First Romanov wedding in Russia in a century

Restore the Russian monarchy. It might reign in Putin a bit and bring some civility to the Russian government.

After a century of waiting, Russians witness a royal wedding once more.

Under the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral in Russia's former imperial capital city, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov, 40, married his Italian bride, Victoria Romanovna Bettarini, 39, in an Orthodox ceremony on Friday before priests and several hundred guests.

Czarist trappings included an engagement ring "traditionally exchanged in the House of Romanov," according to a press release. "The ring centers a ruby cabochon gemstone that represents love and nobility and two diamond brilliants that represent purity and strength."

Great story and photos of the wedding. Quite the lavish affair:

None of these Romanov descendants contracted equal marriages, thus under house laws for that RF they are disqualified from becoming monarch.

Putin could pull a General Franco and try to reinstate the Romanovs and while he's at it side step a few nasty pesky questions regarding legitimacy of whoever was chosen, but don't see that happening.

Putin has co-opted much from imperial Russia, but putting Russian back under a monarchy isn't going to happen. Recreating Soviet Union, now that is possible, and indeed what Putin has been busy doing.

FAT and fug

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Поздравления!!

I’d fuck him

The Russian people had seventy years of being told that the tsars were murderous tyrants, which they were . I don’t think there would be much appetite for bringing them back.

The tsars were murderous tyrants. The Soviets were murderous tyrants. The post-Soviet Russians are murderous tyrants. One murderous tyrant is much like another.

George Romanov's great-grandfather, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich (who was a first cousin of Nicholas II), escaped the revolution and fled to Finland, later relocating to Western Europe. George himself spent most of his life between Spain, where he was born, and France. He and his now-wife, Victoria, moved to Russia in 2019.

[quote]I’d fuck him

Such a ringing endorsement.

She looks like an opera singer, r5. Diva!

Between the two of them Lenin and Stalin killed more Russians than the last several Romanov Tsars combined.

Lenin at the start did do some great things for Russia and Russians. But overall Russia has never experienced all of what they were promised after the Romanovs were murdered.

Russians have never known true freedom and democracy. There has always been boots on necks, and neither Lenin, Stalin or their successors changed much of that.

The old nobility has been replaced by oligarchs and Putin cronies who have looted Russia for their own personal avarice. Putin has made himself "tsar" and will "rule" Russia until he dies.

In 1901 any Russian could be picked up and locked away virtually for any reason. In 2021 same thing under Putin

I wouldn't count on a Return of the Romanovs any time soon. Hell will freeze over first whilst Putin and his boys are in charge.

Return of the Church, good. Return of monarchy with all its magic and the inevitable struggle for power? Bad.

Russia isn't like Britain, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, etc., where constitutional monarchies cleverly wove themselves into the fabric of modern democratic states.

That just isn't in Russian DNA.

Be best!

Sorry, R12, but she looks like Ursula from the Little Mermaid. Especially with that make up and that permanently crazed expression.

Are there any HOT Romanovs that are in line to be tsar?

No, not really...

For what it's worth

R14

You leave out Great Britain was first in checking power of a sovereign with the Magna Carta

The young one on the left might not be too bad, R18. Looks like he has some decent pecs anyway.

That's what 40 looks like in Russia? Gee.

Fat monarchs are always funny looking.

A stiff plain ill-fitting dress with lumps of flesh and undergarments plainly visible?

Meghan, you ARE an influencer!

You also leave out Great Britain had its own revolution and murdered one king, Charles I.

The monarchy was restored, but point was driven home to the Stuarts they ruled by Grace of God and will of the People. That will was expressed via Parliament.

There have been hiccups along the way with various monarchs over stepping bounds at times (Queen Victoria in her youth comes to mind), but overall monarchs of GB got the message.

Romanovs had same problems with Russia as Bourbons had with France, feudalisms' time had gone and those at the top failed to understand this either at all or fast enough.

French revolution wasn't about shortages of grain/bread, budget deficits, etc... in whole. But rather it was time for a change from absolute monarchy to something more democratic. Louis XVI simply wasn't the man up for that sort of job.

Russia OTOH was rather like Austrian-Hungary empire. It was vast and made up of various persons who often had nothing in common with each other or a much smaller core of Russia.

The forces unleashed by French revolution and Napoléon's armies changed political landscapes all over Europe. It just took until early 1900's to reach Austria-Hungary and by extension Russia. Just as the Serbs and Croatians wanted to be free of the Hapsburgs, Poles and Finns wanted to be free of Russia.

Nicholas II was urged by large part of his government and majority of Romanov family that things had to change or else. The Tsar wasn't having it, and more importantly neither was Empress Alexandra. Both saw it is their God given duty to pass onto their heir a Russia under an absolute monarch.

Huge problem for any plans to bring Russia a more democratic parliamentary type government is the country was still largely backwards. Unlike GB, France, etc.. Russia didn't have a large or even significant educated middle class. You basically had the poor and very wealthy at either ends. In middle there were some middle classes, but not nearly enough.

If Russia had not entered WWI and instead Nicholas II finally saw sense and began a process of moving his country towards a parliamentary government, the Romanovs may still be on throne.

Who's of higher status among the royals, the brf or the romanovs?

The Grand Duchess could be your annoying office manager in a tiara.

r12 Her arms!

[quote] She looks like an opera singer, [R5]. Diva!

She has a face that is perfect for radio.

Who do these people think they are?

Jesus, the face on one of the little bridesmaids, on your left! That's the future wife of an oligarch!

In Siberia, no one know who these are:

Alexander and Ivan, two visitors from Siberia who happened on the scene, looked on in confusion. They tried — incorrectly — tried to suss out the grand duke's pedigree.

"So let me get this straight," said Alexander. "He's the great great great grand-nephew of Nicholas's third cousin?"

"This royal blood is too watered down," added Ivan to laughter and nods.

R26, well, the last ones were related, the Czarina, Alexandra was a grand daughter of Queen Victoria. The hemophilia came down her line to Nicolai, which is how Rasputin got on the scene.

Is this now a dynasty of fatties?

He'd be cute if he lost some weight, but not too much as I like me some fat on me meat.

The bride is almost 40 if I recall correctly. Not the best dynastic choice.

Nicholas II was petite and cute. He had a great ass.

But he couldn't live forever.

Where are our Tiara Queens. Is it of note?

This is the Chaumet Lacis Tiara, which is made of white gold and set with diamonds. Victoria announced that she would wear the tiara back in March. It’s not clear whether the tiara was acquired from Chaumet or loaned by the jewelry firm for the event.

No, not of note, until she wore it. Brand new.

They both look like opera singers.

If this is what the Romanovs have on offer, then Putin probably isn't losing any sleep.

Isn't there another branch that also claims to be the rightful heir?

Princess Alix of Hesse was a beautiful young woman, and he was so handsome.

These two tubs of lard are a sorry replacement for the two people pictured below.

R3 And that one issue has been at the heart of a century-long argument within the family. Maria, as 'Curatrix of the Throne', could presumably change the Romanov House Laws anytime she wished, as Nicholas II did -- but doing so would legitimise other more senior members of the family and alter the succession away from her son.

I am frankly amazed that Maria allowed George to marry a commoner, she has been obsessed her entire life with justifying her parents' dynastic marriage.

Bring back the Byzantine Empire!

The only families that seem to make equal marriages are the German ones. And they have no prospects whatsoever of regaining their principalities and kingdoms.

The only Russian monarch is Putin. The groom is some poor loser.

I like that they're both fat and forty. Such a refreshing change from C list starlets and social climbers who don't wear panties in public.

Thanks for those, r37!

R42 I don’t think Mama Romanov did approve the match. She withheld approval for nearly a decade until the groom said he was marrying with or without her. Like Pavlov of Greece, he seems to accept the throne isn’t coming back so no sense in throwing away his change at happiness.

Photos in R37

Nicholas and Alexandra like many other well off families at the time took tons of family photographs. There were albums full of them...

When Kerensky had the Romanovs moved from Tsarskoe Selo they were limited as to what could be taken. The Empress was very put out and complained to "Nicky" that "they won't let me take the photographs.." meaning family albums of pictures, but by then the ex-Tsar was powerless to intervene.

Other personal effects of Romanovs were taken after they were murdered at Yekaterinburg and their assassins went though luggage. Everything that wasn't looted got sent back to Moscow.

Lenin and his Bolshevik henchmen were very efficient and effective in eliminating good portion of Romanov family, especially in male line. They wasted no time in offing Grand Duke Michael whose remains have never been found to this day..

R48 Interesting. I would have thought a mother as dynastically obsessed as Maria Vladimirovna would have demanded a male heir as soon as possible; George's new wife is soon to be 40 and is ageing out, quite aside from being a commoner.

Maria Vladimirovna could demand anything she wanted, fact on ground remains Romanovs nor monarchy are going to be restored in Russia. Period, end of story, time to move on...

Even the Bourbons in France long have stopped "pretending" to throne of France. On another front way things are going another branch of that family (Bourbons of Spain) may not see that monarchy endure much longer either.

Also as stated few times in this thread nearly all men in Romanov family have contracted unequal marriages. That alone disqualifies any of them from becoming "Tsar of All The Russias". Ditto for females in that family as well.

Best Romanovs can hope for is same as former Russian nobility. To live in Russia without fear of being killed or imprisoned, and restoration of property taken by Lenin.

Even there things would only go but so far. Giving back real estate might be one thing, but jewels, art and so forth looted by Bolsheviks would be another matter. What wasn't sold off is either is in state hands or Russian museum collections.

Nicholas Romanov, Prince of Russia

Monarchies can be a social institution to be of some value - if they behave.

Problem with restoration of monarchy in Russia is you cannot have that institution without some sort of nobiity. One supports the other.

When Napoléon Bonaparte made himself emperor of France, he also created and or brought back system of nobility.

Same with Spain, where nobles do not have any special rights such as exempt from paying taxes, they never the less do exist.

Nicky was hot.

Yes, but sadly Nicholas II was a raging anti-Semite, and pussy whipped to point of being spineless.