Royal weddings provide a national sense of celebration around the world, and while many have ended happily, others have not. Just two years on from their fairytale wedding in Belgium, it has been reported that Archduke Alexander of Austria and Natacha Roumiantzoff-Pachkevitch have decided to split.
According to Vanitatis, the son of Archduke Carl-Christian of Austria and Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg and Russian Countess Natacha suggested that a divorce could be on the cards after she introduced herself by her maiden name at an anti-Valentine’s Day event she organised with her company.
Natacha was also notably missing from Archduchess Estella of Austria’s funeral back in March.
The couple married on 13 September, 2023 at the beautiful Eglise Saint Pierre in Belgium and their nuptials was one of the biggest society events of the year.
Among the many famous guests were Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Crown Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Crown Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg, Prince Joachim of Belgium, Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau.
The couple’s aristocratic links stretch back many generations. While Natacha is thought to descend from Russian nobility, Alexander is the great-grandson of Charles I, the last Habsburg emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. He also has ties, through his grandmother, to one of the oldest noble families in Belgium, the Princess of Ligne.
The wedding was understandably a bittersweet occasion as it took place shortly after the death of the Archduke’s grandmother, Archduchess Yolande. Her funeral was held at the Eglise Saint Pierre a few days before the couple returned to the same location for their ceremony.
Following the ceremony, the couple were showered in confetti and travelled to their reception at the Château de Belœil, the seat of the Princes of Ligne.
The House of Ligne is one of the oldest Belgian noble families and the castle has been the seat of the Princes of Ligne since 1394.
