Wedding of Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy
The wedding of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy took place on 19 and 20 October 2012. A civil ceremony was held on 19 October followed by a Roman Catholic wedding ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City the next day. The 2012 wedding marked the largest event for the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg and the country in years. More than 120 international media organisations requested accreditation for the event, including TV channels and newspapers from China, Morocco, Russia and the US.[1]
Guillaume and Stéphanie on their wedding day | |
Date | 19 October 2012 (civil ceremony) 20 October 2012 (religious ceremony) |
---|---|
Location | Notre-Dame Cathedral |
Participants | Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg & Countess Stephanie de Lannoy |
Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last unmarried heir apparent of a monarchy in Europe prior to the wedding.[2] The bride, Countess Stephanie de Lannoy, became Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
Background
The House of Nassau-Weilburg, which includes the Grand Ducal Family, has headed Luxembourg since 1890.[3] Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg is set to succeed his father, Henri, as the 7th Grand Duke of Luxembourg upon the latter's death or abdication.
Stéphanie de Lannoy is a member of a Belgian noble family, considered one of the oldest aristocratic families in Europe.[1][3] She is the youngest of eight brothers and sisters.[3] A graduate of the Université catholique de Louvain, Stéphanie is multilingual, speaking French, German and Russian.[1]
The union of Guillaume and Stéphanie was not controversial.[1] Guillaume and Stéphanie had known each other for many years. The couple began dating in 2009.[1] They announced their engagement in April 2012.[4] Prince Guillaume was 30 years old and Stéphanie was 28 years old at the time of their wedding.[1]
Stéphanie's mother, Alix de Lannoy, died from a stroke on 26 August 2012, just two months before the grand ducal wedding.[4]
The 2012 grand ducal wedding is estimated to have cost approximately 500,000 euros (US$650,000), paid with Luxembourgish taxes.[3] The two-day ceremony included public street fairs, fireworks, and free concerts, all open to the public.[3]
Stephanie's change of citizenship was expedited prior to the wedding, which caused some controversy within Luxembourg.[1] She became a naturalized Luxembourger 19 October 2012.[3]
Ceremony
Civil ceremony
Prince Guillaume and Countess Stéphanie were married in a small civil ceremony on 19 October 2012, conducted by Luxembourg Mayor Xavier Bettel.[2][3]
A white tie gala dinner was held that evening at the Grand Ducal Palace.
Religious ceremony
The more elaborate, Catholic wedding ceremony was held in Notre-Dame Cathedral the next day.[3] The ceremony, which began shortly after 11:00 a.m. on 20 October, was officiated by Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg.[3] The weather on the day of the ceremony was described as "unseasonably warm."[3] Stéphanie was escorted into the Cathedral by her eldest brother, Count Jehan.[3] Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume arrived at the ceremony with his mother, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg.[3]
The bride and groom exchanged wedding rings crafted entirely from fair trade gold.[3]
The couple exchanged a public kiss before a crowd of well-wishers on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace after the ceremony.[3]
Wedding attire
Countess Stéphanie's wedding dress was designed by Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab.[3] The dress was described as an "ivory lace dress embroidered with silver filigree" with "three-quarter length sleeves."[3] Her dress was accompanied by a silk tulle veil, featuring a motif of silver floral designs trailing thirteen feet behind her[3] and the Lannoy family tiara.
Prince Guillaume wore a Luxembourgish military uniform.[3]
Bridal attendants
The bridal attendants were the bridegroom's sister, nephew and second cousin, and nieces and nephew of the bride:[5]
- Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg
- Antonia Hamilton
- Prince Gabriel of Nassau
- Countess Caroline de Lannoy
- Countess Louise de Lannoy
- Isaure de le Court
- Lancelot de le Court
- Madeleine Hamilton
Guests
Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg
- Grand Duke Jean, the groom's paternal grandfather
- The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, the groom's parents
- Prince Félix and Claire Lademacher, the groom's brother and his girlfriend
- Prince Louis and Princess Tessy, the groom's brother and sister-in-law
- Prince Gabriel of Nassau, the groom's nephew
- Prince Noah of Nassau, the groom's nephew
- Princess Alexandra, the groom's sister
- Prince Sébastien, the groom's brother
- Archduchess Marie-Astrid and Archduke Carl Christian of Austria, the groom's paternal aunt and uncle
- Archduchess Marie Christine and Count Rodolphe of Limburg-Stirum, the groom's first cousin and her husband
- Archduke Imre and Archduchess Kathleen of Austria, the groom's first cousin and his wife
- Archduke Cristoph of Austria and Adélaïde Drapé-Frisch, the groom's first cousin and his fiancée
- Archduke Alexander of Austria, the groom's first cousin
- Archduchess Gabriella of Austria, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Jean and Countess Diane of Nassau, the paternal uncle and aunt
- Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Constantin of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Wenceslas of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Carl-Johan of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- Princess Margaretha and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, the groom's paternal aunt and uncle
- Princess Maria-Anunciata of Liechtenstein, the groom's first cousin
- Princess Marie-Astrid of Liechtenstein, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla, the groom's paternal uncle and aunt
- Prince Paul Louis of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Léopold of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- Princess Charlotte of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- Prince Jean of Nassau, the groom's first cousin
- The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, the groom's parents
Extended family
- Descendants of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Hohenberg, the groom's paternal great-aunt:
- Princess Anna of Hohenberg and Count Andreas of Bardeau, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Princess Sophie of Hohenberg and Jean-Louis de Potesta, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Descendants of Princess Marie-Adélaïde, Countess Henckel von Donnersmarck, the groom's paternal great-aunt:
- Countess Charlotte Henckel and Count Christoph Johannes von Meran, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Descendants of Princess Marie Gabriele, Dowager Countess of Holstein-Ledreborg, the groom's paternal great-aunt:
- Countess Lydia of Holstein-Ledreborg, the groom's first cousin, once removed
- Countess Veronica of Holstein-Ledreborg, the groom's first cousin, once removed
- Countess Silvia of Holstein-Ledreborg and John Munro, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Countess Antonia of Holstein-Ledreborg, the groom's first cousin, once removed
- Descendants of Prince Charles of Luxembourg, the groom's paternal great-uncle
- Princess Charlotte and Marc-Victor Cunningham, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Prince Robert and Princess Julie of Nassau, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- The Dowager Princess of Ligne, the groom's paternal great-aunt:
- The Prince and Princess of Ligne, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Princess Alix de Ligne, the groom's second cousin
- Prince and Princess Wauthier de Ligne, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Princess Elisabeth-Eleonore and Baron Baudouin Gillès de Pelichy, the groom's second cousin and her husband
- Princess Anne and Charles de Fabribeckers de Cortils et Grâce, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Princess Christine and Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Princess Sophie, Countess Philippe de Nicolay, the groom's first cousin, once removed
- Prince and Princess Antoine-Lamoral de Ligne, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Princess Yolande and Hugo Townshend, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband
- The Prince and Princess of Ligne, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- * Hélène Vestur, former wife of Prince Jean
Mestre family
- Luis and Nicole Mestre, the groom's maternal uncle and aunt
- Maike Mestre, the groom's first cousin
- Luis Mestre, the groom's cousin
- Antonio Mestre, the groom's maternal uncle
- Catalina Esteve, the groom's maternal aunt
- Natalia Esteve, the groom's cousin
- Katarina Esteve, the groom's cousin
- Victoria Esteve, the groom's cousin
de Lannoy family
- The Count de Lannoy, the bride's father
- Count Jehan de Lannoy, the bride's brother
- Countess Caroline de Lannoy, the bride's niece
- Countess Louise de Lannoy, the bride's niece
- Count Christian and Countess Luisa de Lannoy, the bride's brother and sister-in-law
- Countess Nathalie and John Hamilton, the bride's sister and brother-in-law
- Antonia Hamilton, the bride's niece
- Charlotte Hamilton, the bride's niece
- Madeleine Hamilton, the bride's niece
- Countess Gaëlle de Lannoy, the bride's sister
- Count Amaury de Lannoy, the bride's brother
- Count Olivier and Countess Alice de Lannoy, the bride's brother and sister-in-law
- Countess Isabelle and Jean-Charles de le Court, the bride's sister and brother-in-law
- Isaure de le Court, the bride's niece
- Lancelot de le Court, the bride's nephew
- Count Jehan de Lannoy, the bride's brother
- Countess Chantal de Lannoy, the bride's paternal aunt
- Countess Christine and Count Bruno de Limburg Stirum, the bride's first cousin and her husband
- Countess Isabelle de Lannoy, the bride's paternal aunt
- Count Claude and Countess Claudine de Lannoy, the bride's paternal uncle and aunt
della Faille de Leverghem family
- Ladislas and Anne della Faille de Leverghem, the bride's maternal uncle and aunt
- Lydia and Dominique de Schaetzen, the bride's maternal aunt and uncle
- Dominique and Claude della Faille de Lerverghem, the bride's maternal uncle and aunt
- Arnaud and Marie-Pascale della Faille de Lerverghem, the bride's maternal uncle and aunt
Members of reigning royal families
- Queen Fabiola of Belgium, the groom's paternal great-aunt by marriage
- The King and Queen of the Belgians, the groom's paternal great-uncle and great-aunt
- The Duke and Duchess of Brabant, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz of Belgium, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and second cousin, once removed
- Prince Amedeo of Belgium, the groom's second cousin
- Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium, the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife
- The Queen and Prince Consort of Denmark, the groom's second cousin, twice removed, and her husband
- The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark, the groom's third cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Count Axel and Countess Jutta of Rosenborg, the groom's first cousin, twice removed, and his wife
- The Crown Prince of Japan (representing the Emperor of Japan)[1]
- Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath al-Hassan of Jordan (representing the King of Jordan)[1]
- The Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein, the groom's third cousin, once removed, and his wife[3]
- Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein, wife of the groom's third cousin, once removed
- Princess Norberta, Dowager Marchioness of Mariño, the groom's third cousin, once removed
- The Princess of Hanover, estranged wife of the groom's third cousin, twice removed (representing the Prince of Monaco)[3]
- Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco (representing the King of Morocco) [3]
- The Queen of the Netherlands, the groom's fourth cousin, once removed
- The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, the groom's fifth cousin and his wife
- The King and Queen of Norway, the groom's first cousin, twice removed, and his wife[1]
- Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, the groom's second cousin, once removed[6]
- The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife[7]
- Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani of Qatar (representing the Emir of Qatar)[8]
- Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Mohammed bin Thani Al Thani of Qatar
- The Prince and Princess of Asturias, the groom's fourth cousin, once removed, and his wife (representing the King of Spain)[7]
- The Queen of Sweden, wife of the groom's third cousin, once removed (representing the King of Sweden)
- The Crown Princess of Sweden and The Duke of Västergötland, the groom's fourth cousin and her husband
- The Duke of Värmland, the groom's fourth cousin
- The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the groom's third cousin, twice removed, and his wife (representing the Queen of the United Kingdom)[1]
Members of non-reigning royal families
- Archduchess Maria Beatrice, Countess Riprand von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, the groom's second cousin, once removed
- Countess Anna von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, the groom's third cousin
- Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, the groom's third cousin
- Archduke Martin and Archduchess Katharina of Austria-Este, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Archduchess Isabella and Count Andrea Czarnocki-Lucheschi, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Archduke István and Archduchess Paola of Austria, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Archduchess Yolande of Austria, widow of the groom's first cousin, twice removed
- Archduchess Anna Gabriele of Austria, widow of the groom's first cousin, twice removed
- Archduchess Maria Anna and Prince Peter Galitzine, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Archduke Karl Peter and Archduchess Alexandra of Austria, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Archduke Simeon and Archduchess María of Austria, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Archduchess Catharina-Maria of Austria and Count Massimiliano Secco d'Aragona, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Archduke Michael and Archduchess Christiana of Austria, the groom's fourth cousin, once removed, and his wife
- Archduchess Sophie and The Prince of Windisch-Graetz, the groom's fourth cousin, once removed, and her husband
- The Margrave and Margravine of Baden, the groom's third cousins, twice removed
- The Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of Baden, the groom's fourth cousin, once removed, and his wife
- The Duke and Duchess in Bavaria, the groom's second cousin, twice removed, and his wife
- Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the groom's third cousin
- Princess Gabriele, Dowager Duchess of Croÿ, the groom's first cousin, twice removed
- The Duke and Duchess of Croÿ, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife
- The Duke and Duchess of Parma, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife[9]
- Princess Edouard de Lobkowicz, the groom's first cousin, twice removed
- Prince Charles-Henri de Lobkowicz, the groom's second cousin, once removed[10]
- Tsar Simeon II and Tsarita Margarita of the Bulgarians, the groom's half-second cousin, once removed, and his wife
- The Princess of Turnovo, widow of the groom's half-third cousin
- The Prince of Preslav, the groom's half-third cousin[11]
- The Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, the groom's fourth cousin and his wife[12]
- The Prince Napoléon, the groom's fourth cousin, once removed
- King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, the groom's third cousin, twice removed, and second cousin, twice removed
- Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, the groom's third cousin, once removed, and his wife
- The Prince and Princess of Venice, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife[13]
- The Prince and Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, the groom's fifth cousin, twice removed, and her husband
- The Duke and Duchess of Braganza, the groom's second cousin, twice removed, and his wife[14]
- The Prince of Prussia, the groom's sixth cousin, once removed[15]
- Princess Alexandra and Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, the groom's third cousin, once removed, and her husband[16]
- The Prince and Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
- Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu of Romania, the groom's second cousin, once removed, and her husband
- Duchess Mathilde, Princess of Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg
- Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, the groom's fourth cousin, once removed, and his wife[17]
Nobility
- Princess Dainé d'Arenberg
- The Lady Brabourne
- The Prince and Princess de Mérode
- The Prince and Princess of Stolberg-Stolberg
- Princess Louise of Stolberg-Stolberg[18]
Other notable guests
- Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg
- Xavier Bettel, Mayor of Luxembourg City, and his partner[1]
- José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission
Approximately 270 citizens of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg attended the wedding ceremony.[3]
References
- "Luxembourg royal wedding: Crown Prince Guillaume weds". BBC News. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- Rodriguez, Cecilia (20 October 2012). "Luxembourg's Royal Wedding Eliminates Europe's Last Bachelor Heir". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- Siuberski, Philippe (20 October 2012). "Europe's elite gather for Luxembourg royal wedding". Agence France Press. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- "Bride's mother dies two months before Luxembourg royal wedding". Hello. 21 October 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- "The maids of honour, bridesmaids and pageboys" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- "Photo". www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com.
- Nikkhah, Roya (20 October 2012). "Luxembourg's royal wedding draws regal guest list". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- "The Wedding Of Prince Guillaume Of Luxembourg & Stephanie de Lannoy - Gala Dinner".
- Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - Prince Carlos and Annemarie de Bourbon de Parme, Duke and Duchess of Parma, (members of Dutch royal family) during the wedding of Prince Guillaume, the Hereditary Grand Duke of". Alamy.
- "Photo". www.nettyroyal.nl.
- "Ex Bulgarian Royalty Joins Splendid Luxembourg Wedding". Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency). 21 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- "Jean d'Orléans : La princesse Philomena enceinte de leur 3e enfant".
- "Guillaume of Luxembourg and Stephanie de Lannoy fairtytale wedding". oggi.it. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- "Duarte Pio Duke of Braganza and his wife Isabel de Castro". getty images. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- "Prince Nikolai and Prince Georg Friedrich".
- "Princess Alexandra Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth Photostream".
- "Royal Couple at Luxembourg Royal Wedding". Serbian Royal Family. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- "Wedding Guest List". www.luxarazzi.com.
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