Friday, July 1, 2022

50 Years Since the Marriage of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia & Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans and Braganza

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Yugoslavia during their Orthodox religious wedding.
Maria da Gloria and Alexander. Her father Pedro Gastão can be seen behind them.
The engagement announcement in the Daily Telegraph of 21 December 1971.

On 1 July 1972, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans and Bragança were married at Villamanrique de la Condesa, Spain. The couple's engagement had been announced on 20 December 1971 by a spokesman of the prince in London. Alexander and Maria da Gloria met at a party given by Maria's Tante Bebelle (the Countess of Paris) in Cascais; it was love at first sight.

Crown Prince Alexander approaches the altar with Princess Olga, wife of Prince Regent Paul.
The couple during their religious wedding.
The couple during their religious wedding.
The couple during their religious wedding.
Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Maria da Gloria of Yugoslavia during their religious union. Behind the princess one can see Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia.

Born in 1945, Crown Prince Alexander was the only child of King Peter II of Yugoslavia (1923-1970) and Queen Alexandra (1921-1993; née Princess of Greece). Educated in Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Alexander was a lieutenant in the British army with the Queen's Royal Lancers, with whom he did a tour in Northern Ireland. The crown prince was a godson of Queen Elizabeth II. Born in 1946, Princess Maria da Gloria was the daughter of Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans and Bragança (1913-2007) and Princess Esperanza (1914-2005; née Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies). Maria da Gloria had studied interior design in Paris, and was working as an interior decorator in Madrid.

Left to right: Prince Pedro Gastão; the Countess of Barcelona; the newlyweds; Infante Alfonso, Duke of Galliera; Princess Olga of Yugoslavia; Princess Esperanza; Princess Teresa; Prince Paul of Yugoslavia; King Umberto II of Italy.
Prince Juan Carlos; the Count of Paris; Princess Sofía with her children; the Countess of Barcelona; the newlyweds; Princess Anne; King Constantine II of the Hellenes with Queen Anne-Marie and their children; Infante Alfonso (between the Greek king and queen); Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia.
Princess Maria da Gloria and Prince Alexander with the bride's aunt, the Countess of Paris.
The Count of Paris with Infanta Pilar of Spain and her husband Luís Gomez-Acebo y de Estrada.

The guest list included the following royal relations: Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sofía of Spain with their children; the Count and Countess of Barcelona; Infanta Pilar and Luís Gomez-Acebo y de Estrada; Infanta Margarita and Dr Carlos Zurita y Delgado; Infante Alfonso of Spain, Duke of Galliera; Princess Anne of the United Kingdom; King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes with their children; the Count and Countess of Paris; Princess Chantal d'Orléans and François Xavier de Sambucy de Sorgue;  King Umberto II of Italy; Prince Paul and Princess Olga of Yugoslavia; Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia; Infanta Alicia, Dowager Duchess of Calabria; Infante Carlos and Princess Anne, Duke and Duchess of Calabria with their children; the Margrave of Baden; Princess Dolores of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and her husband Señor Carlos Chías; Prince Adam Czartorsky; Prince Pedro Gastão and Princess Esperanza of Orléans and Bragança; Princess Teresa of Orléans and Bragança; Infante Duarte Pio of Portugal, Prince of Beira, with his brothers Infante Miguel and Infante Henrique; Prince Tomislav and Princess Margarita of Yugoslavia; and Duke Carl and Duchess Diane of Württemberg. 

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