Get excited, everyone: it’s time to review the bridal garb of another just-married princess! On Saturday, Maria Theresia of Thurn and Taxis, a member of a German princely family, married British artist Hugo Wilson in Bavaria. Let’s have a gander at the jewels, shall we?
Although the Thurn and Taxis family sold off many of their most spectacular royal jewels after the death of Maria Theresia’s father, Prince Johannes, the family does still have some baubles in the vaults. But the bride chose not to attempt any of the skyscraper tiaras from the family’s collection, instead wearing a rather delicate floral headband.
The little flower crown encircled the bride’s head — you can see it here beneath her veil. It’s difficult to tell what it’s made of — possibly a light metal? No matter what the material is, the flower crown is a far cry from her mother’s bridal tiara a generation ago: the pearl and diamond tiara from the French crown jewels.
The TnT family is known for its eccentricities, and lest you think that Maria Theresia went wholly conservative with her bridal attire, have a glance at her Vivienne Westwood bridal gown! The skirt is made of an intriguing printed fabric. I’ve been wondering whether perhaps this is a screen printing of one of her new husband’s paintings on the gown? If anyone knows, please pipe up in the comments! (Here are some examples of his work, just for stylistic comparison.)
Maria Theresia’s mother, the larger-than-life Princess Gloria, has toned down her look considerably over the decades, though she still has a flair for the dramatic in her dressing. For her daughter’s wedding, Gloria wore a pink gingham dirndl, accessorizing with pearls, white gloves, and a white fur.
But check out the necklace worn by the bride’s sister, Elisabeth! I can’t help but love the incredible exaggeration of this piece, and I always like dark purple against icy blue. It’s ridiculous, but it’s so ridiculous that it’s kind of chic.
The whole Thurn and Taxis clan was adorably excited at the wedding. The tall, phone-wielding man in the center of the photo is Maria Theresia’s brother, Albert. He’s the 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis. Trivia fact: the TnT family got their princely title from a Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I, because they were the Postmasters General of part of the Holy Roman Empire! Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night…
A good semi-royal wedding always brings tons of familiar faces out of the woodwork. Tatiana Casiraghi, daughter-in-law of Princess Caroline of Monaco, wore purple satin and an absolutely ENORMOUS pair of earrings.
The Casiraghis are linked to German royalty via Princess Caroline’s (estranged) marriage to Ernst August of Hanover. His two sons attended the wedding with their mother, Chantal. She wore a jacket that came with its own accessories, but she also added a couple of large rings and an oversized wristwatch.
The bride’s mother was born into a Bavarian noble family, the Schönburg-Glachaus. Gloria’s sister, Countess Maya of Schönburg-Glachau, paired pearls with her striped dress. Her daughter, Pilar Flick, also wore a single-stranded necklace.
Gloria’s brother, Count Alexander of Schönburg-Glachau, attended his niece’s wedding with his wife, Irina. She’s the one wearing the coral and gold jacket, and she appears to have gotten the big-earring memo from the Casiraghi camp.
The groom’s family may not be from noble or royal lineage, but they certainly fit the bill sartorially at the wedding. The groom’s mother paired a pendant necklace with her yellow dress. I can’t quite decide if his sister is wearing a separate necklace or if the piece is an embellishment on her dress, but I like it. (Her hat, unfortunately … not so much.)
Back to the nobles, then. This is Alexander, the Hereditary Prince of Isenburg and his wife, Sarah. You might be more familiar with two of Alexander’s sisters: Sophie, who is married to Georg Friedrich of Prussia, and Katharina, who is married to Martin of Austria-Este (brother of Prince Lorenz of Belgium). Sarah has apparently gone light on the jewels, but I can understand why: her coat does all the talking here.
One more noble guest for our post today, this time from Italy. Alessandra Borghese is a close friend of Gloria of Thurn and Taxis; both princesses are passionate about their Catholic faith. It looks like there may be the hint of a pearl necklace beneath her optical-illusion ensemble, but who can tell?
So, readers: what are your feelings on the jewels and frocks at this particular princely wedding?
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