Russia hosts its first royal wedding in more than a century https://t.co/sh5ozep1hX

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 1, 2021

Bettarini, on the other hand, is the daughter of Italian diplomat Roberto Bettarini. She has authored several books under the pen name Georgina Perosch. Bettarini also serves as director of a philanthropic venture established by her fiance- Russian Imperial Foundation, reports the Daily Mail.

The couple has known each other for over a decade now, but it was only in December 2020, when Romanov popped the question. The Duke used rings given to him by his mother at the age of 18, while proposing to Bettarini.

After the proposal, Bettarini shared the news from her Instagram handle, writing, "A new chapter of our life book together is starting. As a writer I hope that the journey ahead will be full of love, suspense and adventure as the first part of our life book was."

On September 25, the couple had a civil marriage. Bettarini shared the news on social media."We said да! At the civil register in Moscow. Now we are fully ready for the religious wedding in Saint Petersburg!" she wrote in the caption, also sharing their first photo as a married couple. Two days before her big royal wedding, the bride-to-be had shared a picture with her mother on Instagram.

Image Credit: Rebecca Bettarini/Instagram

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