Prince Leka of Albania and Elia Zaharia, 8 October 2016

[Fürstin Taxis]

Wedding of Prince Leka of Albania and Elia Zaharia
8 October 2016, Tirana/Albania​

The Wedding and reception will be held at the Palace of Brigades.

 

[Ilse]

A special website for this wedding:
ROYAL WEDDING | PRINCE LEKA II & ELIA ZAHARIA

 

[principessa]

At least the couple will be married. I am looking forward to see the bridal couple.

 

[Blog Real]

Albania's TV will broadcast the wedding?

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

The guest list is out

Guest List for The Royal Wedding | ROYAL WEDDING

Archduke Georg and Archduchess Eliika of Austria, Princess Léa of Belgium, Prince Carlos and Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies (Duke and Duchess od Castro), Prince Ali of Egypt, Prince David Bagrationi, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, Princess Irene of Greece, Prince Michael and Princess Marina of Greece, Empress Farah Pahlavi, Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein, Prince Nikola II of Montenegro, Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco, the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu of Romania, Grand Duchess Maria Valdimirovna and Grand Duke George of Russia, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia, Queen Sofía of Spain, Dowager Princess Gloria and Princess Elisabeth of Thurn und Taxis, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Prince Gundakar, Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, Princess Imaculata of Liechtenstein, Princess Charlotte of Liechtenstein, Prince Michel of Yugoslavia, Princess Maria Theresia of Bourbon-Parma, Archduke Joseph Karl and Archduchess Margarete of Austria, Archduchess Johanna Sophie of Austria, Prince Joachim Murat, Prince Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga del Vodice, Prince Alvaro de Orléans-Borbon and Princess Antonella de Orléans-Borbon, The Prince d`Arenberg, Princess Sonia Poniatowsky, Prince Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga del Vodice

 

[eya]

Impressive guest list!!!!! No one from Scandinavia and Netherland??

 

[Blog Real]

Prince Albert of Monaco are not going to the wedding?

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

Impressive guest list!!!!! No one from Scandinavia and Netherland??

It seems not. I would have thought members of the extended family of the SRF would attend. But imo the list is impressive for the Albanian RF, considering their short rule.



Regarding broadcasting, I have yet to see an announcement from a channel. But I don't think we won't see anything

 

[Al_bina]

The guest list is impressive indeed. Hopefully we shall see photos of Prince and Princess Michael and Lalla Meryem in a magnificent caftan. I hope that Princess Gloria will be dressed in a normal outfit and wear her gorgeous pearls.

 

[Bonnie Blue Butler]

Who's Sonia Poniatowsky?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The most reigning Houses seem not represented:

Norway
No one

Sweden
No one

Denmark
No one

Netherlands
No one

Monaco
No one

Belgium
Not sure if the widow of a son who was born in the second (non-dynastical) marriage of King Léopold III is an official representant. Maybe there are friendly relations with Léa and the Albanian couple?

Then Queen Sofía of Spain. I think this has more to do with her Greek background than with the representing the Kingdom of Spain. Albania is a direct neighbour of Greece and has very strong historical, cultural and economic ties going centuries back. The United Kingdom is represented by a cousin of the Queen: his mother was-like Queen Sofía- Greek as well, so the same argument applies on them.

 

[LadyFinn]

Belgium
Not sure if the widow of a son who was born in the second (non-dynastical) marriage of King Léopold III is an official representant. Maybe there are friendly relations with Léa and the Albanian couple?

From March:
On the 10 ten year anniversary of the passing of HRH Prince Alexander of Belgium, Prince Leka and his fiancé Miss Elia Zaharia attended the Prince Alexander Foundation gala dinner held under the patronage of HRH Princess Lea at the Brussels City hall
Albanian Royal Family -

 

[Andy T]

It's an interesting guest list and, as posters have pointed out, quite impressive, given that the dynasty was in power for ten years. Moreover, the prince is not a blood relative (in any meaningful sense of the term) of other European dynasties and he is 'only' a grandson of a former monarch.
The Balkan region is very well represented - Greece, Montenegro, Serbia and Romania (but not Bulgaria!). The closest-linked "great power", Italy (Savoy, Parma, the Two Sicilies) is represented in force but the other 'great powers' Austria, Russia, Prussia/Germany, France (Orléans-Bourbon) and the UK are there, too. The wider "Mediterranean" region is completed with Portugal and Spain, Morocco and Egypt.

The absence of the ruling families of Benelux (ok Léa is there), Monaco and Scandinavia is perhaps not so unusual given the absence of any close family or personal bond.

I hope very much that the day is a joyous one for the couple and a huge success as an event, reminding Albanians of their history.

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

Who's Sonia Poniatowsky?

Getty

INTERNATIONAL LUXURY CONSULTING: SONIA PONIATOWSKI

Seems to be her, but I can't find a lot of infos about her, in fact nothing. Maybe others know more?

 

[maria-olivia]

Princess Lea is a Belgian minor Royal.
The most important Guest is Queen Sophia of Spain.

 

[carlota]

The guest list is out

Guest List for The Royal Wedding | ROYAL WEDDING

interesting and long royal guestlist indeed. however, may i point out that most of the royals are fairly minor royals - and most reigning houses are not represented. my guess is that most of these royals are attending in their capacity as friends of the couple (as is lea of belgium for example) rather than in representation of their royal house. as in: there was probably no discussion in the belgian court as to who to send to this wedding in their representation - the guests invited accepted or not based on their relations with leka and elia instead.

for example, the presence of Princess Irene of Greece makes me think that Queen Sofía of Spain attending is through personal connection rather than in sofia's role as queen emerita. otherwise, the more known royals are from dethroned houses themselves, so they are not in official representation either - Empress Farah Pahlavi, Prince Nikola II of Montenegro, Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu of Romania, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia. maybe their friendship unites in their glory days long gone.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Looks like there will be a nice royal gathering in Tirana tomorrow!

 

[Marc23]

Maybe there are friendly relations with Léa and the Albanian couple?

I think that Leka is the godson of King Baudouin of Belgium and was also close to Fabiola.

Then Queen Sofía of Spain. I think this has more to do with her Greek background than with the representing the Kingdom of Spain. Albania is a direct neighbour of Greece and has very strong historical, cultural and economic ties going centuries back. The United Kingdom is represented by a cousin of the Queen: his mother was-like Queen Sofía- Greek as well, so the same argument applies on them.

Albanian royal couple were living several years in Spain during their exile...during that period they were also close to Maria Vladimirovna and her family,as well as Spanish royal couple.

 

[eya]

https://twitter.com/Royaleurope/status/784428353151467521

Queen Sofia arrives in Tirana with Princess Irene.

 

[Benjamin]

Then Queen Sofía of Spain. I think this has more to do with her Greek background than with the representing the Kingdom of Spain. Albania is a direct neighbour of Greece and has very strong historical, cultural and economic ties going centuries back. The United Kingdom is represented by a cousin of the Queen: his mother was-like Queen Sofía- Greek as well, so the same argument applies on them.

As mentioned by Marc23, Queen Sofía's connection is more due to the Albanian royal family living in Madrid for some years in the 1970s.

Along with Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, Doña Sofía is one of the few royal guests who will have attended both King Leka and Queen Susan's wedding as well as Crown Prince Leka and Crown Princess Elia's.

Some of Prince Muhammad Ali of Egypt's aunts, half-sisters of King Fuad II, were also present at the wedding of the parents of King Leka in 1975.

 

[Marc23]

the prince is not a blood relative (in any meaningful sense of the term) of other European dynasties and he is 'only' a grandson of a former monarch.

Well,after all he is their distant relative.

His father is a descendant Prince Leopold I von Anhalt-Dessau who is ancestor of most European royal families.

His mother is descendant of King Edward of England, King Jean of Jerusalem and Emperor of Constantinople, King Louis VI of France, King Fernando III of Castille, King Alfonso IX of Leon etc.

 

[RoyalHighness 2002]

Am I the only one that thinks that with this wedding and the possibility of the birth of a heir, that the Albanians could eventually vote for the return of the monarchy. I mean it has already happened(and supposedly that outcome was rigged)so it's not like it couldn't happen again.

 

[Countessmeout]

A lot of titles, but other than Sofia, prince and Princess Michael and the the Lichtenstein, mainly defunct honorary titles. Still quite an impressive gathering.

 

[Cris M]

Will they have a religious wedding? And what is the religion of the Albanian Royal Family?

 

[RoyalHighness 2002]

Will they have a religious wedding? And what is the religion of the Albanian Royal Family?

I am pretty sure that in one of the interviews Leka and Elia did, they were talking about a royal tradition that mirrored the religious tolerance of Albania of bringing together the five main religions of Albania: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Bektashi, so pretty much an interfaith ceremony.

 

[stef]

The most reigning Houses seem not represented:

Norway
No one

Sweden
No one

Denmark
No one

Netherlands
No one

Monaco
No one

Belgium
Not sure if the widow of a son who was born in the second (non-dynastical) marriage of King Léopold III is an official representant. Maybe there are friendly relations with Léa and the Albanian couple?

Then Queen Sofía of Spain. I think this has more to do with her Greek background than with the representing the Kingdom of Spain. Albania is a direct neighbour of Greece and has very strong historical, cultural and economic ties going centuries back. The United Kingdom is represented by a cousin of the Queen: his mother was-like Queen Sofía- Greek as well, so the same argument applies on them.

Queen Sophia,is not as a representative or by relation with the Greek Royal Family in this event, because I don´t remember that the Greek royal house had friendship with Albania. Queen Sophia and Princess Irene are as personal friends. Father of Leka was exiled in Madrid and he was friend of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia.Personally, I never saw in acts or events of the Greek royal family, to the royal house of Albania

 

[Al_bina]

Who's Sonia Poniatowsky?

Please, scroll down to find the photo of Princess Sonia.
Wedding of Countess Elisabeth d'Udekem d'Acoz & Markgraf Alfonso Pallavicini in 2006

 

[Countessmeout]

Will they have a religious wedding? And what is the religion of the Albanian Royal Family?

Leka I am not certain. His father and grandfather were Sunni Muslim. His grandmother queen Geraldine was Catholic. But the family has always been very accepting of all faiths. The family tomb in the capital in fact embraces the different religions.

By tradition the couple will marry civilly, the marriage performed by the mayor. They will receive a blessing though from the heads of all the major religions there.

 

[LadyFinn]

Albania Prepares for Historic Royal Wedding __ Balkan Insight

 

[Prisma]

Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg will attend the wedding.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalementBlog