Belgian royals turn heads at Vienna royal wedding

Belgian royals gathered in Austria’s capital Saturday for one of the summer’s chicest society events: the wedding of Archduchess Isabel of Habsburg-Lorraine and Carlos Gaytn de Ayala.

The nuptials at the historic Jesuit Church (Universitts Kirche), just the third wedding to be held at the church in a decade, brought together prominent members of European houses, with royal watchers and locals gathering to see the glamorous guests.

Leading out the international delegation were Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, with their oldest children, Crown Princess Elisabeth and Prince Gabriel in tow.

Crown Princess Elisabeth and Queen Mathilde Make Style Statements

Twenty-four-year-old Crown Princess Elisabeth turned heads in a beautiful emerald green pleated midi-dress from chic French label Maje. The future queen paired her dress with a matching feathery fascinator, coordinate clutch, and beige pumps and a sister is seen in her style from not long ago, when she graduated Harvard with a Masters degree in public policy.

Queen Mathilde, 53, pulled off a timeless, mature look in a sleek scarlet lace-dress while her husband King Philippe and 22-year-old Prince Gabriel both opted for classic, dark morning suits.

(Note: The couple’s younger son, Prince Emmanuel, 20, and daughter, Princess Elonore, 18, did not attend.)

The Bride’s Bridal Jewels and Couture

Arachduchess Isabel, 26-daughter of Archduke Simeon of Austria and Princess Maria of Bourbon-Two Sicilies-wore a custom-made satin, a-line dress with a white and pearl detailed overlay, a high neckline, and capped sleeves and a trailing tulle veil embroidered in identical flowers.

Her jewelry selections were deeply sentimental and passed down to the bride:

The Bourbon Five-Diamond Button Tiara: This was first worn in 1936 when it was passed down as a wedding gift from Princess Maria to her mother, Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma.

Mother’s Pearl Earrings: Precisely the same pearl drop earrings that Princess Maria wore when she married, herself, in 1990.

The groom, who is a senior private equity associate in London, and scion of a historically Spanish aristocratic family, Carlos Gaytn de Ayala, arrived in a traditional morning suit before leading his bride out of the cathedral to applause.

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The presence of the King and Queen of Belgium speaks to the deep family connections that have linked the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine for generations. King Philippe’s sister, Princess Astrid, is married to Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, whose family is linked directly to the ancient Austrian royal dynasty.