Cancelled Weddings and Engagements

[tommy100]

I think the Queen would allow it if she knew the couple had tried hard to get it together and couldn't. Princess Madeleine of Sweden broke of her engagement in part because it was revelaed her fiancé had cheated on her if I recall correctly. I'm sure in those cicunstances the Queen would not object the wedding being called off. It would also depend how far along to the wedding it was, again using Princess Madeleine as an example, i think a vague time e.g this summer, but no actual date, had been given, if the same were true in the BRF it wiuld b me big news but probably no big deal in reality.

I guess we have to remember the Queen is Head of State but also mother, grandmother and great grandmother and would rather deal with a last minute wedding cancellation than a broken marriage. Also remember Diana said she wanted to call her wedding off last minute but felt she couldn't....

 

[Jacknch]

Whatever the Queen's view of the matter, we would never know. However, I don't think the Queen or anyone else would have much of a choice in the matter if the engaged couple decided not to proceed with the marriage.

Apart from anything else, I'm quite sure many protocols would be broken with either the bride or groom (or indeed both of them) were dragged kicking and screaming up the aisle again their will.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Following the disaster of forces Diana and Charles to go through with the marriage both had doubts about in the weeks prior to the wedding I have no doubts that if a similar situation arose they would allow it to be cancelled or delayed. That is better than having another PR nightmare.

 

[Denville]

That's my point. I beleive that if Charles or Diana had approached the RF in 1981 and said that they wanted to break off teh engagement, there woudl have been a LOT of talk and pressure put on them, reminding them that they were engaged, that the engagement was short because they had made the commitment and that once it was announced the wedding plans had started to be activated, and they simply could not pull out. I would say that charles certainly would have given way in the face of such pressure.. Now, knowing that senior royals CAN divorce (back then it was thought that it would simply not happen), I'd say the queen would not be happy but would agree to ending the engagment

HM, The Queen may be the sovereign of the UK and the Commonwealth and the matriarch of the British Royal Family, but I don't think she'd ever think to "forbid" the breaking of an engagement. The last thing I'd ever attribute to the makeup of the Queen's character is that of a puppet master or playing chess with the family on a chessboard.

Personally, I'm tending to believe that the criticism and condemnation of a royal broken engagement would be far worse with the media and the public.

I dont think so, I think the press would enjoy the sotry, and woudl point out any problems that they had seen in the couple, but in general public reaction post C and Diana would be that it was better to break off an engagement than have a nasty divorce.
perhaps the queen isn't "enough" of a "chess player" in that I dont think she's taken much notice of her family's marital affairs, until she absolutely HAD to.. But I do beleieve, if back in the time of C and Di's engagement, she had been confronted with them saying they did' not now want to get married, she would have felt she had to say "No, you can't break this off."

 

[CyrilVladisla]

On New Year's Day, 1867, King Ludwig II of Bavaria's engagement to Princess Sophie Charlotte was announced. She was a sister of Empress Elisabeth of Austria.
The royal wedding was arranged to take place on Ludwig's 22nd birthday, August 25. An official announcement early in the summer postponed the wedding until October 12. However, Ludwig II broke off the engagement a week before the wedding.

 

[Countessmeout]

From private letters, we know Ludwig was a closet homosexual who struggled with what he was and bring Catholic. It had also become punishable with the unification of Germany, though it hadn't been in Bavaria in decades. Ludwig and Sophia had bonded over a shared love of music. He would never marry, and unfortunately questionable at best claims he was insane were later made.

Sophie had another reported gay suitor. She eventually married the duke of alencon and it us said they had a happy marriage. Though she didn't get along with her father in law, she did with her sister in law.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Princess Charlotte von Hannover, The Princess of Wales (1796-1817), the only child of King George IV was engaged to the Prince of Orange (later King Willem II of the Netherlands, Grand-Duke of Luxembourg).

From December 1813 until May 1814 Princess Charlotte and Prince Willem were engaged but this engagement was -completely out of the blue- broken by the Princess. On May 2nd 1816 Princess Charlotte married Prince Leopold von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (later King Leopold I of the Belgians).

The Prince of Orange found another partner befitting his status: Anna Paulovna Romanova, Grand-Duchess of Russia, daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia and sister of Tsar Alexander I (the great Nemesis of Napoleon) and of Tsar Nicolas I. Willem and Anna married on February 21nd 1816.

 

[Marc23]

Also the Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg with Elvire Paste de Rochefort. I don't know the reason.

i read that 2 families didn't agree on money settlement...Paste de Rochefort family was not happy with what Elvire would get in case of divorce and asked for "big money" in case of divorce.

Needless to say that the family is already rich enough.

Elvire Paste de Rochefort is second cousin of Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg and I think godmother of her son, Prince Leopold.

I read somewhere that Q.Margrethe's father Frederik was engaged to Princess Olga of Greece, but this engagement was broken off...anyone know if that is true?

Yes, he broke off the engagement because she "left him cold" and she was much relieved because he was "very much prone to alcohol".

There's another from a long time ago - the first Grand Duchess named Alexandra, Alexandra Pavlovna (granddaughter of Catherine the Great). She was about to marry a Prince of Sweden, but the prince didn't arrive at the church (IIRC). The grand duchess was so shamed, needless to say, and few months after, she died not because of a broken heart but with a broken heart from that event.

Oughhh, the scheduled wedding with Prince of Sweden was in 1796 and Alexandra died 5 years later(not few months after) in 1801 as Archduchess of Austria-Hungary.

It was Empress Catherine the Great who died few months after this intended wedding.

 

[Lady Nimue]

I love these stories! Why is that? It's the reverse of being a romantic, it seems to me (though I am definitely a romantic - wouldn't be on this site otherwise ) Must be we have all had our hearts broken, if only it was in Kindergarten.

 

[maria-olivia]

This news will break your heart again . The cancelled Engagement of King Ludwig II of Bayern wirg Princess Sophie of Baviera, Empress Sissi's Sister !

 

[Countessmeout]

Cyril already mentioned Ludwig a few posts up the page, post 70. Worked out at least for her, as her future marriage was said to have been quite happy.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

When the Court Circular, on January 28. 1895, announced the engagement of Prince Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Duchess Elsa of Wurttemberg, it stated: The Duchess Elsa attains her 19th year on March 1 next.
On paper, the match between Alfred and Elsa seemed lovely. However the wedding was cancelled.

 

[Somebody]

Princess Irene of the Netherlands is supposed to have been at the Spanish Court to talk about her daughter Maria Carolina as a perspective bride for Prince Felipe.

That's new to me. Interesting move if true as both fathers were competing for the same throne; so it would be a bit like the Georgian wedding/marriage - that didn't work out that well but did produce a heir.

I do, however, think that Carolina would have made an excellent queen!

Yes, I am aware of these dates. There was never a wedding date announced- is anyone aware of any other arrangements completed during the eight months of engagement?

If I remember correctly, the initial idea was for a fall wedding (so a few months after Victoria and Daniel). So, I assume the court was working on it somewhat - most effort would have gone into Victoria and Daniel's wedding. After their wedding was over, the plan surely was to focus completely on Madeleine and Jonas' wedding... but at that point it was no longer necessary.

 

[JR76]

If I remember correctly, the initial idea was for a fall wedding (so a few months after Victoria and Daniel). So, I assume the court was working on it somewhat - most effort would have gone into Victoria and Daniel's wedding. After their wedding was over, the plan surely was to focus completely on Madeleine and Jonas' wedding... but at that point it was no longer necessary.

The Head of the Royal Press Office, Nina Eldh, said at the time of the engagement that no date was set, but that the wedding would take place after both Crown Princess Victoria's wedding and the national election in September so a late fall or winter wedding seems to have been planned.

 

[eejm]

Prince Louis of Luxembourg was engaged to French attorney Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue in 2021, but the couple called off the engagement the following year.

 

[eejm]

A few other cancelled engagements came to mind today.

Hilda of Luxembourg, the younger sister of Grand Duchesses Marie-Adelaide and Charlotte, was engaged to Duke Philipp Albrecht of Württemburg in 1920. The wedding did not take place in part because of strong anti-German sentiment in Luxembourg following WWI.

Maria Annunziata, a younger sister of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was engaged to Duke Siegfried August of Bavaria in 1901-2. The engagement was cancelled when Siegfried’s profound mental illness became evident. He was institutionalized for many years; Maria Annunziata later joined a religious order.

Maria Beatrice of Savoy, the youngest child of Umberto II of Italy and Marie-José of Belgium, was engaged to Italian singer Maurizio Arena in 1967. This prompted Maria Beatrice’s family to attempt to declare her mentally deficient! The couple split the following year.

 

[JR76]

There's another from a long time ago - the first Grand Duchess named Alexandra, Alexandra Pavlovna (granddaughter of Catherine the Great). She was about to marry a Prince of Sweden, but the prince didn't arrive at the church (IIRC). The grand duchess was so shamed, needless to say, and few months after, she died not because of a broken heart but with a broken heart from that event.

The groom-to-be was the young King Gustav IV Adolf. The marriage was one of the conditions of the Treaty of Värälä and the Grand Duchess had taken Swedish lessons for five years before the planned wedding ceremony. The main issue of contention of the negotiations was the religion of the Grand Duchess and although the King had initially agreed to let her keep her Orthodox faith he changed his mind right before the wedding and locked himself in his room. The Grand Duchess, who was already dressed in the famously opulent and heavy Romanov wedding garb, her grandmother the Empress and the whole Russian court waited for four hours before the Empress suffered a fit of apoplexy and the ceremony was cancelled.

Quite ironically the King later married Princess Fredrika of Baden who was the sister-in-law of the Grand Duchess' brother, the future Emperor Alexander I.

 

[An Ard Ri]

7 couples that never made it down the aisle
7 royal couples that didn't make it down the aisle

 

[Stefan]

7 couples that never made it down the aisle
7 royal couples that didn't make it down the aisle

Only 2 of them were officially engaged

 

[Lori138]

Although not exactly a Royal, Nicholas Brabourne, the current heir to the Earldom of Burma, great grandson of Lord Louis was engaged three times prior to marrying his current wife - Ambre Poizet.

 

[Elly C]

Princess Stephanie was engaged to Jean-Yvette Le Fur in 1990. I remember the engagement photos in Hello! They seemed a very handsome couple, but they never made it down the aisle. He just seemed to disappear off the scene- I don’t think there were any objections from Rainier , I guess it just fizzled out.

Stephanie of Monaco is engaged to businessman - UPI Archives

Princess Stephanie of Monaco, the rebellious younger daughter of the late Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III whose outlandish lifestyle, punk looks, and...

www.upi.com

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I remember the LeFur engagement as well. He seemed a real step up for Stephanie compared to some of her former boyfriends.

But apparently, discreet inquiries by the Palace uncovered that LeFur had exaggerated/embellished his net worth iirc, so that was the end of that. Very ironic indeed when one considers that the very next year she entered into an affair with her bodyguard of all people, became pregnant by and eventually married him.

Jean-Yves LeFur died of cancer a couple of years ago.

 

[eejm]

Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Max of Baden were engaged for a few months in 1961 before splitting up. Beatrix never married while Max married Valerie of Austria in 1966.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Princess Stephanie was engaged to Jean-Yvette Le Fur in 1990. I remember the engagement photos in Hello! They seemed a very handsome couple, but they never made it down the aisle. He just seemed to disappear off the scene- I don’t think there were any objections from Rainier , I guess it just fizzled out.

Stephanie of Monaco is engaged to businessman - UPI Archives

Princess Stephanie of Monaco, the rebellious younger daughter of the late Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III whose outlandish lifestyle, punk looks, and...

www.upi.com

And he died a few years back from pancreatic cancer
Jean-Yves Le Fur funeral in Paris | IMAGO

 

[Elly C]

I remember the LeFur engagement as well. He seemed a real step up for Stephanie compared to some of her former boyfriends.

But apparently, discreet inquiries by the Palace uncovered that LeFur had exaggerated/embellished his net worth iirc, so that was the end of that. Very ironic indeed when one considers that the very next year she entered into an affair with her bodyguard of all people, became pregnant by and eventually married him.

Jean-Yves LeFur died of cancer a couple of years ago.

Thanks Moonmaiden23. I didn’t know about the ‘discreet enquiries’ into his financial affairs. Ironic indeed in view of her subsequent relationships. You can’t help but wonder how things might have turned out had the marriage gone ahead.

 

[Biri]

And he died a few years back from pancreatic cancer
Jean-Yves Le Fur funeral in Paris | IMAGO

Did Stephanie attend his funeral?
I've read that they had remained friends.

 

[eejm]

Caroline of Denmark, daughter of Frederik VI of Denmark, was engaged to her uncle Christian of Hesse-Kassel in 1812. Christian had some sort of mental breakdown not long after the engagement and died in 1814. Caroline married her cousin Ferdinand in 1829.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Caroline of Denmark, daughter of Frederik VI of Denmark, was engaged to her uncle Christian of Hesse-Kassel in 1812. Christian had some sort of mental breakdown not long after the engagement and died in 1814. Caroline married her cousin Ferdinand in 1829.

William , Duke of Clarence (future Willian IV) was also being proposed as a possible candidate at one stage.

 

[Curryong]

William , Duke of Clarence (future Willian IV) was also being proposed as a possible candidate at one stage.

That would have been rather inconvenient for his domestic arrangements ie his mistress, the actress Dorothea Jordan, and however many of the ten illegitimate children she was to bear him, who were present. Still, perhaps Caroline would have just accepted the family, as the future Queen Adelaide was to do!

 

[An Ard Ri]

That would have been rather inconvenient for his domestic arrangements ie his mistress, the actress Dorothea Jordan, and however many of the ten illegitimate children she was to bear him, who were present. Still, perhaps Caroline would have just accepted the family, as the future Queen Adelaide was to do!

Following the death of Princess Charlotte their was some what of a royal scramble to secure the line of succession.
The king had children but no no legitimate grandchildren at that stage and William was 27 years older than Adelaide.
Also William and Adelaide were married on the same day as Edward , Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld at Kew!