#prussian royal wedding

[romanovsonelastdance]

Kira Kirillovna with her father-in-law Crown Prince Wilhelm.

[bestiesenpai]

sukuna bridgerton au pt2

Writing this immediately after posting the first one because this brings me so much joy. The dress I had in mind for the wedding was the one worn by Princess Charlotte in 1816 so if you’d like a visual please refer to that

part one — part three -- part four

Link to the ring i mention here

You managed to push the appointment with the modiste to a further date, reminding your mother that Sukuna hadn’t even proposed yet.

“Oh but he will!” She countered, giddy as could be. “At the coming ball he will.”

“Did he tell you himself?” Crossing your arms in resignation, it felt like you were the mother and she the child with you trying to quell her excitement over something that hasn’t yet happened.

“He did! Asked your father for permission to propose the day after your first meeting!” That made your jaw drop and any further words you had to say were quelled, the fire inside you dampened for a moment.

On the night of this fateful ball, it was forced upon you to wear Sukuna’s family color, Prussian blue. To have gloves or a purse of the color would have been fine with you but a whole dress was too obvious and put you at risk of embarrassment should he decide not to propose after all. But with your parents too blindsided by this burgeoning royal connection there was no hope of talking them out of it.

“(Y/N)!” Walking into the party, you immediately sought out your friends. A few of them had actually been proposed to already and you marveled at their rings decorated with beauties such as emeralds and rubies.

“You’ll get yours soon enough!” They teased, making butterflies erupt inside you despite your best efforts. A fit of giggles took over you as you thought about what the ring might look like.

“We shall see, girls!” Wiggling your bodies, you made your way to the refreshments table, eager to fill your stomachs before descending upon the dance floor. A few men filled your dance card as you ate and you danced with them gleefully. This felt like your last night of freedom before Sukuna caught you within his grasp.

The party was just about in full swing when the Queen and Sukuna made their entrance, causing everyone to pause for a moment to greet them properly. You were just in the throws of a spirited dance with an older male acquaintance when it all stopped. Out of breath and with a ditzy smile on your face, you curtseyed just as every other woman did, barely paying any attention to Sukuna’s long look in your direction. Once the music started up again, instead of coming to him like he assumed you would, you returned to dancing.

“Jealous?” The Queen quipped with a teasing smirk on her face.

“No. Never.” Quickly fixing his gaze to what was ahead of him, Sukuna shook his head. “Come, let's find our seats.” He ignored the chuckle behind him as he led the way and he staunchly ignored the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach - that was something he would rather die over than confront.

After finally finishing every dance with the men on your card, you were able to slink away and find respite. You were admittedly a little tipsy from the Italian ratafia, the cherries in it slightly addicting and adding to the flavor of the pastries you were becoming so fond of.

“Miss (Y/N), His Highness wishes to see you.” A footman interrupted your period of indulgence and motioned to the perch at the head of the room where Sukuna was standing and waiting.

“Please inform His Highness that I am preoccupied at the moment and shall see him when I’m ready.” Giving the footman a curt smile, you snagged another pastry and drink and walked off into another area of the party where some games were being played.

“What is my wife thinking, denying me an audience?” Not even five minutes later Sukuna had appeared behind you and you could feel his annoyance.

“Wife? Who is that?” Looking down at your empty ring finger, you chuckled to yourself. “It seems I am unfamiliar with her, Your Highness.” You laughed again, this time made louder at someone's display in charades. Sukuna laughed as well so as not to arouse suspicion of any ill will.

“Miss (Y/N), I wish for you to accompany me to the main hall.” He said, coming to properly stand next to you.

“I decline that offer, Your Highness.” You didn’t even turn to look at him, instead keeping your eyes on the game and shouting when another person guessed the right answer.

“I- you cannot be serious.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sukuna sighed shortly. “Please, you know what has to happen right now.”

“It can wait until this game is over.” You pushed back, finally sparing him a glance. “After all, a gentleman listens to a lady when she says no, does he not?” Your question stopped all further argument from Sukuna and he relented, allowing you to finish your refreshments and watch the game.

“There, it is over now.” Huffing, Sukuna let his hand hover near the crook of your elbow. “Now will you please follow me?”

“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” Giving him a big cheeky grin you walked off ahead and once in the main hall, you stood where he wanted you to, just a few feet in front of the Queen. Clearing his throat, Sukuna motioned for the orchestra to stop playing as he drew everyone's attention to the two of you.

“Thank you for your attention everyone.” He started off, giving the room a once over. “I will not keep you long as I know we are all eager to enjoy the night, but I ask that you bear witness to what I am about to do.”

Taking a deep breath, as if on cue a footman stepped forward and handed him a small velvet box. Sukunas eyes were staring straight at you as he bent down to one knee, making everyone in the room hold their breath.

“Miss (Y/N),” he started, making sure he was loud enough for the room to hear, “even though we have only known each other a short time, I feel the chemistry between us. I do not want to waste time and have you possibly stolen from me by another…” You could tell he was faking being nervous by the way he paused and looked around the room. Always one for a show, he is.

“Will you please marry me?” As the words left his lips you heard your mother gasp and out of the corner of your eye you could see her clutch your fathers sleeve. It felt like time stood still as you looked at Sukuna, then the Queen, then the crowd before you. The scale had tipped in your favor, the power was in your hands; you could say no.

“Yes.” The crowd erupted into applause, launching Sukuna to stand and grab your hand.

“I knew you’d say yes.” He teased, slipping the very large ring onto your finger. It was a gorgeous sapphire, the same Prussian blue as his house colors, with a twisted pavé of sparkling diamonds around it and going down the band. “That's a 7 carat sapphire.” Sukuna boasted, turning your hand so it shined in the light.

“Beautiful indeed.” Seeing the ring and feeling the weight on your finger made what was happening all real and coupled with Sukuna holding your hand so gingerly, it made your heart flutter.

Turning to the Queen, you both bowed to her, earning a nod of the head in return. Turning to the crowd, it was only moments before your friends and family crowded around to congratulate you and see the ring. So many were in awe of the size and their jealousy was hardly contained, some looking down to their own rings in disappointment.

It took a while for the party to return to normal but you eventually found yourself being surrounded by your friends again at a table in the other room, sipping on far too many cocktails in the name of celebration.

“To (Y/N)!” They all cried, equally if not more intoxicated than you were. “May Her Highness not forget about us when she resides in the palace!”

“Please!” You laughed at the new title. “As if I could ever forget my dearest friends!” At that, you raised your glasses and polished them off, trying and failing to gently place them on the table.

You all stayed until the end of the party, stumbling out of your seats and finding your respective chaperones once it was time to leave. Unable to find your mother or father, you wandered around the garden and admired the topiary.

“Aren’t you cold out here?” A familiar voice sounded and you didn’t need to turn to see who it was.

“Not at all, Your Highness. I rather enjoy the evening breeze.” In truth you were but the alcohol was dulling your senses.

“Do not call me that anymore, we’re engaged. Call me by my given name.”

“I will do no such thing.” Turning to him, you shook your head a little too hard. “That should be reserved for people in love and we are not in love.” He groaned in annoyance and followed behind you as you walked in the garden. Sukuna felt the urge to demand you call him by his name, force you to bend to his will but he couldn’t find it in him. So instead he walked quietly and said nothing.

“I do like the ring.” You broke the silence, turning to face him once you decided you’d seen enough.

“You do? It's a family heirloom. Belonged to a grandpa's cousin's aunt or something like that.”

“Hm.” You didn’t laugh at his attempt at a joke even if it did amuse you slightly. Swaying on your feet, you held your hand up at eye level, the gold of the ring contrasting with the black velvet gloves you were wearing.

“It’s quite late and everyone is leaving. We should do the same.” The two of you were close enough to the house that no one would be scandalized by your being unchaperoned but Sukuna knew that if you were in your right mind you would be worried.

“Find my mother then.” Your eyes were still fixed on the ring. Sukuna scoffed at you and brought his hand to yours, attempting to grab onto it. “Do not!” You drew back, clutching your hand to your chest.

“Miss, please.” Sukuna was trying to be a gentleman and ensure your safety though truth be told he wasn’t sure why it mattered so much to him. He could have easily just walked off and gotten a footman to keep watch on you as he gathered your parents.

“I thought you wanted to use given names.” Tilting your head to the side, you looked at him curiously.

“I- be quiet.” A light flush rested over his cheeks and that irritated Sukuna. “Just come inside with me at the very least.” He was feeling the cold and he knew it was worse for you in your dress especially since your shawl had been discarded somewhere.

You stared back at him wordlessly as if seeing him for the first time. Squinting your eyes, you took in his attire, his Prussian blue tailcoat with metallic gold thread embroidered throughout and his crisp white waistcoat peeking out from underneath. The cravat he had on was tied intricately like when you had first met him and the ribbon to his pocket watch was also blue, dangling with an ornate cross and the seal of the kingdom. Gone were the boots he had worn previously, opting instead to adopt the shoes other men wore. His hair had been styled, trimmed and slicked back to showcase more of his face.

“Handsome.” You mumbled, taking a step toward Sukuna.

“What?” Your response surprised him but he didn’t move as you came forward and lifted a hand to graze his cheek.

“This is the first time I’m truly looking at you, Your Highness.”

“H-had you not seen me before?” He cursed himself for the stutter in his words but when the back of your hand brushed his cheek it made his tongue heavy. This softness from you was unexpected and he didn’t know how to handle it.

“I suppose not, hm?” It was like you were entranced by him, mesmerized by his beauty. Sukuna couldn’t tell if you were even really looking at him since your eyes had a faraway look to them. Raising his hand, he cupped yours as it dropped to run along his jaw and he could smell the faint perfume you had sprayed on your gloves. Something delicate and subtle, floral perhaps, just like a lady to use.

“Shall we…” Sukuna was going to ask to take you inside once more but you surprised him again by taking another step forward and resting your hand at the base of his throat. Your thumb ran along his Adam's apple, causing him to swallow quite loudly.

“Yes, let's.” You answered his unspoken question, dropping your hand from him entirely and sidestepping him to go inside. Sukuna remained glued to his spot however, his heart beating so hard he worried he was going to die.

“What is going on with me?” He wondered aloud, flexing his hands in front of him and begging his body to settle. Sure he had women flirt with him before but nothing as tender as this and he was positive you had no idea you were even flirting in the first place. You just…saw him, just observed how he looked and made no effort to do anything about it, hardly even complimented him excessively like he was used to.

By the time Sukuna made it back inside you had left with your parents and he was alone, the Queen having left already as well. Riding back to the palace by himself, Sukuna retraced where your hand had been on his face and sighed, recounting the velvet of your glove and the faintness of your perfume. It unsettled him that as he lay down to sleep he still thought of you and even in his dreams you appeared.

The next few weeks were a blur of wedding preparations. The Queen decided you’d be married at the end of the month, putting a time crunch on everything. You now went to a royal tailor instead of your usual modiste, there were what felt like a dozen ladies maids helping making decisions for you and you hardly had time to sleep.

So much happened in that month that you hardly even saw Sukuna at all. The only times you were together were to tour one of the Queens villas where the wedding was to be hosted and when there was a portrait painted of the two of you together to commemorate the wedding and to serve as a gift from the Queen. And both times you were chaperoned and you were too tired to truly make conversation.

The morning of your wedding came much too fast and you were up at dawn being bathed, fed a light meal and taken to the villa to be dressed in the most expensive outfit you would most likely ever wear. There were more layers being put on than you were used to and your corset was tied just a bit tighter.

“(Y/N).” Your parents stood at the doorway as your wedding dress was settled onto you. Looking at them through a mirror, you could only smile at the way they were getting teary; you’d been instructed not to move by the head maid and she was very serious in her request. You were spritzed with perfume and white gloves were slid onto your hands at the same time you were donned with jewelry. The weight of such pieces, on loan from the royal family for such an occasion, made you nervous beyond compare.

“Final touch, Miss.” Looking back at yourself, you watched as a tiara was taken from a velvet box and put atop your head, secured by pins before a beautiful lacy veil was put on top to complete the look.

“Oh, my daughter.” Your mother couldn’t contain herself and turned away, dabbing at her lashline with her handkerchief. Collecting herself quickly, she stepped into the room and let her hand ghost over the veil. “You are…magnificent.” She whispered, finally grasping your hand tightly.

“Thank you.” You couldn’t look away from yourself, everything was done so precisely. Your dress had more jewels and pearls than you’d seen in your life and you were afraid to touch it or even breathe too much in it; it felt as if you were a living work of art, one that must not be disturbed in any manner for any thing.

“Here Miss, to calm your nerves.” The head maid handed you a dainty glass cup filled with a dark liquid and the scent made your nose burn slightly.

“W-what is this?”

“Spiced brandy.”

“But I’m not nervous!”

“Oh trust me Miss, you will be.” She motioned for you to drink and you looked back down at the cup. It was small enough that you could drink it quickly and be done with it, so you steeled yourself and shot it back, almost retching before the maid slapped a hand over your mouth and got you to swallow it.

“O-oh my god.” You coughed, almost dropping the cup. “That was awful.”

“You’ll thank me later, promise.” She said, patting you on the back and then fixing your makeup. The alcohol worked quickly, making your body warm and a bit looser.

“They’re ready, ma’am.” Another maid announced from the doorway, signaling it was time to get going.

“Right this way.” Led out of the dressing room and down the hallway, the further you went the louder the chatter from all the guests became and the piano playing as background music was nearly drowned out by the buzz of excitement. Coming upon the grand hall, a maid rushed out of one of the doors and for a brief moment you saw just how many people - how many royal people - had attended.

“Thank you for that drink.” You swiftly turned to the head maid who nodded knowingly at you.

“Miss (Y/N) is ready.” She spoke to a footman instead who knocked on the large wooden doors in front of you three times, and through them you heard another gather the attention of the crowd.

As the doors opened, your mother and eldest brother went first and your hand gripped the arm your father had hooked into yours. Your whole life has led up to this moment, this exact time. This was what everyone wanted from you and you were providing as you should, but you couldn’t stop shaking.

“Father.” You turned to him before you stepped into the light from the doorway. “I-I’m nervous, what if I mess up?”

“My love.” He spoke kindly to you, softer than he ever had before. “You could fail a thousand times in a thousand ways and you would still be perfect.” Brushing over your veil, he took a deep breath himself. “Besides, you are not the only one that’s nervous.”

You chuckled breathlessly as he said that and then it was time to walk forward into the light of the venue, into what was fast becoming your new life. Swallowing thickly, you followed him as your father led you to stand in the doorway.

Walking down the aisle was something you’d spoken about, hell even practiced with your siblings and friends as a joke throughout the years, but doing the actual deed was much different. Your eyes roamed over all the guests standing at attention and drinking you in. There was no way to miss all their eyes on you and the way they followed as you walked down. No one said a word, no one dared even breathe too loud as you moved closer and closer to Sukuna.

Sukuna, who was dressed in the most formal attire you’d ever seen him in: a full dress royal military uniform complete with silky white gloves, an Order of the Garter sash, gold aiguillettes and a few medals you didn’t know the meaning of. His military hat was being held by a groomsman behind him and you dared to briefly look down and see his shoes were shined to perfection and he had a full dress sword with a golden tassel hanging from it.

The walk was over before you knew it and soon your father was unwinding his arm from yours to shake Sukunas hand. Giving you a brief kiss on the cheek, you heard him sniffle before he turned away and took his seat with your family.

Standing for a moment, Sukuna looked awestruck as he stared at you. His eyes were a tad wider than they usually were and for a second you thought you saw his eyes get glassy. Holding out his hand, Sukuna helped you up the three small steps onto the altar before letting go and standing at attention before the archbishop.

He wanted desperately to say something to you before the vows started, wanted to say how stunning you were and how happy he was to see you walk down the aisle. But none of that came to him; you had quite truly taken his breath away. So instead, he hyper-focused on the archbishop's words and made sure he said the right things at the right times.

After the last ‘I do’, Sukuna turned to you and lifted your veil almost too slowly, too carefully, as if he was afraid that with any wrong move you would shatter into thousands of pieces. Once he had lifted the veil and folded it away, he stared at you for what felt like ages before he forced air into his chest and leaned forward.

To your relief the kiss didn’t last too long, you weren’t sure how much longer you could take being stared at like this. Both of yours’ lips trembled upon touching and while he did put a little force behind it, Sukuna still made sure to be gentle.

“Shall we?” He whispered once he pulled away, offering his hand and motioning back down the aisle. You couldn’t find the words, so you just nodded your head and allowed him to lead you down. The sound of the guests cheering surprised you and you looked around at all who attended. There were royals from different countries that were here in their traditional dress, all of whom you’d only read about and never thought you’d ever see. All of your friends were there and half the ton, something that brought you great comfort. There was still a sense of familiarity in all of this.

Once the two of you had left the room, it was a mad dash with the servants to fix your makeup and get the two of you into the next room to start receiving guests. Going to the reception hall, you smiled at the inclusion of your favorite flowers and colors along with Sukunas Prussian blue.

Sitting down on an ornate chaise lounge, you thanked the servants that fluffed out your dress and settled your veil over the rest of the seat, letting the full length of it be on display. You weren’t sitting side by side with Sukuna, moreover he sat straight on whereas you were at a slight angle facing him with your dress brushing his knee every so often.

��You look…” He finally spoke, fixing his hat and gloves nervously.

“Yes?” You urged, trying to meet his eyes. It was unlike him to be coy like this.

“Absolutely breathtaking.” The words were a whisper on his lips and he glanced at you as he said them, eager to look back down at his gloved fingers.

“You’re serious?”

“Of course I am. You’re my wife.” Clearing his throat, Sukuna grabbed your hand and held it on his thigh. “Let them in!” He called to the footman and the doors were opened, with the first people ushered in being the Queen, followed by your family. Following Sukuna’s lead, you did not stand when she entered which had you twitching anxiously.

“To the happy new couple.” She said, giving a small clap. “I hope you enjoy the honeymoon I’ll provide to you.”

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty!” Your mouth dropped in shock, you forgot about the honeymoon. And with a honeymoon came consummating the marriage and you could feel your face begin to burn at the idea.

“(Y/N)!” All your siblings cried, rushing in once the Queen had made her exit. The younger ones leapt onto you while a sister right behind you in age ran her fingers over your veil. There was so much they were saying, how beautiful you looked and how ready they were for cake and it had you tearing up.

“Why are you crying?” Your mother asked, immediately grabbing a handkerchief to stem your tears.

“I-I’m going to miss you all, so so much!” Releasing Sukuna’s hand, you allowed your mother to clutch both of them.

“Listen to me, (Y/N)! You’ll see us again! It’s not as if you’re going on some great journey for five years, it’s just to the neighboring kingdom! Why, we can even come visit you if you’d like!” With your mother comforting you like a child, it was up to Sukuna to entertain your siblings and he was not prepared for the ordeal.

“Be careful with that sword!” Somehow two younger brothers managed to begin to unsheathe his sword with the intention of playing with it.

“Your Highness, since you’re our new brother can I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“Why is your hair pink?”

“Everyone, please!” The look of exasperation quickly growing on Sukuna’s face pulled you out of your misery and a light laugh came out. “Let him rest, we have other guests to greet.”

“Yes, say goodbye to your sister and let us go out to the garden.”

“Bye!” Nearly smothered in a thousand hugs, they all eventually left. Before the next guests were brought in, a maid touched up your makeup at your mothers request.

“You’ll see them again, I promise.” Sukuna said, fixing his coat and a medal that had gone askew. “After our honeymoon we can bring them to the country estate.” Looking at Sukuna’s face you could tell he meant it and that made you smile.

“Thank you.”

As guest after guest came through, your knowledge of politics was put to the test. There was the Emperor Satoru Gojo who you knew Sukuna had a sometimes-not-so-friendly rivalry with. Archduke Nanami Kento whose people were renowned for their knowledge of cooking. King Getou Suguru hailed from a mountainous region with a high monkey population. All of them were kind to you, wishing you well and offering to host you in their country should you ever want to visit.

“Stay still.” Sukuna said abruptly as the next guests came in. The mood immediately shifted upon their entrance and you felt the air leave the room as a group of three filed in. They were clearly aristocrats or royalty Sukuna knew with the way he jumped up out of his seat.

“Your Highness!” There was one in the front who was clearly the leader, his yellow blonde hair contrasted with its dark tips. He had a few black metal piercings on each ear and the way he spoke made you bristle. “What a beautiful wedding!” Walking further into the room, the man locked eyes with you. “And an even more gorgeous wife.”

“Do not speak to her.” Sukuna stepped into his line of sight, effectively cutting you off. Looking at the rest of the group, there was a horrendously scarred woman staring at the floor and a man with inky black hair and a scar at the edge of his mouth. “What business do you have here?”

“Relax, we’re just here to pay our respects!” The blonde man began to waltz around the room with his arms open. “Why, a wedding truly has a way of bringing people together, does it not?” Returning to his previous position in the room, the man motioned to you. “Now, will you introduce us or do we have to do it ourselves?”

“You will not speak to her, you will not look at her.” Sukuna was irate, you could see it in the way his body had puffed up and his hand hovered near the hilt of his sword.

“Nonsense!” The man dared to take a step further and Sukuna gripped his sword, causing the woman to go into motion and move the cape she’d been wearing to the side, revealing a jagged looking blade tucked against her. You heard a few maids stifle terrified noises and you moved without thinking.

“M-my name is (Y/N)!” You shot up out of your seat, making everyone turn to you. The look in Sukuna’s eyes as he turned was white hot and scalding, forcing you to look away. “Her Highness, Crown Princess Ryomen (Y/N).” It was hard to say the entirety of your new title without stuttering but somehow you managed.

“What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman!” Sidestepping Sukuna, the blonde man held out his hand for you and you followed suit, playing whatever game he wanted and resting your hand in his, letting him kiss the back of it. “I am Tsar Zenin, Naoya Zenin.”

Your brow furrowed as you thought back to your schooling. There had been no mention of a Naoya Zenin anywhere in your books or in the newspapers and bulletins your father read. The Zenin family name was vague to you at best; but there was no time to dwell on it further as Naoya flicked his head and the man with the scarred lip came forward and pulled out a wooden box.

“Your Highness, allow me to give you a gift!” The top of the wooden box was removed with flair and inside was a thick suede headband, adorned with large circular diamonds forming a floral pattern with a few other colored gems dotting the empty spaces. There was also a pair of matching earrings that looked much too big for your ears.

“What do you think?” Naoya asked quietly.

“It’s- they’re very beautiful, thank you.” His expression was making you uncomfortable and you glanced at Sukuna. He had gone completely still as he watched the scene unfold before him.

“I hope to see you wearing them when you visit my country. Many women wear this style and I think it would suit you.”

“She will do no such thing.” Sukunas voice broke the buzzing tension in the air, ripping Naoya away from you and scoffing at the gift he gave. “I would never have my wife go anywhere near a country where a prince kills his whole family just to be in power.”

You gasped, nearly stumbling back at the news. Naoya’s eyes flicked to you and his smile faltered; he didn’t want you to know that part about him and moreover if you did come to know, he wanted to be the one to tell you and control the narrative you heard.

“Princess, don-”

“Do not speak to her!” Sukuna grabbed Naoya roughly by the collar and they locked eyes. Naoyas lackeys stood poised and ready should a fight break out but Naoya seemed perfectly content with the situation.

“I see the groom has had enough of us. We shall take our leave.” Raising his hands in surrender, Naoya slowly backed away with a cocky grin on his face. Turning to you, he put a hand on his chest and bowed. “Princess, I hope we meet again soon. I wish to bask in your beauty even longer next time.” With no other words, Naoya and his group left the way they came, making sure to leave the wooden box on a credenza by the door.

As soon as they left, Sukuna was in front of you, inspecting you with his eyes. His body was still painfully tense and you could see the way his teeth ground together every so often.

“Are you mad at me?” You were afraid he would start yelling at you at any moment, reprimand you for speaking to Naoya and not letting him handle the situation. Sukuna didn’t react to your question, instead picking up the hand that Naoya touched and wiping it off on his jacket.

“How are you?” He asked instead.

“I’m fine. I apologize for-”

“No. Stop.” Shaking his head, Sukuna bit back a sigh. “I am not mad at you. I am mad at myself for not expecting that a potential enemy to the kingdom would use this day as an opportunity to try and do something. I…I’m mad that I failed to protect you.” Sukuna shook his head again and looked down at the medals on his jacket. “I’m a godforsaken general afterall.”

After taking a moment to collect yourselves, you received the rest of your guests in quick succession. Seeing your friends helped push your shaken nerves away and so was seeing the rest of the ton. With the reception over, you moved into the main hall to continue the festivities.

“Excuse me.” Once inside, Sukuna made a beeline for a table occupied by a few of the royalty you had met with. They were sharing a few bottles of champagne and Sukuna popped one open and wasted no time drinking almost half of it.

As the wedding went on you were able to forget about Naoya and the seriousness of the situation. You danced with friends and family and even some members of the ton that had been jealous or disapproving of you getting to marry the prince. Everyone was in high spirits and it made you happy to be able to bring everyone together.

With the evening coming to a close, you realized you and Sukuna had hardly seen each other. You saw him dance with a few people, even the Queen, but for the most part he was drinking with his friends and playing yard games. Whenever you caught his eye he would wave, each time getting drunker and drunker.

“Your Highness, I know you’re to start your honeymoon right away as Prince Sukuna requested but he’s in no shape to travel tonight.” A footman gave you the information with a sorry look on his face and you understood why; Sukuna had drank so much he had to retreat from the party early to throw up. Emperor Gojo and King Getou were in no better shape passed out on the lawn and Archduke Nanami was nursing his last drink with a bright flush on his cheeks.

“I understand. Please, see to it that he cleans up and rests for tonight and I will see our guests off.” You pitied the valet’s that would have to wrestle Sukuna into a bathtub. Turning back to the party, it wouldn’t be so bad to finish it alone as a few guests had already taken their leave.

“A shame about your new husband, my dear.” The Queen came to stand at your side, making your back immediately straighten.

“Yes, it is.”

“He told me what happened. With the Tsar.” She spoke quietly, bringing her fan to the front of her face. “Tell me, what do you think of the whole matter?”

“I…” Truth be told, you tried not to think about it. “I do not think we should rush into responding to this…intrusion. I feel as though Naoya is just playing, he wanted to test the Prince's patience; see how far he could go.”

“I agree. The Zenin family has had a bloody climb to power but I know they wouldn’t be stupid enough to rush into any conflict just yet. Their country is on shaky ground as it is, Naoya must secure his right to the throne before he looks elsewhere.” The Queen's words were reassuring and enough to give you peace of mind. She always knew what to say, so confident in her words and actions; you hoped to emulate her one day when Sukuna took the throne.

“My diamond, let’s give your guests a proper farewell. Your honeymoon awaits you.” Putting her fan away, the Queen gently grabbed your hand and squeezed.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

[iwritefandomimagines]

FIRST AND LAST — PRINCE FRIEDRICH

masterlist

pairing: prince friedrich x reader

description: it has been tradition all season long that prince friedrich occupies your first and last dance of every evening. it is well known that his engagement is looming, so no man dares ask to take these dances from him. that is, until one clueless lord makes that awkward mistake.

warnings: pure fluff, tiny bit of jealousy from my sweet prince, but predominantly pure, tooth-rotting fluff !

“The season is almost over,” Daphne Bridgerton hummed, flitting her fan across her chest as you stood at the edge of the ballroom, “Do you think the prince might propose this evening?”

You laughed, watching as the prince eyed you from across the floor despite dancing with another young lady.

“I hope so,” you replied, pure happiness in your tone as you thought of the future you had discussed so extensively with the man who had won your heart with such ease, “Though he himself requested a long courtship. Oh, Daph, you should’ve heard him. He told me he was certain he was falling in love with me and wished to wed, but that he wanted to prolong our courtship to ensure I too was certain.”

“Gosh, Y/N, how romantic,” Daphne grinned.

“He is absolutely a dream,” you fanned yourself now too, growing flushed at the thought of just how deeply your feelings for the Prussian prince ran, “I of course told him I feel the same regardless, but he said that though he’d wed me in a heartbeat, it was fun to pretend we were still in the early stages of courting. And of course, I save every first and last dance for him and only him.”

Daphne was swooning at the prospect, and given her confusing situation regarding her ruse with the Duke, their sudden marriage, and how in love they quite clearly were, you were unsurprised that she was so excited to hear that your blossoming relationship was thriving so.

“Speaking of which, my dear friend,” she lifted your dance card from your wrist to see that as ever Prince Friedrich’s name graced the bottom of your card, “It appears you have danced with all others.”

As you looked away from her, you saw the prince smile in your direction, sending your heart into an absolute frenzy, “He appears to be on his way over!”

Before he could cross the floor, however, a gentleman you barely recognised obscured your view of the man you loved, stepping directly in front of you with a smile on his face.

“Lady Y/N,” the man bowed, “I am Lord Francis. I apologise for never making your acquaintance sooner, for my work and travels delayed my arrival in the Ton,” he took your hand to kiss its back, and as he leaned to do so you saw the prince behind him with a frown on his face, now mere meters away, “You are truly a diamond, and I should most certainly wish to know you more. You cannot imagine my relief upon seeing that you were yet unbetrothed. Might I have your next dance, my lady?”

You swallowed thickly, looking to Daphne for help but finding that she had slipped away amidst his little speech.

You were tempted to scoff at the man’s audacity to so abruptly ask of a dance at the end of the evening when he had chosen so late in the hall to introduce himself. And, of course, you were entirely uninterested.

Before you had the opportunity to respond, however, Prince Friedrich was at the man’s side.

“Ah, Lady Y/N,” he bowed, taking your hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it that lingered as he looked up at you and made you swoon, “Each time I see you in that necklace I am reminded why I selected it for you. It was made for you, to be sure.”

You giggled shyly, both feeling giddy around the man you loved and at the clear reason for his choice of words. He was here to assert his place, jealousy coursing through his royal blood.

“Oh your highness,” you curtsied, “Thank you again for the beautiful gift. I was wondering when you might return to share my last dance, as always. I do so look forward to it,” you flashed your dance card to the rather impertinent Lord Francis with a falsified frown, “I do apologise, my lord, but I have not yet shared my final dance with anyone but the Prince. And I do not wish to change that tradition.”

The gentleman scampered away without another word, leaving the prince to capture you in his arms and lead you to the dance floor.

“I am certainly glad to be rid of that fool,” he grumbled, and you reached up to run your thumb along his cheekbone soothingly, internally frustrated that the action would end up in Lady Whistledown’s writings the next day.

Your voice was barely above a whisper, “Oh my love, you needn’t worry. You know that if I could I would dance only with you the entire night.”

The prince was more than satisfied with this, a broad smile gracing his strong features as you continued the rhythm of the waltz you found yourself in.

“I am pleased to hear that, to be sure,” he beamed, “And once this dance is through, I hoped we might have a moment to talk. Perhaps on the balcony?”

You nodded softly, “Any moment with you, I could never deny myself.”

He smiled, and as the dance drew to a close you found yourself growing nervous.

Had this small moment of jealousy spurred on a proposal? Or perhaps he had always intended to propose tonight?

Perhaps it was not a proposal at all, and he just wished for some fresh air and a chance to chatter away from the eyes and ears of the ballroom?

You caught Daphne’s eye as you followed the prince outside, noticing her eyes widen in excitement as she too expected you to return to the ballroom engaged.

You bit your lip, allowing yourself to share her excitement for just a moment before nerves slipped into your mind again.

You reached the balcony after what felt like hours, with time seeming to progress in slow motion as you waited to hear what it was the prince wished to discuss.

“My dearest Lady Y/N,” he began, capturing both of your hands in his as his eyes twinkled down at you in the moonlight, “You must know that since we met, you have been the sun around which I revolve. You captured my heart the very moment I first saw you, and with every discussion of a future I have grown more certain that it is with you I wish to build a life, a home, a family,”

“Oh my dear prince,” you were certain you could taste blood, your heart pounding with anticipation as it truly sunk in just what was going on, “You must know that the feeling has always been entirely reciprocated. Every moment I have spent with you has been blissful, and I rather selfishly wish for an eternity of such moments.”

He shook his head, “It is not at all selfish, my dove. For it is what I wish for too. An eternity with the love of my life at my side, wherever we might find ourselves.”

You shared a brief moment of comfortable silence, staring into each other’s eyes as you could think about nothing but his gentle touch and romantic words.

He was everything you could’ve dreamed of in a man, and now here he was professing that he too was enamoured by you.

Even though he had made it quite clear how he felt before, in this very second everything felt as though it fell perfectly into place.

The true love you always dreamed of finding but never expected to… He was right here, about to ask for your hand and sweep you off of your feet.

“It is for this very reason, my love,” he began again, keeping his hold of your left hand but dropping to his knee in a split second, “That I find myself desperate to ask — will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

“My gosh!” you exclaimed, nodding excitedly as he slipped the most beautiful ring onto your finger and rose to his feet again, “I would love to. I can think of no future more exciting than one as your wife.”

He kissed your hand again, now peppering kisses around the ring he had just given you, sending sparks throughout your body at his delicate touch.

“I cannot wait to begin our life together properly, as man and wife,” he grinned, reaching to push a stray hair from your face as he spoke, “Free of meddlesome gentlemen who have no regard for one’s prior commitment.”

“My darling, you truly had no need to worry,” you giggled, lifting your free hand to your mouth to stifle it a little, “He could not hold a candle to you, and I would never have given up my dance with you for him. I wish always for my first and last dance to be with you… And every dance in between.”

He pulled you flush to his chest now, spinning you softly to the faint sound of the orchestral tune still playing in the ballroom.

“Then my every dance is yours, my love,” he hummed, discreetly pressing a gentle kiss to your temple as he spun you around, “Always and forever.”

“I love you,” you were truly in a state of pure bliss as you danced, choosing to ignore that you were most certainly being watched, “More than I can ever express.”

“I love you as such also, my future princess,” he replied, pausing your dance just to look at you intently again for just a second before he spoke, “And I shall spend our whole life showing you.”

“I am so incredibly lucky to have fallen in love with you,” you shook your head in disbelief, still smiling up at him.

“It is I who is lucky,” he disagreed, looking up into the night sky littered with stars, “And the stars in the sky are lucky to every day be graced with your existence too.”

“You flatter me, my love.”

“And I intend to continue to remind you how wonderful you are, my dove,” he practically whispered, dipping his head lower so that you could feel his breath fanning over your face, though not close enough to induce any more scandal than your balcony dance might already have done.

“It’s a pleasure to be forever your first and last dance… And I can only hope to be your first and last love, if you would let me. For you most certainly shall be mine.”

“You shall be mine too, my love. I am certain of it.”

———

ok fluffy af because i am currently in looove with the prince and idk where it came from but i had to write this once i had the idea!!!

if you have any requests (right now preferably bridgerton, djats or criminal minds) then please feel free to send them in and i’ll make a start this week!

also pleaaase let me know in comments/reblogs what you think!

in the meantime, here is my masterlist!

[tiaramania]

First Tiaras for Spanish Royals

Princess Leonor turns 18 on Tuesday and I feel pretty confident in saying that her first tiara will be the Princess Victoria Louise's Prussian Diamond Tiara because it’s used as a starter tiara within the family. For example...

Queen Sofia, back when she was Princess Sophia of Greece, started wearing tiaras a little before her 18th birthday in November 1956. (Joining Princess Anne in proving that these are not the strict rules people in the fandom think they are.) The picture on the left is from the Greek state visit to France in June 1956 and the one on the right is labelled as her debutante ball. I don't know if that's accurate and I can't find a date for when her debutante ball would have been but she looks to be about the same age.

Infanta Elena turned 18 in December 1981 but the first dated pictures I’ve found of her wearing a tiara are from the Swedish state visit in March 1983. It’s possible that she wore Queen Maria Christina’s Diamond Floral Tiara before that because she also wore it often when she was young.

Infanta Cristina turned 18 in June 1983 and the earliest pictures with dates that I've found are from the state visit from Nepal in September 1983.

Queen Letizia's first tiara was on her wedding day in May 2004. The Prussian Diamond Tiara was her primary tiara starting out but like the other royal women she moved on to other pieces.

Princess Leonor can choose whichever tiara she wants for her first one but the Prussian Diamond Tiara seems most likely. I have a post coming tomorrow with some more possibilities. Even though she probably won't wear a tiara for awhile yet, it's still fun to think about!

[warwickroyals]

Sunderland's Royal Jewel Vault (27/∞) ♛

↬ The Westminster Aquamarines

The Sunderlandian royal family has several magnificent parures of aquamarine jewellery. One of these collections, the Westminster Aquamarines, features some of the royal family’s oldest and most iconic jewels; uncovering their history takes us back nearly two hundred years. In 1830s, Sunderland was a lone constitutional monarchy in North America, bordered by the United States in the northeast and Mexico to the southwest. The early 19th century had seen the country’s steady expansion westward thanks to territorial acquisitions from the Spanish and British. This period of territorial and economic growth, however, was cut short by the early death of Sunderland’s Hereditary Prince in 1835. Hereditary Prince Frederick James was just shy of thirty, the only son of King Louis III and his beloved first wife, Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom. Freddie was also the only legitimate male-line grandson of King Louis II, as a result, his death complicated Sunderland’s succession. The question of who would succeed Louis III ignited a fierce rivalry among the King’s younger brothers, as they scrambled to marry and produce an heir to the throne. The Duke of Lennox and St. George, the King’s first brother and heir presumptive, married an obscure German princess. The Duke of Glencairn, the King’s second brother, married the daughter of a wealthy British statesman. But it was the King’s fifth brother, Prince Augustus, the Duke of Westminster, who looked for a bride closer to home. Lady Martha Whitley was twenty years younger than her husband-to-be, a descendant of the Prussian nobility that migrated to Sunderland following the election of Prince Heinrich of Prussia as King Louis I of Sunderland, Martha hailed from one of Sunderland’s oldest aristocratic families. Unlike some of her foreign, and significantly younger, sisters-in-law Martha was shrewd and held a deep familiarity of Sunderland's court life, this was reflected in her impressive jewelry collection. On her wedding day, Martha was gifted a small box of aquamarine pendants of various shapes and sizes. As Martha’s prominence at court grew, the aquamarines became known as the Duchess of Westminster’s Aquamarines. Over the years, the Duchess incorporated the aquamarines into a few pieces of jewelry including a necklace and a pair of earrings. The tensions surrounding Sunderland’s succession died down when the British-born Prince George of Glencairn became king in 1860. By then Westminsters had three children, Prince Louis, who became Duke of Westminster following his father’s death in 1877; Prince Thomas, and Princess Elizabeth Anne. The family was popular with nobility and the public alike, but they weren’t without their scandals. After Prince Louis enraged King George by marrying without permission, his subsequent children were declared illegitimate and barred from inheritance. Finding a suitable wife for Prince Thomas, now heir to the Westminster Dukedom, became a top priority. In 1876, Prince Thomas met and fell in love with Princess Marie of Hanover, a male-line great-granddaughter of King George III and therefore a British princess. The couple married in 1880, but struggled to have children. In 1887, their only surviving child was born in the presence of Queen Alexandra. The little princess, given the lengthy name Alexandra Anne Martha Georgina Dagmar Gloriana Marie, would be known to history as Princess Anne of Westminster. Growing up, Anne was placed in the direct care of her Dear Granny Martha.

My grandmother was magnificent. She was kind but strict, with old-fashioned ideas about how a princess should be brought up. - Queen Anne of Sunderland, circa 1953

The Duchess of Westminster had high hopes for her only male-line granddaughter. Indeed, Anne’s maternal cousins were well-connected to the British and Danish royals, as well as the Imperial families of Russia and Germany. By the time Anne was twenty, she’d been taken on several trips to Europe, excursions she came to loathe. Anne’s anxiety worsened when she was rejected by several families. After her mother died in Austria, Anne returned from Europe “alone and feeling rather sorry for myself”. Back in Sunderland, Anne made friends with her second cousin once-removed, Prince George, the Duke of Woodbine and eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Danforth. Over the years, the pair’s friendship developed into a romance and in 1911, King George allowed the couple to marry. That same year, the Duchess of Westminster died, and Anne inherited the largest jewel collection in the royal vault, aquamarines included. Anne and George married in 1913. Anne, now Duchess of Woodbine, was one the most dynastically important ladies at court and she set to work reworking her grandmother’s jewels into spectacular works of art. For King George and Queen Alexandra’s 1920 Diamond Jubilee, Anne commissioned Garrard to work the aquamarines into a parure that included a necklace, a choker, two brooches, and a pair of earrings. The parure paired nicely with the aquamarine Georgiyevna Tiara, which entered the family in the early 1920s. To this day, the Georgiyevna aquamarines are often mistaken for those of the Westminster set, showing how ubiquitous they’ve become with the main-line royal family’s collection. When Anne became Queen in 1930, she wore the aquamarines. Despite her overflowing jewellery box, the aquamarines were evidently her favourite and became synonymous with her name and legacy. The Westminster aquamarines have remained iconic long after Queen Anne’s time. Queen Irene became another famous wearer of the suite, wearing the choker as both a necklace and a headband in the 1980s. Queen Anne was an important figure to Irene during the early years of her marriage, and she wears nearly all of the jewels her grandmother-in-law left to her. In the 2010s, Tatiana, then the Princess of Danforth was seen in bits and pieces of the suite, notably the choker, signalling that the jewels will be carried on into the next generation.

Queen Anne of Sunderland, wife of King George II, wears the Westminster aquamarines with the Georgiyevna tiara for a promotional image, circa 1930

Queen Irene of Sunderland, wearing a powder blue satin evening gown along with the Westminster aquamarine choker as a headband, attends a gala dinner on April 30, 1984 in Auckland, New Zealand

[duchesssoflennox]

"Whispers of Love Amidst Mourning: The Intimate Union of Princess Alice and Prince Ludwig"🥀💗🖤

When that ill-fated year of 1861 came and the first misfortune for British royal family was the death of the Duchess of Kent, Queen Victoria’s mother, Prince Albert asked his Daughter Princess Alice to console her poor mother.

Then he himself felt so bad, suffering from stomach pains, and after he fell ill, Alice surrounded him with care and attention. But the prince still hoped to take part in the upcoming family holiday. After all, Alice now had a fiancé.💍🖇💗

The task of finding her future husband was once assigned to Her Older Sister Vicky, who had recently become the wife of the heir to the Prussian throne, actively got down to business.

The first candidate she selected was the Prince of Orange, the future king of Holland. The prospect of becoming a Dutch queen looked very tempting, but Princess Alice didn't like the proposed gentleman with lemon-yellow teeth.🤮🤢 The next contenders were two Hessian princes, Ludwig and Heinrich, who were invited to Windsor under the pretext of visiting the famous Ascot races.😍

The Princess immediately took a liking to the eldest of them, Ludwig, a pleasant and modest young man with a handsome appearance and while some of the spectators carefully watched the horses and riders fighting for the Royal Cup, and others assessed the outfits of the society ladies with no less interest, Alice and Ludwig cast meaningful glances at each other.

Before leaving, the prince asked Alice for a photograph as a souvenir, and she willingly gave it, trying with all her might to express her interest... Albert liked Ludwig too. Queen Victoria hesitated for some time. Still, the Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt was a real backwater even by the standards of patchwork Germany.

But the German prince was so charming, so pleasant. He blushed so sweetly at every mention of Alice that the queen Victoria finally ceased to doubt the future happiness of her daughter.

Soon, together with her husband, Alice went to Coburg, Prince Albert’s homeland, stopping on the way to Darmstadt, where the princess was able to see and communicate with Ludwig again. The following spring, the young people got engaged. The plans were almost dashed by Albert's death on December 14, 1861... But Queen Victoria became unshakable in everything that concerned the wishes of her dear husband, and there was no question of postponing the marriage ceremony.

On July 1, Alice and Ludwig appeared before the altar erected in the banquet hall of Osborne House. There was nothing in the celebration that resembled the wedding of a royal daughter.

Alice remembered how her sister Vicky got married four years ago - a cortege of thirty carriages, seventeen representatives of the ruling houses of Germany, a luxurious ball in the Bikingham courtyard, where she pranced and sparkled, a whole thousand invited guests, a solemn service in St. James's Church, a rich dowry... Yeah, she was deprived of all this, but happiness lies in something completely different.

The bridesmaids struggled to put on a semblance of smiles... Heavy sighs were periodically heard from all sides... The Queen appeared in a black widow's outfit and almost immediately sank into a chair... She couldn't stand...

Next to her were her two sons, Edward, Prince of Wales, who tried to remain calm, and Alfred, who could not hold back his tears during the entire ceremony...💔💔💔🖤🖤🖤 "POOR AFFIE"

Alice entered arm in arm with her Paternal Uncle, Ernest of Saxe-Coburg, who acted as father of the bride... The embarrassed groom was afraid to look up. The altar was located under a large painting by F. Winterhalter depicting the royal family.

On the canvas at the feet of the happy parents, Victoria and Albert, their four children romped and played. An irrevocable past... The spiritual chants finally broke the queen’s self-control, and she burst into loud sobs.

Queen Victoria would later say that the day of this strange ceremony, which was more reminiscent of a funeral than a wedding, became one of the saddest in her life. However, neither she nor anyone else present could imagine what a truly ominous omen those gloomy circumstances would turn out to be for the fate of Alice and her offspring.💔

The “celebratory” dinner took place in the presence of only the newlyweds, the Queen and her youngest daughter Beatrice.

Ludwig received the highest English honor, the Order of the Garter.

Alice received as a gift from her mother a Bible, a gold bracelet with diamonds and pearls, and a dowry of 30 thousand pounds, hard-won through the Prime Minister.💎

In the evening she said that, having become Ludwig’s wife, she felt proud and happy.

“It’s like a dagger stabbed into my heart,” Queen Victoria comments on these words in a letter to her eldest daughter Vicky.😑

The newlyweds spent their honeymoon, which lasted only a week, nearby, on the same Isle of Wight, after which they went to Darmstadt, the capital of a small German duchy, where from now on they were to build a family life.

From the very border of Germany they were warmly greeted by local residents, and the meeting arranged in Darmstadt exceeded all expectations - Alice had never seen such enthusiasm and such cordiality addressed to her. Then everyday life began, dramatically changing the picture. Ludwig returned to military service, and his wife began to settle into her new surroundings. She soon noticed that, despite the initial delight, the residents of Darmstadt were very wary of her.

In her new homeland, Alice immediately became a stranger.

Englishwoman! Those around her showed distrust of the princess from such a distant, unusual and incomprehensible country, sometimes they grumbled and distorted her strange name in every possible way.

The tension was aggravated by the fact that persistent demands came from London to create suitable living conditions for the queen’s daughter.

But Ludwig's uncle, Grand Duke Ludwig III, did not have sufficient funds for such expenses.

And his nephew settled with his wife in the old parental home, in the mansion of Prince Charles.

Uncomfortable and overlooking a noisy street, it wasn't at suitable for creating a family “nest,” and Alice was very glad to leave on the eve of her first birth to England under the pretext of participating in the wedding of her older brother, the Prince of Wales.🤍

There, at Windsor Castle, on April 5, 1863, her daughter was born, named Victoria, in honor of her crowned grandmother... The girl was born on Easter Sunday, which added joy and gave hope for the final completion of all the recent sorrows that darkened the beginning of Alice’s independent life.✨️✨️✨️

Now the question of their own home for the young ducal family has become especially acute. Alice had no choice but to sacrifice almost her entire dowry for the construction of a new palace in Darmstadt, the construction of which would take two years. The project was based on the princess’s favorite castle in Osborne, the home of her happy childhood, the home of her bright memories. In the meantime, the addition of the family became the reason for the forced gift from the Grand Duke. Ludwig III gave his nephew Kranichstein one of his hunting houses six kilometers from the city.

Alice will rebuild the modest estate, loudly called a castle, to her own taste, ultimately obtaining a long-awaited corner for a quiet family life. From now on, the young Duke’s family will spend the warm season here. The house was just being settled when the owners had to receive guests of the highest level...🌺

Russian Emperor Alexander II came to Darmstadt with his wife and younger children. This was not surprising - Empress Maria Alexandrovna was a born Hessian princess and often visited her homeland. Ludwig III and Prince Charles were her siblings, whom she was always glad to meet...

This time, the Empress decided to visit her nephew Ludwig to get to know his own family, for which the Royal Family went to Kranichstein, where a real fuss arose in connection with this.

Princess Alice, who always remembered that she was the daughter of the Queen of England, didn't want to lose face and worked with all her might.❤️‍🔥

From the words of her husband, who visited Moscow for the coronation of Alexander II, she knew about the unheard-of luxury that surrounded the Russian Tsar and about the strictest etiquette imphis presence.❤️🇷🇺

There was a lot to worry about, but to the surprise of the hosts, the distinguished guests turned out to be nice and kind people... Instead of stiffness, they showed kindness and ease; instead of Asian barbarism, they showed great intelligence and subtle taste.

And how charming their children are! Smart, well-mannered. especially admired Grand Duke Sergei, in whom even little Victoria felt something good and attractive. She constantly smiled at this boy, asked to see him and did not want to part with him.

It's said that Alice, who was then in the last months of a new pregnancy, let Little Grand Duke Sergei listen to how the heart of the expected child was beating inside her. A touching story💗💗💗 and the Grand Duke in such an unusual way “met” (who would have thought!) with his future wife even before her birth!💗💗💗

[mathsandwhiteroses]

Royal Tiara Challenge 2024: Favourite Spanish Tiara

The Prussian Tiara

The sparkly elegance of this tiara makes it my favourite Spanish tiara by a wide margin. From Hanover to Greece to Spain, the Prussian tiara has travelled across Europe passing from mother to daughter as a wedding gift. It was last worn by Queen Letizia in March 2011 for the State Visit from Chile while she was Princess of Asturias.

[elsalouisa]

The 20th of May was my last day in the New Palace, and on the 21st Ernst August arrived. In his last letter he had told me what arrangements he had made to keep our honeymoon location secret from prying eyes. It was planned that we should go first to the hunting lodge at Werbellinsee, then to the Hubertihaus, my father-in-law’s hunting lodge near Gmunden. He made me promise not to tell anyone at all and even in Gmunden itself our plans were kept strictly secret.

The first wedding guests to arrive were the King and Queen of England, and my parents went to the Lehrter Station in Berlin to greet them. George V had put on his Prussian General’s uniform for the occasion and, with an escort of Dragoon Guards and Cuirassiers, the Royal couple drove through Berlin. More than half a century was to pass before an English Head of State was to come to Germany again, when Queen Elizabeth II, George V’s grand-daughter, came in 1965.

Early on the following day my great-aunt Luise, Prince Max of Baden and his wife arrived, then a little later my parents-in-law and my sister-in-law, Olga. The First Guards Regiment of Foot formed the guard of honour, while the Cuirassiers again provided the escort as we travelled to the castle in three carriages. My father sat with the Duke, who wore his Austrian uniform, in the first carriage; my mother with the Duchess Thyra in the next, while Princess Olga, my fiancé and I sat together in the third.

At midday the Czar of Russia arrived and the colourful welcoming ceremonies began all over again. Wearing the uniform of the Alexander Grenadier Guards Regiment and the tall Frederick the Great cap on his head, Nicholas II’s truly imposing appearance drove the waiting Berliners into a frenzy of excitement and wonder... For me, the wedding celebrations began with the reception of deputations who had come bringing gifts. My father’s present to me was a diadem and a pearl necklace, while my mother gave me a diamond tiara. King George and Queen Mary gave me a prodigious gold goblet anda diamond brooch; Ernst August a complete jewellery outfit. The English Queen Mother, Alexandra, gave me an emerald brooch. From the Czar I received an aquamarine and diamond necklace; the Italian King and Queen sent me antique silver vessels and Queen Wilhelmina of Holland an antique pendulum clock. There were presents galore, from the Kings of Denmark and Sweden down to the various cities in Germany, and from Brunswick I received a diadem which had once belonged to the French Empress Josephine. The number of gifts was so great they required several furniture vans to carry them.

The real celebrations began on the evening of the day before the wedding, with a gala opera when the Royal Court Opera put on Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin. The Opera House, when I arrived, was bedecked with my favourite flowers, pink carnations, and as we took our places in the Royal Box with our parents, all those present rose from their seats, and Ernst August and I bowed right, left and centre. As one, the entire audience bowed back. Next day, 24 May, was my wedding day. Early in the afternoon my mother helped me on with my bridal crown and veil. Then we repaired to the Chinese Room, and we found that a unit of soldiers had formed lines throughout the castle and taken up sentry posts everywhere. There was a bodyguard from the rst Guards Regiment, the Castle Guard in their historic Frederick the Great uniforms, the Garde du Corps in ceremonial dress, and the gendarmerie. At 4 p.m. members of the staff of the Royal Privy Purse came by, carrying the bridal crown of the Princess of Prussia. Then the Mistress of the Empress’s Household, Therese, Countess von Brockdorff, picked up the crown and ceremoniously handed it to my mother who carefully placed it on my head. We then proceeded to the chamber deemed the ‘Elector’s Room’ where my father received us, and Count Eulenberg, the Minister for the Royal House, completed the formalities regarding the marriage pact and the official registration of the marriage. As Ernst August and I signed the register, we heard a loud buzzing overhead above the castle. We all rushed to the windows and there above us was the airship Hansa, all gaily decorated with colourful pennants. Suddenly, a large bouquet of flowers came floating down from the airship. It was their way of congratulating us.

After the civil ceremony, the bridal procession, led by the Corps of Pages, wound its way through the Picture Gallery and the White Hall to the castle chapel. Behind the pages walked two Heralds with the Brandenburg and Prussian Coat of Arms, then the Chief Marshal, Prince zu Fiirstenberg with his big Marshal’s staff, and finally Ernst August and me. Behind us were the Kaiser in the uniform of the 1st Guards Regiment, with the Duchess of Cumberland in a lilaccoloured gown, then the Generals and the Admirals, and then the Kaiserin in a light green robe escorted by the Duke of Cumberland in his Austrian uniform. Then the Czar of Russia, in his Hussar uniform, escorted the Queen of England. The King of England, in his Cuirassier uniform, escorted the Crown Princess. Then they were followed by a whole host of Princes, including my brothers, and Princesses, Dukes and Duchesses. It was 5 p.m. by the time we reached the chapel to be greeted by the sound of music from the organ.

Bright sunlight filtered through the chapel cupola as Ernst August and I stepped up to the altar which my mother and Crown Princess Cecilie, my sister-in-law, had decorated with roses, carnations and wreaths. Pastor Dryander then delivered his sermon, earnest and worthy words which warned me about the seriousness of life.

After that came the actual marriage ceremony. Ernst August’s ‘yes’ rang out so loudly and clearly that I had to follow suit and when we joined hands in front of the altar he clasped mine very firmly, insisting that his thumbs were on top of mine. You see, there’s an old folk-tale which says that if the husband does not have his thumbs above those of his bride at the wedding ceremony then he will have no say during his marriage. Pastor Dryander looked slightly shocked at this little demonstration, but Ernst August and I just smiled at each other. Mary, the Queen of England, however, was so overcome by the whole ceremony that she broke into a flood of tears. Later, they used to say that she had sobbed because she had at that moment foreseen the forthcoming disaster of war the following year breaking over us. That is really out of the question. Queen Mary was very attached to the Guelph family and it was understandable that the ceremony should affect her.

As soon as the vows and rings had been exchanged, the battery of the rst Guards Field Artillery Regiment fired a 36-gun salute, the chapel bells rang out in loud peals, and the wedding party made its way to the White Hall again, where we stood under the canopy of the Throne and received congratulations from the guests filing past, as the orchestra played the “Wedding March’ from Midsummer Ni ght’s Dream. My husband and I had my father standing to our ri ght together with my mother-in-law, Queen Mary and the Czar, and on our left my mother, my father-in-law, Crown Princess Cecilie and King George V.

The ceremonial banquet began at 7 p.m. and was attended by one thousand one hundred guests. The remarkable thing about it was that the food was dished up by Lieutenant-General Baron von Siisskind, the Inspector of the Militia, at one end of the table and by LieutenantGeneral von Falk, the Inspector of the War Academy, at the other. They served the food then passed the plates to the lackeys, who handed them to the Court officials, and so on to each guest. As soon as the dinner was over, the White Hall became the setting for the traditional torch-dance, a sort of polonaise which, in earlier times, was danced with senior Court officials carrying big, heavy candles ahead of the procession of dancers. For these elderly gentlemen then it was certainly no easy task, but in my time these duties were taken over by the pages, who were physically better equipped. My father gave the Chief Marshal orders for the torch-dance to begin. Prince zu Fiirstenberg came up to my husband and me, bowed, and invited us to lead the dance. The band of the Guards Cuirassiers struck up a polonaise, the Chief Marshal placed himself at the head of the procession of dancers and, with twelve pages lined up two by two behind him, signalled for Ernst August and me to lead off the dance.

The spectacle of my dancing with the King of England and the Czar of Russia absolutely fascinated everybody present. It wasn’t something that happened every day, of course, but there were the rulers of the two mightiest nations on Earth, with the daughter of the German Kaiser between them, all dancing together. At the end of the dance the Czar turned to me and said: ‘My wish is that you will be as happy as I am.’ I have never forgotten those words: they were the last I was ever to hear from Czar Nicholas. The torch-dance was over. I left the room on my father’s arm, while my husband escorted my mother. The Prussian Princess’s Crown was taken away from me and given back for safe keeping to the officials of the Privy Purse. Then my mother lifted off my bridal wreath. The hour of parting had struck. We changed our clothes and went to the station accompanied by my father and four of my brothers". 

The Kaiser's daughter: Memoirs of H. R. H. Viktoria Luise, Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Princess of Prussia

[charlotte-of-wales]

The royal wedding of Felipe, the Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz ♡

The wedding of Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz was held on May 22nd 2004, in the Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral at the Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain. The couple’s engagement was announced on November 1st, 2003.

The wedding was the first state wedding in Spain for more than 50 years, and the first royal wedding in almost a century to be held in the Spanish capital. More than 1200 guests attended the wedding, including from 36 royal houses and almost every head of state from Latin America.

Letizia wore the Prussian Tiara, also worn by Queen Sofia at her wedding. The wedding dress, designed by Manuel Pertegaz, was white, tight around the waist, with long sleeves, a neckline in the shape of a corolla, a wide skirt and a 4.5-meter long train embroidered with heraldic motifs. The bride's gown was woven with Valencia silk and embroidered with silver and gold threads. The nuptial veil was a gift from the Prince to Letizia; with a triangular shape, three meters long by two wide, of natural silk tulle in ivory white with scrolls and hand-embroidered wreaths, which mixed the fleur-de-lis and the spike. The shoes were made by the illicitana designer Pura López. Felipe wore the Great Tag suit of the Army.

Upon the wedding, Letizia received all constitutional titles recognized to the Prince as heir to the Spanish throne, such as: The Prince and Princess of Asturias, the title of the heir of the Crown of Castile; The Prince and Princess of Gerona, the title of the heir of the Crown of Aragón; The Prince and Princess of Viana, the title of the heir of the Kingdom of Navarre; The Duke and Duchess of Montblanch; The Count and Countess of Cervera; The Lord and Lady of Balaguer.

The royal wedding was broadcast by Spanish public television, reaching a national record as the most-watched television program ever with 25.1 million viewers in Spain alone. Approximately 5,600 media outlets from around the world covered the wedding with a potential audience of between 1.2 and 2 billion.

[losers-clvb]

slow burn // two

pairing: lucas samos x nymph!female!reader

summary of chapter: it's the welcome party before the wedding. y/n and lucas are, visually at least, the perfect couple. of course, they can't get along for longer than a few seconds and get into an argument about a certain prince.

content of chapter: arguing, the royal family makes an appearance

word count: 1.4k

note: this is a little bit of a shorter chapter, but the next will be much longer.

You would have thought that out of everything, Y/N would have had control over how she was dressed for her welcome party. At least, that’s what she had thought. She was wrong. Her mother chose her dress, chose how tight to lace up the corset, chose everything. It was a Prussian blue thing, with silver fabric peeking through on the skirt. It wasn’t completely hideous, though Y/N would never admit it. She was wearing heels and, even though she had told her mother that there was absolutely no way that anyone would be able to see her feet, they were just as elaborate. Y/N was never one to complain about wearing a heel and sometimes would rather wear them over anything else, but these were making her feet ache within just ten minutes of wearing them.

Nonetheless, she had a smile plastered on her face. She wouldn’t be anything but a blushing bride. Her parents would be a horror to deal with if she was any other way, and all it would do was embarrass her. She couldn’t be caught being rude or in any way cold towards any guests. There would be nobles and government officials there, allies that her’s and Lucas’ families would need if the time ever came. Plus, it didn’t look as if Lucas was uncomfortable. He had a beaming smile on his face as he stood close to her, one hand occasionally grazing her back in a show of comfort, the other used to shake the hands of their guests. The medals and ribbons on his jacket seemed to glint in the light, showing everyone who could see them just how awarded her fiancé was.

What they didn’t see was the tightening of her jaw every time she felt his hand graze her back. She knew it was just another way to convince everyone that the two were in love, a way to save both their reputations even if everyone knew that their families had arranged the union. It was better this way. Better that the two looked to be in love rather than forced to marry. Then maybe Y/N wouldn’t be looked down upon with pity for her situation.

She was lost in this thought, mind straying away from the present due to boredom and the horrible pain in her feet, when an announcement of the arrival of the royal family sounded. Her eyes snapped to the entrance. The first to walk in were the King and Queen, looking as handsome and beautiful as anyone their age. They donned the colors of their houses, the King in red and black with his crown of flames atop his head, the Queen with her dress of navy blue and white with her own crown. While Delia had never quite enjoyed the company of the Queen, her icy gaze always sending a shiver down the girl’s spine, she had to admit she was strikingly beautiful. The two royals made their way to the couple, the smiles on their faces obviously ingenuine.

“Congratulations on the union,” the King merely said, eyes gliding over the two young Silvers. In response they bowed their heads.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Lucas spoke. Y/N was suddenly much more aware of his hand resting on her waist along with the fact that the older couple standing in front of them seemed just as uncomfortable with each other as herself and Lucas. She knew they weren’t married because they loved each other, but she would have hoped that after being together for so long that they would have figured out a way to be happy with one another. The sight did little to make her optimistic that one day she could have a comfortable life. If even the Queen wasn’t happy with her partner, the king, how could she? Y/N watched as the two made their way through the party while greeting others they were closer with. Her eyes tore away as they disappeared into the crowd, only the tops of their crowns seen moving away.

She watched as the two princes entered, both wearing jackets with just as many, if not more, medals than Lucas. She was sure that they hadn’t earned them as Lucas had, but that wasn’t for her to discuss. Despite both of the boys being Burners, Maven seemed to be much colder. He still held a smile upon his face, but there was something… off. Maybe it was the fact that his mother was Elara, or just because Y/N was just closer with his older brother. Cal, the heir to the throne, had been one of the only people that hadn’t excluded her from groups. She had been told numerous times, from Cal’s uncle Julian, that the late queen Corianne, Cal’s mother, had taken a liking to Delia before her death. She had been too young to remember, but from the stories she had heard, the old queen seemed like a beautiful soul.

“Congratulations, Y/N/N.” Cal spoke directly to Y/N, a wide grin appearing on his face as he used the childhood nickname he had given her. They had grown apart as they had gotten older, but the nostalgia was still there. Y/N had been given more opportunities to find a husband or a career that would help the family move up in court. Cal had been given more jobs and responsibilities in a move to help him be prepared for the throne. Neither could or would do anything less than what was expected of them in fear of the backlash from their families. They weren’t in love, and it wasn’t as if Cal could have the luxury of choosing his wife anyways.

“Thanks,” Y/N replied simply before adding on, “Your Highness.” She bowed her head as she had with the King. Maven was slightly less pleasant to greet. His icy blue eyes were similar to his mother’s, so different from Cal’s. The way he looked at her reminded her of the way others would look at her in training when she could perform a simple movement of the water in front of her. It had been years since then, and Maven hadn’t been much older than four or five at the time, but it was as if he had been there himself. But it wasn’t as if the boy was evil, right? He was just a kid still, only seventeen.

It was then Y/N realized she hadn’t even acknowledged his presence. Before she could greet him, or even open her mouth, Lucas beat her to it. She had forgotten he was even there, too caught up in thinking of the past.

“And thank you, Prince Maven, for attending.” Lucas greeted the younger boy, a forced smile upon his face. Y/N thought it was strange that even such a dedicated soldier as Lucas couldn’t find a way to be comfortable with the prince. The only response the officer had gotten was a simple nod and hum, which made Y/N frown slightly. She looked back to Cal, only getting a small shrug with a smile before the two boys continued on into the crowd, following their father and Maven’s mother.

Y/N hummed in annoyance, feeling Lucas shake with quiet laughter at her discomfort from the interaction. She looked up to him, furrowing her brows when he looked back at her.

“You find it funny that the prince looks down upon us?” She asked him, making sure she kept her voice quiet. She bit her lip to keep herself from bursting out in frustration as she had the week before when they had seen each other last.

“He’s the prince, there’s not much I can do about it. And what I find funny is how much it bothers you.” Lucas replied, his voice just as low as hers. “He seems to make you almost as bothered as I do.”

“That’s not possible.” She sniped back with narrowed eyes, seeming to forget that others were around them.

“What is it about me that makes you so furious all the time?”

When Y/N didn’t answer him, he smiled softly. He tucked a strand of hair that had escaped her twisted hairstyle behind her ear, lowering his head to speak into her ear.

“Try to keep that smile on your face until the end of the party.”

He turned away from her, going to speak with one of his friends from his time in the army. He left her with a flushed face and a strange feeling in her stomach. A feeling that didn’t fade away even after her mother ushered her over to the wife of the head of House Rambos to talk of wedding details.

[loiladadiani]

The European Royal Family that Queen Victoria created

This is a very interesting group of Royal guests assembled for the wedding of the parents of the future Phillip, Duke of Edinburg: Princess Alice of Battenberg (1885 - 1969) to Prince Andrew of Greece (1882 - 1944.) The wedding was celebrated at Darmstadt in 1903. I doubt I will be able to identify all these illustrious guests, but I will list the ones I recognize. There are representatives here from the Greek, Danish, German/Hessian/Prussian, and Russian Royal Houses. I count thirty-three adults and children in this picture.

Prince Heinrich of Prussia

Princess Heinrich of Prussia (nee Irene of Hesse)

Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich Romanov

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna

Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Younger

Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich

Grand Duke George Mikhailovich

Grand Duchess Maria Georgevna

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nicholaevna

Princess Elizabeth of Hesse and by Rhine

Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaevna

Grand Duchess Maria Nicholaevna

Emperor Nicholas II

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (Greek Nicky)

Prince George of Greece and Denmark (Greek Georgie

Queen Olga of the Hellenes

Prince Valdemar of Denmark

King Hakoon VII

There are roughly thirteen royalties I do not recognize, so if you identify anybody I haven't, please let me know. It is also possible I have made some incorrect identifications, especially among the Greek contingent.

This type of gathering stopped happening gradually, so these photos are treasures!

[romanovsonelastdance]

Wedding postcard of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Cecilie's father had already passed away but her Romanov mother, Anastasia Mikhailovna, is shown on the right.

[detournementsmineurs]

"Tiara" by Koch owned by Princess Cecilie of Prussia (1905), "The Prussian Tiara" by Koch for the wedding of Princess Viktoria Luise, Duchess of Brunswick (1913), worn by Queen Letizia of Spain on her wedding, via the Royal family of Greece, and “The Baden-Palmette Tiara" by Koch (circa 1881) for Princess Luise of Prussia, wife of Grand Duke Friedrich of Baden, owned by Queen Margarethe II of Denmark, presented in “A History of Jewellery: Bedazzled (part 10: Focus on Rings in the Alice and Louis Koch Collection)” by Beatriz Chadour-Sampson - International Jewellery Historian and Author - for the V&A Academy online, april 2024.

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

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A post shared by Kastellan Charlottenburg (@schloss_charlottenburg)

Deutsch/English (second text!)

👑 Ein preußisches Diadem im Besitz Königin Margrethes II. von Dänemark Das häufig von Margrethe II. getragene sehr repräsentative Diadem mit zahlreichen Diamanten und großen Tropfenperlen war zusammen mit anderen Juwelen ein Hochzeitsgeschenk König Friedrich Wilhelms III. von Preußen für seine jüngste Tochter Luise (1808-1870). Prinzessin Luise heiratete im Mai 1825 ihren Cousin Prinz Wilhelm Friedrich der Niederlande (1797-1881). Das Prinzenpaar lebte in den Niederlanden in einem ›Huize De Paauw‹ genannten klassizistischen Palais in Wassenaar sowie auf seinen preußischen Besitzungen Schloss Muskau in der Oberlausitz und im schlesischen Schloss Schildau, das König Friedrich Wilhelm III. 1839 seiner Tochter schenkte. Unter den Linden in Berlin stand dem Paar das sogenannte Niederländische Palais als Absteigequartier zur Verfügung. Bis heute erinnert die Luisenstraße in Berlin-Mitte an die Prinzessin, von der ihr Vater Friedrich Wilhelm III. meinte, sie sähe ihrer früh verstorbenen Mutter sehr ähnlich. Über ihre gleichnamige Tochter ist Prinzessin Luise eine der Stammmütter der heutigen dänischen Königsfamilie und die dreifache Urgroßmutter Königin Margrethes II. Text © Thomas Weiberg; Fotos © Det danske kongehus; Thomas Weiberg (Portait Friedrich Wilhelms III. im Schloss Charlottenburg.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

👑 A Prussian tiara owned by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

Often worn by Margrethe II, this very prestigious tiara with numerous diamonds and large pearls was, together with other jewellery, a wedding gift from King Frederick William III of Prussia for his youngest daughter Luise (1808-1870).

Princess Luise married her cousin Prince William Frederick of the Netherlands (1797-1881) in May 1825. The princely couple lived in the Netherlands in a neoclassical palace called 'Huize De Paauw' in Wassenaar as well as at their Prussian estates Muskau Castle in Upper Lusatia and Schildau Castle in Silesia, which King Frederick William III gave to his daughter in 1839. Under the Linden trees in Berlin, the so-called Dutch Palace was available to the couple as a place to stay. To this day, Luisenstraße in Berlin-Mitte commemorates the princess, who her father Friedrich Wilhelm III thought looked very much like her mother, who died young. Through her daughter of the same name, Princess Luise is one of the progenitors of today's Danish royal family and the triple great-grandmother of Queen Margrethe II.

Text © Thomas Weiberg; Photos © Det danske kongehus; Thomas Weiberg (Portrait of Frederick William III in Charlottenburg Palace.)

[goodqueenaly]

I think the Coburgs were an example of a right place, right time, right generation of princes, where each success acted as a domino effect for subsequent family triumphs. It’s not to say that there were no other small-time German princely families around at the time - there certainly were. But the family fortunes at the end of the eighteenth century improved dramatically with the marriage of third daughter Juliane to Grand Duke Constantine, the second-eldest grandson of Empress Catherine II of Russia. Catherine, herself beginning life as a small-time German princess, sent her agent to scout German courts for a likely princess-bride for Constantine; taken ill in Coburg, Andrei Budberg identified the pretty Coburg princesses as candidates, and Catherine subsequently invited Duchess Antoinette and her three eldest daughters to St. Petersburg for inspection. Charmed by the youngest, Juliane, Empress Catherine selected her as the grand duke’s bride.

If the marriage turned out extremely poorly on a personal level - Constantine being a sadistic brute and Juliane separating from him after just a few years - it proved a dynastic benefit to the Coburg family. Her brother Leopold was given the honorary title of general in the Russian army when he was 12 (having been named to the Imperial Guards when he was all of six), though by his late teens and early 20s he was able to fight alongside the Allies and distinguish himself at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Considered extremely good-looking - Napoleon himself, upon meeting Leopold in 1807, had declared him one of the handsomest princes in Europe - and with the benefit of some fame in London as part of the victorious Allied force, Leopold soon began charming Princess Charlotte of Wales, only child of the Prince of Wales (and Prince Regent during the reign of his father, George III). With Charlotte unwilling to marry her father’s first choice of suitor - the eldest son of the Prince of Orange - and unreciprocated in her feelings for a Prussian prince, Leopold became a suitor acceptable to both Charlotte and her father; Leopold and Charlotte subsequently married in 1816.

Unfortunately - in a short-term political context, not to mention a lifelong deeply personal one - Charlotte died giving birth to a stillborn son. In the subsequent scramble among the middle-aged duke sons of George III to provide a legitimate heir in a sudden dynastic vacuum, Leopold saw opportunity, suggesting to the fourth son Edward, Duke of Kent (who had, incidentally, been among Charlotte’s favorite uncles) that he consider his, Leopold’s, widowed sister, Victoire. Given Leopold’s popularity within Britain at the time - at Charlotte’s death he had been confirmed in his rank as a British Royal Highness, a field marshal, and a privy councillor, and he had been awarded 50,000 pounds a year for life as well as the seat of Claremont he had shared with Charlotte - the Duke of Kent saw the advantage in marrying Victoire, and the two of them wed in 1818. 

Those Russian connections, incidentally, also helped second daughter Antoinette secure an advantageous marriage. Two years after her sister’s wedding, Antoinette married Duke Alexander of Württemberg, brother to the new Empress of Russia (Maria Feodorovna, previously Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg, wife of Emperor Paul). Likewise, second son Ferdinand’s success during the Napoleonic Wars (as an officer in the Austrian army, even earning the knight's cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa) allowed him to arrange a marriage to Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya, the richest heiress in Hungary; 

These successes provided the Coburgs with a politically advantageous position. While not themselves members of any of the Great Powers’ dynasties (and so checked in their ambitions by the concerns of any of the other Great Powers), they were nevertheless connected by ties of blood, marriage, and (in a political sense) friendship with any number of them. Combining this position with their famed good looks, the Coburg descendants managed to achieve notable dynastic successes over the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Having recently visited Brussels, I still don't understand how the Coburgs were so ambitious. I mean there's no lack of small German principalities so why them out of all of them got on so many European thrones?

I honestly have no idea. I halfway feel like they somehow managed to pull off a real-life glitch out of Civilization I, where similar to the programming of Gandhi's pacifism turning him into the nuclear meme lord, they somehow managed to turn what should have been the lowest luck when it came to dynastic marriage alliances into the highest.

[warwickroyals]

You did least favourite tiara, what about favourite tiaras?

Great idea! I think I'll prick my favourite tiaras from each country, and no commentary just so that this post doesn't ramble forever and ever. Just know that these are the ones that I like for either aesthetic or historical purposes. I'd say the best collections go to the British, Swedish, and Spanish in that order. Out of the fake monarchies Greece has some bangers in there:

Belgium 🇧🇪 - Queen Astrid of Belgium's Nine Provinces Tiara (as a bandeau)

Brunei 🇧🇳 - Anisha Isa Kalebic's Diamond Tiara

Denmark 🇩🇰 - Princess Louise of the Netherlands' Pearl Poiré Tiara

Egypt 🇪🇬 - Queen Nazli of Egypt’s Diamond Tiara

France 🇫🇷 - Empress Josephine’s Cameo Tiara (it's in the Swedish vault but it's French in every other way)

Germany 🇩🇪 - The Prussian tiara (it's of German origin but is currently with the Spanish due to royal intermarrying)

Greece 🇬🇷 - Khedive of Egypt Tiara

Italy 🇮🇹 - Queen Margherita of Italy's Pearl & Diamond Tiara

Iran 🇮🇷 - Empress Farah of Iran’s Turquoise Tiara

Japan 🇯🇵 - Imperial Chrysanthemum Tiara

Jordan 🇯🇴 - Queen Noor's Sunburst Tiara

Lesotho 🇱🇸 - 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso's wedding tiara

Liechtenstein 🇱🇮 - Princess Maria Kinsky's Honeysuckle Tiara

Luxembourg 🇱🇺 - Grand Duchess Marie Adélaïde of Luxembourg's Sapphire Tiara

Monaco 🇲🇨 - Princess Charlotte of Monaco’s Pearl Drop Tiara

The Netherlands 🇳🇱 - Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands's Stuart Diamond Tiara

Norway 🇳🇴 - Princess Ingeborg of Sweden's Pearl Circle Tiara

Russia 🇷🇺 - Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara (of Russian origin but is with the Brits)

Spain 🇪🇸 - Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain's Fleur de Lys Tiara

Sweden 🇸🇪 - Nine-Prong Tiara

United Kingdom 🇬🇧 - Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

BONUS - The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik 🇬🇧

BONUS - The Swedish Aquamarine Kokoshnik 🇸🇪

BONUS - Queen Desiree of Sweden’s Ruby Parure Tiara 🇩🇰