Memory Monday (Pre Revolution Wedding)

Good day everybody. So after a week of logistics, I am back to blog, finally! I want to make this post worthwhile so I thought it should have some real substance and a lot of wow. Thus I decided to not just do a historic event but to do what we can consider to be the pivotal event in history. This, the 1986 wedding of Queen Crystobel II of Scotney and Crown Prince Cristian of Britania was the ultimate Royal event up until that date not just for its scale and grandeur but also for eventually leading to the creation of the United Empire of Scot-Britania. In itself this marriage was the pinnacle of Europan history but sadly led to the greatest tragedy, that of the Bloody Revolution of 1996. The wedding heralded what was to be a new era of "working together" and a unified future for the two greatest nations in Europa and this required an event imbued with unprecedented grand spectacle and founded on official State tradition. It was truly an event never before seen or since enjoyed.

We are fortunate that even though most of the historic reference and photographic evidence preceding the revolution was destroyed, that this particular event was recorded independently by the Swann News Corporation and we can view it in its totality here today. (See if you can recognise some of the historic jewels that survived the revolution.)

Here we see the 10th Duke and Duchess of Aragon.

Guests arriving at the wedding were posed for official State Portraits. They were also required to have their Crowns or Coronets present if their titles required it. The men were to wear formal tuxedo suits or uniforms with full regalia and the women were to wear white or title based uniforms along with tiaras and knighthood regalia where appropriate. Only reigning monarchs or consorts where allowed to wear coloured dresses.

The 9th Dowager Duchess of Marlboro.

From left, the Crown Princess, Queen and King of Syldavia and the King, Queen and Crown Princess of Normandia.

The 12th Duke and Duchess of Lancaster. The Duchess was Queen Crystobel, who later became Empress' aunt.

The 10the Duke and Duchess of Marlboro.

The reigning Princess of Monagask and her husband Stephano Lombardi.

Here we see the then heir to the Hispanian throne and parents of the current Queen Maria of Hispania, the Prince and Princess of Cataljone.

The 7th Earl and Countess Cartwright.

The Duchess of Roswind.

Queen Isabella II of Hispania never travelled with the actual Crown of Hispania but used an older, less valuable symbolic crown for the event.

The current Queen Gloria of Normandia's grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

Queen Crystobel's direct family, from left; her youngest sister Princess Beatrice, her brother in law the Duke of Swann and her sister the Duchess of Swann. At right we see her father the Prince Consort of Scotney.

His Majesty King George VI of Britania, the groom's father.

The groom, Crown Prince Christian of Britania waits at the throne for his bride. The Crowns on the floor represents his father's subject domains and titles. The Crown of Scotney rests on the pedestal at the King's right to show it is not a subject dominion.

The bride arrives in an open carriage wearing a tiara.  This was swopped for the Scotney Nuptial Crown once she alighted from the carriage.

Once the heavy robe was freed from the carriage, Queen Crystobel and her Matron of Honour the Duchess of Swann, were to enter the throne room.

Walking down the aisle seen from behind.

The Bride and future Empress in all her glory wearing State Robes and historic jewellery.

The knot is tied. Even though the revolution destroyed the dream of Empire, it did not destroy a very successful 10 year marriage. Today also, the legacy lives on in their son, the Crown Prince Imperial and his wife. The dream of a United Empire might one day become a reality yet.

One of the surviving State Portraits of Queen Crystobel II from her wedding day.