European aristocrats turn out for first royal wedding in Russia since revolution
- Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov married Italian bride Rebecca Virginia Bettarini at Saint Isaac’s cathedral in Saint Petersburg
- The guest list of around 1,500 people included Prince Rudolph and Princess Tilsim of Liechtenstein, and the former king and queen of Bulgaria
Russia on Friday held its first royal wedding since the 1917 Bolshevik revolution toppled the Romanov monarchy, with aristocrats travelling from across Europe for the lavish ceremony.
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov, 40, and his Italian fiancé Rebecca Virginia Bettarini, 39, were wed at Saint Isaac’s cathedral in the former imperial capital Saint Petersburg.
Hundreds of foreign guests travelled to Russia’s second city for the Orthodox Christian ceremony, including Prince Rudolph and Princess Tilsim of Liechtenstein, and the former king and queen of Bulgaria.
The guest list of around 1,500 people included other prominent names like Konstantin Malofeyev, a monarchist and billionaire close to the Kremlin, and Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Bettarini converted to the Orthodox faith last year.