Two Kings and Three Queens as well as the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were among the Royal Guests and Relatives from around Europe at the Wedding of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and Princess Olga of Greece in Belgrade on this day in 1923, 100 years ago.
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, son of Prince Arsen Karađorđević and the late Princess Aurora Pavlovna Demidova of San Donato, married Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark (wearing Queen Olga’s Diamond Rivière), the daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, in splendid ceremony at the Royal Palace of Belgrade, the day after the Christening of Crown Prince Peter of Yugoslavia. The Wedding Day was described in Robert Prentice’s Princess Olga of Yugoslavia: Her Life and Times:
After the christening, Olga and Paul escaped to enjoy a sightseeing drive around Belgrade, in the company of the Duke and Duchess of York, followed by afternoon tea aboard the Romanian royal yacht. In the evening, a pre-wedding gala concert was followed by a cold buffet supper.
After a fitful sleep (and doubtless dwelling on the new life which awaited her), the Princess awoke to prepare for her wedding day. While she dressed, Olga was fussed over by Princess Nicholas, Elisabeth, Marina and the ever-faithful Kate Fox. Later, when Prince Nicholas called to collect his daughter for the ceremony, he found her ‘quite ready [and] looking perfectly adorable’ in her ‘simple’ wedding dress which was augmented by the gift of a fine lace veil from Turia Campbell (Princess Catherine Galitzine). There followed a brief, but touching moment when Olga’s parents’ blessed her with ‘a lovely icon’ which Ellen had purchased specially in Paris. Finally, at noon, it was time for the bride-to-be and her family to walk through the palace corridors, which were lined by ‘an admiring crowd of courtiers’ to the Royal Chapel.
The Princess wore ‘an angelic expression of purity’ as she joined Paul at the altar for the marriage which was solemnized by the Patriarch. In keeping with Serbian tradition, the bride stepped over a strip of cloth, scattered corn and kissed a new-born baby (Peter). Touchingly, at the conclusion of the ceremony, the newlyweds went over to Olga’s parents and embraced them tenderly. Prince Nicholas was moved to find that his eldest child, ‘had made such an extraordinary impression on everybody.’
During the wedding lunch, Olga ‘had a smile and kind word’ for each of her hundred guests, before embarking with Paul on a short ceremonial drive through the principal streets of the city. Thereafter, the newlyweds departed for the station and as their wagon lit pulled out of the platform, Olga confided thankfully to her diary, ‘On our own life à deux!’
Meanwhile, a thankful Prince Nicholas informed his mother, ‘at least we know that she loves her husband and that he simply worships her.’ However, the perceptive Duchess of York, reflecting on her Balkan visit, noted ‘how odd’ the bride’s new in-laws were. As Olga would soon discover, they were indeed a far cry from the close, loving family unit she had just left behind.
Royal Guests and Relatives were hosted by King Alexander of Yugoslavia while Queen Maria was recovering from an attack of peritonitis.
Prince and Princess Nicholas of Greece (wearing her Sapphire Brooches) were joined by Princess Elisabeth and Princess Marina.
From Greece, the Royal Family was headed by Queen Sophia of Greece (wearing her Ruby Brooch and Star Sapphire Brooch) and Queen Elisabeth (in Grand Duchess Victoria Melita’s Cartier Sapphire Necklace) along with Crown Prince Paul and Princess Irene.
King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania (wearing Sapphire Brooches) were there with Crown Prince Carol and Crown Princess Helen.
Guests of honour were the Duke (later King George VI) and the Duchess of York (later Queen Elizabeth), who were good friends of the groom and later the bride.
As wedding gifts, Princess Olga received her Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara from her mother, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, the Boucheron Diamond Tiara from Prince Paul’s aunt, Princess Abamelik-Lazarev, and a Diamond Rivière from her grandmother, Queen Olga of Greece:
The couple received some wonderful wedding presents: Olga was given a necklace of 26 diamond collets from her grandmother Queen Olga, while Paul’s Aunt Moina provided a Boucheron diamond tiara. The bride-to-be was so touched by her generosity, that she paid a visit to Moina at the Villa Demidoff, en route to her nuptials in Belgrade. In the interim, Paul had invited Prince Albert (who had recently been created the Duke of York) to be his best man.
The Jewels of Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
Origin: Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna / Princess Nicholas of Greece in 1902
Notable Appearances: Concert at Royal Albert Hall in 1934, Coronation Gala in London in 1937, State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, Greek Monarchy Centenary Celebrations in 1963
Current Location: Unknown
Origin: Princess Maria Pavlovna Abamelik-Lazarev in 1907
Notable Appearances: State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and her niece, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach, in 1956, King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961, Greek Monarchy Centenary Celebrations in 1963
Current Location: Albion Art Institute
Origin: Queen Olga of Greece
Notable Appearances: Coronation of King George VI in 1937, State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955 and Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962
Current Location: In the collection of Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
Origin: Queen Olga of Greece
Notable Appearances: Wedding to Prince Paul of Yugoslavia in 1923, the Coronation Gala in London in 1937, Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Princess Frederica of Hanover in 1938, State Visit to Nazi Germany, State Visit to Italy in 1939, Wedding and Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and her niece, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach, in 1956, King Paul of Greece’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961, Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962, Wedding Ball of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne Marie of Denmark in 1964
Current Location: Unknown, sold at Auction in 2006
Origin: Grand Duchess Vladimir
Notable Appearances: State Visit Germany in 1939, Wedding of her son Prince Alexander, to Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece in 1962
Current Location: Unknown, sold to Princess Gloria von Thurn and Taxis, and auctioned in 1992 and 2014
Origin: Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna / Princess Nicholas of Greece
Notable Appearances: Wedding Gala of her sister, Princess Marina of Greece, to Prince George, Duke of Kent in 1934, King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961
Current Location: Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia
Origin: 1950s
Notable Appearances: Wedding Gala of her son, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, and Princess Maria Pia of Italy in 1955, Wedding Ball of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and her niece, Countess Helen zu Toerring-Jettenbach, in 1956, King Paul’s 60th Birthday Banquet at the Royal Palace of Athens in 1961, Greek Monarchy Centenary Celebrations in 1963
Current Location: Princess Barbara of Yugoslavia