Posted on 05/03/2009 3:05:34 PM PDT by Cincinna
Already pronounced husband and wife in a March 19th ceremony at the town hall in Paris' 7th arrondissement, the union between Prince Jean d'Orleans, Duke of Vendome and Philomena de Toros y Steinhart was blessed during a religious ceremony held on May 2, 2009.
Well-wishers standing outside Senlis Cathedral in Senlis, France witnessed a steady stream of royals, including Prince Guillaume and Sybille of Luxembourg, the Duke and Duchess of Wurtemberg, The Infanta Pilar of Spain and Prine Philippe and Mathilde of Belgium, stroll by before the bride stepped upon the blue aisle runner which would lead her to the altar.
Wearing an ornate Christian Lacroix creation accented with gold embroidery, a dainty blue bow sewn onto the garment harmonized with the baby blue outfits worn by the tiny attendants, who cared for the gown's train and the lace-edged veil which clung to the turquoise tiara atop the bride's blonde tresses.
Following the exchange of vows, the newlyweds and their guests gathered at Chateau de Chantilly for the reception.
Yes there is nobility of the Old Regime and nobility of the Napoleonic Empire. They have no part in the government.
That is probably the royal blue of the flag of the House of Bourbon.
The woman in picture number 45 of 50 just didn’t look like she fit in this crowd...wonder if there is a story there.
I enjoyed looking at the hats as well. And the flower girls were cute. Kudos to the bride for wearing a modest gown. Some don’t...
And finally, best wishes to the couple. I hope they have a full life and their love grows as the years pass.
Close, but no cigar. There are two pretenders to the French throne.
Jean de France is the Orleans descendant. The Bourbon descendant lives in Spain.
Prince Jean Carl Pierre Marie d’Orléans, Dauphin de France and Duc de Vendôme was born in Paris on 19 May 1965 the son of Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France, the Orléanist pretender to the French throne, and Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Württemberg.
He is in the line of succession to the French throne. He was created Duc de Vendôme on 27 September 1987 and Dauphin du Viennois on 19 June 1999. He was created Dauphin de France in 2006, bypassing his mentally disabled elder brother, François, comte de Clermont, according to the website of the Orléanist French royal family.
Who grants titles of nobility in France these days?
..she's lovely, looks demure and the gown is exquisite & sweet.
The guy in No. 25 doesn’t look like he fits in this crowd either (especially the bottle of MD-2020 in his pocket!)
It is the Bourbon descendant who has the strongest claim if there is any such thing in a Republic. The Orleans brance is indeed descended from Phillipe Egalite aka the commie king. Jean de France is not a Bourbon, and is not related to King Juan Carlos of Spain, whi is a Bourbon.
The bride is from the Spanish and Austrian nobility.
I will post more details about the dress and the wedding this week.
I’m sure there will be more stories in English in print tomorrow.
The groom is 43, the bride is 31.
The dress is magnificent. It was designed by the remarkable french designer Christian Lacroix. The veil is over 200 years old. The tiara is from the Bride’s family collection.
The Civil Marriage took place last month in Paris, performed by Rachida Dati. Because the Cathedral wedding was of an already married couple, there was more leeway in dress.
The jacket, embroidered in gold and with a floral motif in color, is gorgeous in detail.
The idea that any of this resembles MOBama is a bad joke.
I am voting for Prince Henri of Luxembourg of the House of Bourbon-Parma. I am right. You will see, LOL :-)
Thanks for the ping!
All the nobility in France is either Ancien Regime, many dating back to the Crusades, ending with end of the French monarchy. There were some post-Louis XVI nobility established under Louis Phillipe, Philippe Egalite, and under Bonaparte.
The nobility is alive and well in France today. Many still live in their family castle or chateau, and have restored them and opened them to the public to visit, or as museums.
There are hundreds and hundreds of chateaux open to the public, especially during summer. It is even possible to stay in a chateau as a paying guest of the family.
I see a mantilla and a beautifully embroidered bolero jacket on a Spanish lady with modestly covered shoulders and bosom for a church wedding, a little color to liven the white, a rather tradition look enlivened by individual style that does not make her look like every society bride displayed by a couturier- I actually like it very much.
Some strange birds in 49 too.
But we all have some odd relatives! There are certainly enough of them in OUR family.
And the bride and groom look very sweet and very appropriately dressed. I like her embroidered spencer (I believe that's what it's called), and most likely it's a family heirloom.
I agree, Spain is out due to the war, and it would be a crime for the House of Orleans to ever occupy the throne. Bourbon-Parma is next.
I think the gown is beautiful.
Prince Henri is very handsome, and a stand-up conservative guy.
He is from the Bourbon-Parme brance of the French family, andf is not in line at all.
I have a good genealogy site that outlines all the rances, but I can’t find it... I’m still looking.
I couldn’t agree more. Very well put.
Probably worth pointing out the differences in nuance to an English speaker and a French speaker when you say the word "pretender".
To a French ear this only means "clamaint" - with no attempt on the part of the speaker to characterize the legitimacy of such claims.
To an English or American ear the word "pretender" connotes somebody making a false claim, or claiming the throne under false pretences.
The way it is used here is likely in the French sense of the word i.e claimant.
That’s a beautiful dress.
She looks wonderful.
Thanks for the ping.
I’m studying Mr. d’Orleans’s image minutely, trying to determine if that’s a hint of Hapsburg jaw visible in the photo.
We all know that Barck Obama is The Great Pretender.
Thanks for your observation. The word in French is “predendant”
“Pretender” is commonly used in English to define one who has a fase claim to which he/she has no just title.
The expression “pretender to the throne” is defined by the Merriam Webster English Language Dictionary:
Main Entry: pre·tend·er
Function: noun
Date: 1609
: one that pretends: as a: one who lays claim to something ; specifically : a claimant to a throne who is held to have no just title
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.