Russia's royal family holds first wedding in more than 100 years

By Emre Gurkan Abay

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AA) – A descendant of Russia's renowned House of Romanovs, Georgy Romanov, was married in St. Petersburg’s Saint Isaac’s Cathedral on Friday.

Romanov's marriage to Italian writer Rebecca Bettarini was the first wedding of a royal family member in Russia in more than 100 years, according to the Russian Imperial House.

The couple officially registered their marriage in late September in Moscow.

The ceremony was attended by hundreds of guests from several countries, including representatives of royal families

Romanov is the son of the Russian Imperial House head Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, the only child of Vladimir Romanov and Duchess Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani.

The 40-year-old Romanov, a member of the last dynasty of the Russian Tsardom, which was murdered by the Bolsheviks, currently resides in Spain.

The last tsar of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II, was killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918 along with his wife and five children.

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*Writing and contributions by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara