Princess Irene of The Netherlands & Prince Carlos-Hugo of Bourbon-Parma: Apr 29, 1964

[Marengo]

Princess Irene of The Netherlands & Prince Carlos-Hugo of Bourbon-Parma: Apr 29, 1964

The engagement on 08-february-1964

(pics ANP)

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And after the so-called 'night of Irene', when it became clear that Irene would not get approval of the government/parlement IF she asked for it. So she did not ask parlement and decided to marry without parlementary approval:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f50/Jan-Maarten/irene15.jpg

 

[Marengo]

More of the engagement:

Posing the day after the engagement:

Pics: ANP

 

[Marengo]

Pics of the wedding in Rome. No relatives of the bride attended the wedding. The wedding took place in Rome, at the Chapel of Basilica of St. Mary Major on april 28 1964:

Pics: ANP

 

[Marengo]

More from the wedding.

First two from corbis, last two from mario's weblog.

 

[Marengo]

Two pics of the couple leaving on their honeymoon ANP & Corbis:

 

[Marengo]

A videoclip of the wedding, definately worth checking. She attracted a crowd in Rome!

Scroll down and click on the picture of Princess Irene in her weddingdress:

http://majesty.web-log.nl/majesty/beeldfragmenten/index.html

 

[Her_Majesty]

Thanks for the pictures, Marengo!
They were such a beautiful couple!
Irene looked so much like her sister Beatrix back then!

 

[Marengo]

IMO she was the prettiest bride we (the dutch) ever had. Sadly her family wasn t allowed to join her in Rome. They watched it at Castle Warmelo of Princess Armgard, but had trouble with the cable so the television went white halfway the ceremony. Must have ben difficult for Juliana & Bernhard.

The dress was by Balmain (or Balenciaga).

 

[Victoria1999]

I am sorry, but why the wedding was not approve by the goverment?
She was a very beautiful bride

 

[Marengo]

Because Carlos Hugo was a claimant to the spanish throne. Theoretically it could mean that a child of irene and Carlos could become King of Spain and The netherlands at the same time. Apart from that, the spanish goverment supported the claim of Don Juan-Carlos de Borbon, and not of this rival carlist line, so the Dutch goverment wanted to prevent a conflict with spain and decided not to allow the RF to attend Irene's wedding in Rome.

Before that Irene already caused a lot of controvercy by converting to catholisism, which also played a part in 'the night of Irene' , the engagement night. Angry protestants changed the names of Princess Irene schools, streets etc. while others aproved of her free choice.

 

[Victoria1999]

Thank you very much for answering my question

 

[Marengo]

Two pictures, free of copyrights:

www.hetgeheugenvannederland.com

 

[Marengo]

On the square. During this chaotic walk Irene's dress got torn:

pic also free of copyrights, www.hetgeheugenvannederland.com

 

[princess olga]

Didn't know her dress got ripped!

By the way, Marengo, I'm totally with you, this bride was one of the DRF's best ever! (I also am really partial to both Juliana and Wilhelmina as brides)

just don't really understand what Irene saw in Carlos Hugo. Just don't get it. She was so gorgeous and interesting and must, just must have had an army of viable suitors, and she picks this guy? Was he really charming or something?

 

[Warren]

Was he really charming or something?

The fact that Prince Carlos Hugo is invited to and attends many House of Orange family events indicates he is in favour with Queen Beatrix, notwithstanding his formerly troublesome daughter.

 

[sm1939]

The fact that Prince Carlos Hugo is invited to and attends many House of Orange family events indicates he is in favour with Queen Beatrix, notwithstanding his formerly troublesome daughter.

why what did the troublesome daughter do ??

 

[Marengo]

Princess Margarita of Bourbon-Parma and her ex-husband Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn gave some notorious interviews to political magazine HP/de Tijd, in which they blamed the RF of just about anything that went wrong in their lives.

-
I think that the entire country at that time was wondering what Irene saw in that guy. She was every teenage boys idol at that time (or so I have been told by several babyboomers)

I like Juliana's dress best of all btw. On pictures it is ruined by the thick undergarments that Juliana had to wear underneath it, but in real life it is beautiful in its simplicity.

-
To Warren: most of all the Queen is thankful that Carlos-Hugo kept his mouth shut without being to difficult. They had to pay Jorge Guillermo aa rather high amount to keep him from writing a book about his life with Princess Christina and esp. with her family.

 

[sm1939]

is Carlos - Hugo still married to Irene ??

 

[Marengo]

No, the couple divorced in 1981. Apparently because the Carlist dream fell apart and the two drifted further and further apart. I remember that in 1997 princess Irene still had difficulties being seen in public with her ex husband at the wedding of Prince Maurits and Marliene van den Broek (at least, that is what the news stations said), but later she must have gotten used to it and they found a way to get along well enough.

 

[prinses]

Plaatjesupload.nl :: Gratis Plaatjes en Foto's Uploaden - Upload Plaatjes
(scanpix)

 

[Marengo]

A colourphoto of the engagement:

 

[cristine]

In fact she was so beautiful and he was very far away from been atractive. And it seems strange to me that the weddidg wasn't approved because by that time Spain wasn't a monarchy and Juan Carlos and Sofia have already had Elena and JC was Franco's favourite and Carlos-Hugo probably won't be a king.

 

[sjetajiem]

They never asked for approval!!!

 

[lucien]

They never asked for approval!!!

Oh yes they did.But during the,what is called,night of Marijnissen (the then PM) it was decided to have a wedding without parliaments consent as C-H,and more specifically his father,wasn't willing to give up the rights to the Throne of Spain,as that alone was the obstacle,
but old Xavier was a stubborn old bat and he wouldn't hear of it.

Not too long after this little family drama,Prince Bernhard's intervenience made the B-P's were kicked out of Soestdijk Palace.With Juliana,Bernhard and Beatrix on a State Visit to Mexico,one Irene initially was to accompany them too,the B-P's "made themselves comfortable" at Soiestdijk Palace,ordering the household around as if they bloody owned the place,really,that happened,till the palace staff was soo fet up they called PB in Mexico,he told them a thing or two I can't recall here,they all packed their bags the same minute........

Spain wasn't a Monarchie at the time,no,but Franco had dear Juan Carlos already "in training" in Spain as his future heir,nobody was waiting for yet another rival to a,at the time,non-existent Throne.

Due to our relations with Spain,we would have offended a friendly nation diplomatically,a parliamentary yes would mean a recognisition of the Carlist claim,by both the government and the RF,that couldn't be the case as you will understand.

 

[IloveCP]

I thought her wedding dress was boring but I love her tiara.

 

[Marengo]

A clip of the wedding of Princess Irene in the chapel Borghese of the Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, followed by an audience of the couple by Pope Paulus VI:

Hoogtepunten uit het jaar 1964 - Nieuws - Huwelijk Prinses Irene - YouTube

Note the catty comment of the reporter in the end: 'Nobody paid attention to the other members of the Bourbon-Parma family, like the sisters-in-law of Princess Irene'.

Due to the large crowds & chaos the couple was half an hour late for heir audience with the pope.

 

[An Ard Ri]

What an amazing clip,its hard to believe today that this wedding caused quite a stir in Royal circles,did anyone from the Dutch RF attend?

 

[lucien]

What an amazing clip,its hard to believe today that this wedding caused quite a stir in Royal circles,did anyone from the Dutch RF attend?

No,no one.As Carlos Hugo was Pretender to the Spanish Throne and Franco was in charge there with another in mind,Juan Carlos...It was not done to attend,plus ofcourse in these frumpy days it was an absolute scandal that the Princess had converted to Catholicism...The outcry!...Another reason the RF couldn't attend.They all watched the ceremony at Warmelo Castle,residence of Prince Bernhards mother instead...Sad...Would be totally laughable these days...but back then...

But the newly weds were again present among family circles that same summer in Porto Ercole,Tuscany where Juliana and Bernhard used to have a villa

 

[An Ard Ri]

No,no one.As Carlos Hugo was Pretender to the Spanish Throne and Franco was in charge there with another in mind,Juan Carlos...It was not done to attend,plus ofcourse in these frumpy days it was an absolute scandal that the Princess had converted to Catholicism...The outcry!...Another reason the RF couldn't attend.They all watched the ceremony at Warmelo Castle,residence of Prince Bernhards mother instead...Sad...Would be totally laughable these days...but back then...

But the newly weds were again present among family circles that same summer in Porto Ercole,Tuscany where Juliana and Bernhard used to have a villa

Thanks Lucien,hard to bekieve it was almost 50 years ago! I'm sure the sizeable Dutch Catholic population didn't see it as a scandal at the time!

 

[lucien]

Thanks Lucien,hard to bekieve it was almost 50 years ago! I'm sure the sizeable Dutch Catholic population didn't see it as a scandal at the time!

No not at all,then,as now still,it was the largest denomination.But the understanding for the difficult position of Queen Juliana was huge all the same.It must have been extremely difficult for her as a Mother on the one hand,and a Head of State on the other.A Solomon decision.Extra difficult to Juliana as the wedding took place a day before her birthday and at that time there were huge defilées at Soestdijk Palace.And Juliana ofcourse was there on the morning of april 30th,as if nothing ever happened....There was just this empty spot where Princess Irene used to stand on this special day.Was sad An,I am sure she had wished she been just among the family,or alone.But,duty first,always.