Wedding of Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy
The wedding of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy took place over a two-day period on October 19 and October 20, 2012. A civil ceremony was held on October 19 followed by a Roman Catholic wedding ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City the next day. The 2012 wedding marked the largest event for the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg and the country in years. More than 120 international media organisations requested accreditation for the event, including TV channels and newspapers from China, Morocco, Russia and the US. Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last unmarried heir apparent of a monarchy in Europe prior to the wedding.
The House of Nassau-Weilburg, which includes the Grand Ducal Family, has headed Luxembourg since 1890. Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg is set to succeed his father, Henri, as the 7th Grand Duke of Luxembourg upon the latter's death or abdication. Stéphanie de Lannoy is a member of a Belgian noble family, considered one of the oldest aristocratic families in Europe. She is the youngest of eight brothers and sisters. A graduate of the Université catholique de Louvain, Stéphanie is multilingual, speaking French, German and Russian. The union of Guillaume and Stéphanie was not controversial. Guillaume and Stéphanie had known each other for many years. The couple began dating in 2009. They announced their engagement in April 2012. Prince Guillaume was 30 years old and Stéphanie was 28 years old at the time of their wedding. Stéphanie's mother, Alix de Lannoy, died from a stroke on August 26, 2012, just two months before the grand ducal wedding. The 2012 grand ducal wedding is estimated to have cost approximately 500,000 euros (US$650,000), paid with Luxembourgish taxes. The two-day ceremony included public street fairs, fireworks, and free concerts, all open to the public. Stephanie's change of citizenship was expedited prior to the wedding, which caused some controversy within Luxembourg. She became a naturalized Luxembourger October 19, 2012.
Civil ceremony
Prince Guillaume and Countess Stéphanie were married in a small civil ceremony on October 19, 2012, conducted by Luxembourg Mayor Xavier Bettel.
Religious ceremony
The more elaborate, Catholic wedding ceremony was held in Notre-Dame Cathedral the next day. The ceremony, which began shortly after 11:00 a.m. on October 20, was officiated by Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg. The weather on the day of the ceremony was described as "unseasonably warm." Stéphanie was escorted into the Cathedral by her eldest brother, Count Jehan. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume arrived at the ceremony with his mother, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg.
The bride and groom exchanged wedding rings crafted entirely from fair trade gold.
The couple exchanged a public kiss before a crowd of well-wishers on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace after the ceremony.
Countess Stéphanie's wedding dress was designed by Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab. The dress was described as an "ivory lace gown embroidered with silver filigree" with "three-quarter length sleeves." Her gown was accompanied by a silk tulle veil, featuring a motif of silver floral designs trailing thirteen feet behind her and the Lannoy family tiara.
Prince Guillaume wore a Luxembourgish military uniform.
The bridal attendants were the bridegroom's sister and nephew, and nieces and nephew of the bride:
Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg
Antonia Hamilton
Prince Gabriel of Nassau
Countess Caroline de Lannoy
Countess Louise de Lannoy
Isaure de le Court
Lancelot de le Court
Madeleine Hamilton.