Over the weekend, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg celebrated another royal wedding when Princess Marie Astrid wedded her boyfriend, Ralph Worthington.
On Saturday, the 25th of September 2021, the nuptials took place in the St Mary of Assumption Co-Cathedral in Orbetello, Tuscany, just 19 days after the bride’s sister also tied the knot in a Viennese religious ceremony.
The Rev. Canon Alexander Sherbrooke conducted the ceremony in the presence of His Eminence Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Archpriest Emeritus of the Papal Basilica of St Peter in the Vatican. The music was offered by the Choir of the Vicarage of St Peter Basilica in Vatican City. Among the bride’s witnesses were Princess Maria Laura of Belgium (daughter of Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este) and Prince Louis of Luxembourg, while the groom had Prince Christian of Hanover among his witnesses.
The bride wore a richly embroidered gown with a long train and the Honeysuckle tiara from the Liechtenstein collection. She was walked to the altar by her father, Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein.
Ralph Worthington is an American entrepreneur and, after directing an art gallery in Dubai, he decided to open his own consulting firm for infrastructure and tourism businesses.
Princess Marie Astrid of Liechtenstein is the second daughter and third child of Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein and Princess Margaretha, who was born a Princess of Luxembourg. More specifically, Prince Nikolaus is the brother to the current Liechtenstein Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam, while Princess Margaretha is sister to late Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, and therefore is an aunt to present Grand Duke Henri.
The couple, who met in 2019, had plans to get married in 2020 but had to postpone the wedding due to travel restrictions.
Present for the wedding were a lot of royals, both from reigning and non-reigning Houses. For the Liechtenstein side of the bride’s family, there were Prince Hans-Adam II, Hereditary Prince Alois and his wife Princess Sophie, Princess Isabelle and Prince Philip, as well as newlyweds Princess Maria Anunciata and Emanuele Musini, who escorted the bride’s mother, Princess Margaretha.
For Luxembourg, the Grand Ducal Family was represented, among many, by the Hereditary Grand Ducal Couple Guillaume and Stéphanie, Prince Felix, Prince Louis and his fiancée Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue and Princess Alexandra.
The Belgian royals had important roles during the ceremony. Prince Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este, accompanied his daughter Princess Maria Laura, who served as a witness for the bride, and his granddaughter Princess Anna Astrid, who was one of the flower girls (Princess Anna Astrid is the first child of Prince Amedeo and Princess Elisabeth).
Royals from non-reigning families included Chantal Hochuli, former Princess of Hanover, with her daughter-in-law Princess Ekaterina (wife of Hereditary Prince Ernst of Hanover) and her second son Prince Christian of Hanover, and his wife, Alessandra.
The Liechtenstein Princely Family seemed extremely happy to have one more reason to celebrate, after the heartache they suffered only last month, when, following a stroke, Princess Marie passed away at the age of 81.
