Tea at Trianon: Monaco's Princely Wedding

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Monaco's Princely Wedding

I enjoyed watching the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco to the former Miss Wittstock, now Princess Charlene. It was held in the palace rather than in the cathedral, for reasons of space. I was impressed by the serenity and recollection of the new princess during the nuptial mass. A recent Catholic convert, it is my impression that Princess Charlene has wholeheartedly embraced her new faith. The gown was simple but utterly exquisite; the prince had trouble keeping his eyes off of his bride during the ceremony. The first reading was from the Book of Tobias, about the wedding of Tobias and Sarah. Tobias, after a long search for a bride, finds his lady at last, and they pray together before consummating their union. (Tobias 8:4-10)

According to Hello! Magazine:

The courtyard had been turned into an open-air cathedral, where Monseigneur Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco, was to conduct a Catholic wedding mass consecrating her marriage to the Monegasque sovereign.

With her head ever so slightly bowed, but with a composed smile on her face, the 33-year-old, who was raised thousands of miles away in a humble South African family, looked like she had been born to the role.

Watching her every step intently were the 3,500-strong congregation; plus 800 more celebrities, royals and family members who had been ushered into the inner courtyard.

And millions more – watching on TV screens and through the internet across the globe - witnessed her life-changing journey down the red carpet.

Before making their wedding vows the couple were asked to renew their baptismal vows. I have never seen that done before. May God bless them with many happy years! More commentary, HERE, from Mad for Monaco.

(Photos: HERE and HERE) Share

3 comments:

Julygirl said...: Would have liked to have attended this summer's Royal Weddings. Inspiring.; July 3, 2011 at 1:00:00 PM EDT
Dymphna said...: Poor woman. Grace's son grew up to be terribly irresponsible.; July 4, 2011 at 11:51:00 AM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: At least he pays child support. But I do worry about him straying again. There was gossip that Charlene heard that he has a third child by his girlfriend on the way and she was quite upset.; July 4, 2011 at 11:58:00 AM EDT