Hereditary Prince Carl Christian von Wrede & Countess Katalin Bethlen de Bethlen 2003

[Elsa M.]

Fürst Carl Christian von Wrede married his long time friend Katalin, Countess von Bethlen de Bethlen, in 2003.

The civil wedding took place at the Schloß Ellingen in Blumen, on June 14th 2003, while the religious ceremony happened in the St. Mathias Church of Budapest (Hungary), on July 12th.

Carl Christian (*1972) is the son of Fürst Carl von Wrede and his first wife, Ingeborg Hamberger. Katalin (*1975) is a daughter of Count Nikolaus Bethlen de Bethlen and Gladys Mollik.

--*--*--

The night before the wedding ceremony, there was a pre-wedding soirée in the Landwirtschaftlichen Museum.


After the church celebration, which lasted almost one hour and a half, a carriage took the newly-weds by the beautiful streets of Budapest, to the Landwirtschaftlichen Museum, where the couple offered the reception to their 220 guests. The banquet was served by the Gundel Catering.

Finally, the evening was concluded with a ball, in the castle, about 20 kilometres far from Budapest.

The couple’s first night was in the "Hilton" hotel. After the honeymoon, they went to live in Munich, where they both work; Carl Christian in an English bank and Katalin in the marketing department of a great company.

[Elsa M.]

From the civil wedding (Ellingen castle, in Blumen), on June 14th 2003:

By SeegerPress:

[Elsa M.]

Wedding photos from SeegerPress:

[Elsa M.]

More from SeegerPress:

[magnik]

Thanks Elsa M:)
Couple looks nice and in love. Simple and quite elegant gown and the veil.:)
What's new on them - still together, any children?
For who belong to this tiara?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by magnik

Thanks Elsa M:)
What's new on them - still together, any children?
For who belong to this tiara?

No children that I can find listed. The tiara comes from the Wrede family according to Point de Vue.

Here is a pic of Schloss Ellingen in the thread of the marriage of Carl Christian's sister Princess Alexandra to Archduke Karl Peter of Austria.
(Princess Alexandra is also wearing the Wrede tiara.)

[nayralorenzo]

Wow, this schloss is very beautiful. I want to try to visit it, but I don't know if the normal people can visit it...

[crisiñaki]

Was any member of reigning royal houses present in the wedding?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by crisiñaki

Was any member of reigning royal houses present in the wedding?

Point de Vue mentions Archdukes of Austria, and Princes of Bavaria, Oldenburg and Sayn-Wittgenstein.
Specifically:
Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria
Prince Manuel of Bavaria
Princess Anna of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (now Manuel's wife)
Princess Anna of Bavaria, Duchess in Bavaria
Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria, Duchess in Bavaria
Archduke Georg & Archduchess Eilika of Austria (neé Oldenburg)
Archduke Carl Christian of Austria
Archduchess Catharina of Austria
... and no doubt a whole swag of German princes and princesses, including
Prince Georg Constantin of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Princess Desiree of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Reichgrafin von und zu Hohensbroech.

As to reigning houses, I expect there would have been a Liechtenstein prince or princess or two.

[Elsa M.]

Thanks, Warren!
These are some of the guests, by SeegerPress:

1. Princess Alexandra von Wrede (sister of the groom) and Archduke Carl Peter von Habsburg;
2. Angela Oettingen-Spielberg and Franziska Hohenlohe-Bartenstein;
3. Archduchess Catharina von Habsburg-Österreich and Count Massimiliano Secco d'Aragone with their son Constantino;
4. Prince Georg Constantin von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach and his sister, Desiree von und zu Hoensbroech;
5. Princesses Maria Anna and Elisabeth in Bayern;
6. Archduke Carl Christian von Habsburg-Österreich;
7. Archdukes Paul Georg and Eilika von Habsburg;
8. Laura Ponte and Nathalie Picquot (from Spain).
9. Countess Stephanie von und zu Guttenberg;
10. Countess Sophie Henckel Donnersmarck.

[Elsa M.]

Still from SeegerPress:

1. Prince Manuel von Bayern and Princess Anna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg;
2. Prince Leopold von Bayern and his wife, Princess Ursula;
the little bridesmaids and page boy (this is Constantino, son of Archduchess Catharina and Count Massimiliano d'Aragona).

[princess olga]

Great bride, love the veil especially. Not sure about the hairdo, though, but who knows, maybe it's very 'her'. Great dress, wonder who the designer is?! And the tiara...wow! That thing must be worth a small fortune!

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by princess olga

Great bride, love the veil especially.

...And handsome groom! *deep sigh*

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

...And handsome groom! *deep sigh*

haha yes, the groom <is> very handsome! But more handsome than that gorgeous veil? MMNotsure

Couple questions:
1. They both seem to stem from prominent German nobility--why marry in Budapest? Or is there some Budapest/Hungarian tie somewhere? Come to think of it, with both Germany and Hungary being democracies these days, do either the family of the groom or bride or both still have a castle and some land tied to their royal titles? Kindof like for example Ernst August (how he could hold on to that castle in Hannover beats me actually, with Germany being the Bundesrepublik that it now is)
2. Is it just me or is it true that the so-called 'lesser' European royals (princes without land infrastructure and the likes) have the tendency to marry 'within the family', as in, marry other nobles--more than top-tier royals who tend these days to marry whichever girl manages to steal their hearts. Are the royals who were robbed of their castles more into nostalgia and traditionalism and therefore tend t marry their peers? While the princes who are ensured of becoming king one day of country x, y, or z, don't have that chip on their shoulder? Just wonderin'..

[Warren]

Originally Posted by princess olga

Couple questions:
1. They both seem to stem from prominent German nobility--why marry in Budapest? Or is there some Budapest/Hungarian tie somewhere? Come to think of it, with both Germany and Hungary being democracies these days, do either the family of the groom or bride or both still have a castle and some land tied to their royal titles? Kindof like for example Ernst August (how he could hold on to that castle in Hannover beats me actually, with Germany being the Bundesrepublik that it now is)

2. Is it just me or is it true that the so-called 'lesser' European royals (princes without land infrastructure and the likes) have the tendency to marry 'within the family', as in, marry other nobles--more than top-tier royals who tend these days to marry whichever girl manages to steal their hearts. Are the royals who were robbed of their castles more into nostalgia and traditionalism and therefore tend t marry their peers? While the princes who are ensured of becoming king one day of country x, y, or z, don't have that chip on their shoulder? Just wonderin'..

1. German Nobility, yes, but with 'connections' and relationships extending into Central Europe. Ernst August keeps his castles in Germany and estates in Austria because they are private property. Just as many French aristocrats still own their ancestral castles and chateaux in republican France. For the Wrede family seat, Schloss Ellingen, see post #6.

2. The 'old order' of the German and Austrian nobility (ie with Holy Roman Empire and pre-1918 German titles) form a sub-caste within the larger Gotha. Traditions are strong and social networks are tight. Estates located in Communist-controlled countries were lost, though some have been regained; those with properties in the former West Germany and Austria retained them. Again, the principle in law of "private property". Some of these families are rich, and some are not. But wealth is not the arbiter for entry into this very exclusive social circle. Not all the princes, princesses, counts and countesses from these families marry within their caste, but many do, to the present day. It's just the way things are. Members of reigning families already have their postions and status, and for the choice of partner who will play a national public role there are more important considerations than family lineage.

I hope this helps.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Warren

1. German Nobility, yes, but with 'connections' and relationships extending into Central Europe. Carl Christian's sister married her Archduke in Budapest where the Habsburgs have a presence. Ernst August keeps his castles in Germany and estates in Austria because they are private property. Just as many French aristocrats still own their ancestral castles and chateaux in republican France. For the Wrede family seat, Schloss Ellingen, see post #6.
I hope this helps.

Carl Christian's sisters married both in Brussels
Alexandra married in 1984 Hexctor Riesle and
Constanza in 1994 Fürst Franz Josef von Auersperg-Trautson.
It ws Georg's sister Walburga and Count Archibald Douglas who married in 1992 in budapest and also his own marriage to Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg took place in Budapest.

[princess olga]

Thanks, Warren, for your enlightening answers. You certainly know your subject matter, and I appreciate your sharing it with the rest of us. :)

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Carl Christian's sisters married both in Brussels
Alexandra married in 1984 Hexctor Riesle and
Constanza in 1994 Fürst Franz Josef von Auersperg-Trautson.
It ws Georg's sister Walburga and Count Archibald Douglas who married in 1992 in budapest and also his own marriage to Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg took place in Budapest.

Thanks Stefan, but I was referring to Prince Carl Christian von Wrede, not Archduke Carl Christian of Austria.
Nethertheless, I still got the wedding location of the Wrede sister wrong; it was at Ellingen and not in Budapest as I previously stated. :)

[Elsa M.]

Here are the photos from the pre-wedding ball, at the Landwirtschaftlichen Museum of Budapest (the same place where the wedding reception was held).

Photos from SeegerPress:

[Elsa M.]

Photos of the guests, at the pre-wedding soirée. By SeegerPress:

1. Ingeborg Hamberger and Archduchess Peter of Austria, neé Princess Alexandra von Wrede (mother and sister of the groom);
2. Princess Alexandra von Wrede and Archduke Carl Peter von Habsburg;
3. Fürst Carl Friedrich von Wrede (father of the groom), Gladys Bethlen de Bethlen (mother of the bride), and Fürstin Katharina von Wrede (the mother of George-Constantin and Desiree);
4. Archduchess Catharina and Count Massimiliano Secco d'Aragona;
5. Prince Georg-Constantin of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, his sister Reichgrafin Desiree, and her husband Reichgraf Florian von und zu Hohensbroech.