'Romanov returns': After 100 years, aristocrats assemble for royal wedding in Russia

After a century, Russia’s descendants of czarist Romanov dynasty, which was in power in 1613 held a tritional wedding with aristocrats flocking ceremony at dome of St. Isaac's Cadral in Russia’s former imperial capital city. groom Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov belongs to former royal family and his mor Grand Duchess Maria Vlimirovna is self-proclaimed heiress to Russian imperial throne. royal family ruled Russia until 1917 before establishment of communist state after Vlimir Lenin’s takeover. Czar Nicholas II, Czarina Alexandra, ir five children were executed in 1918 in Yekaterinburg during Bolshevik revolution but Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov's great grandfar Grand Duke Kirill Vlimirovich h moved to Finland in 1917. Moscow was later turned into world’s first communist state.

Chaumet Diamond tiara, Fabergé wedding rings, World's kings and Queens as guests

Aristocrats from as far as Europe h travelled to Russia to attend first-ever Royal wedding since 1917, Russian agencies reported. 40-year-old Mikhailovich Romanov, born in Spain and educated in UK’s Oxford wedded his Italian bride, 39-year-old Rebecca Virginia Bettarini at Saint Isaac's cadral in former Russian imperial capital of Saint Petersburg in an Orthodox Christian ceremony. bride wore a  diamond tiara designed by high-end jeweller based in Paris, Chaumet, and first converted to Russian Orthodox Church. couple exchanged Fabergé wedding rings, and a banquet by a Russian oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vlimir Putin known as ‘Putin’s chef’ was arranged for latter. latter is on United States FBI ‘wanted’ list for 2016 election meddling for former US President Donald Trump. 

[Credit: Instagram/@rebecca_bettarini]

“Czarist trappings included an engagement ring tritionally exchanged in House of Romanov," according to a press release obtained by agency NPR. " ring centers a ruby cabochon gemstone that represents love and nobility and two diamond brilliants that represent purity and strength.”

Russia’s ultra-conservative movement was on showcase, as nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin told agency that it was wedding that marked remembrance of “eternal Russia of sacred czars and patriarchs and () church.” 

Royals from more than 20 countries h arrived in Russia to bear witness to rare two-day affair which included Queen Sofia of Spain, Princess Leia of Belgium, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Ham bin Khalifa Al Thani, bror of Emir of Qatar. Guests also included last king of Bulgaria, Simeon II, last king of Egypt and Sudan, Fu II, and Princess Lea of Belgium, sources told RTE. On 1,500 guest list were or prominent names like Konstantin Malofeyev, a monarchist and billionaire close to Kremlin, and Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. While re is no legal monarch status for family since Russia’s assumed communist regime, wedding was large “ pinnacle of ir attempts to re-establish mselves in country’s public life,” notes New York Times.