A Further Look Into This Year's Russian Imperial Wedding!

The wedding invitation to the first imperial marriage in Russia in over a century. Photograph (c) Russian Imperial Chancellery.

Invitations have been sent out to the one thousand guests for the wedding of Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and Victoria Romanovna Bettarini. The couple will celebrate their religious marriage on Friday, 1 October 2021, in Saint Petersburg. Their engagement was announced in January of this year.

The invitations to the imperial wedding.

The invitations to the imperial wedding were made in Moscow. They were created using old printing machines and techniques. An imperial coat of arms that survived the 1917 Revolution was used to emboss the invitations.  

The engaged couple.

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia is the only child of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, Head of the Imperial House, and Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia. Victoria Romanovna (Rebecca Virginia) Bettarini is the only child of Ambassador Roberto Bettarini and Carla Virginia Cacciatore. 

The Embassy of Italy in Moscow.

It is possible that Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Victoria Romanovna will celebrate their civil wedding at the Italian embassy in Moscow. This would be most fitting, as Victoria's father Roberto Bettinari was an Italian ambassador to several countries over many years. In 2009, Prince Aimone of Savoy and Princess Olga of Greece, both cousins of Grand Duke George, held their civil marriage at the embassy.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

On Friday, 1 October, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia and Princess Victoria Romanovna Romanoff will celebrate their religious wedding at Saint Isaac's Cathedral. The ceremony will begin at noon. Princess Victoria will be wearing a Chaumet diadem; Grand Duke George and Princess Victoria will exchange Fabergé wedding bands. The cathedral is a state museum; however, special dispensation has been given by the government for Saint Isaac's Cathedral to be used in a religious capacity for this special event. There is a possibility that the imperial wedding will be televised live in Russia.

The Trans-Siberian Railway.

For their honeymoon, the couple are interested in a wide-ranging trip around Russia. This could be done via train, specifically the Trans-Siberian railway. The couple would very much like to visit Mongolia as well. However, the plans for the honeymoon will likely not be finalised until September.

Saint Basil's Cathedral.

Grand Duke George of Russia and Princess Victoria Romanoff will likely take up residence at their home in Moscow. The couple moved to the Russian capital in 2020.