Portugal's First Royal Wedding in 28 Years: The Duchess of Coimbra Wore the Tiara of Portugal's Last Queen, with 800 Diamonds

Portugal has been a republic since 1910, but on October 7, 2023 the country dressed up once again for a royal wedding, the first in almost three decades. The last one had been the bride's own parents' wedding, in 1995. Maria Francisca of Portugal, Duchess of Coimbra and daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, said "yes" that day to lawyer Duarte de Sousa Araújo, grandson of the painter and architect João de Sousa Araújo.

The ceremony took place in the basilica of the National Palace of Mafra, a baroque monument on UNESCO's World Heritage list, 40 kilometres from Lisbon. The choice wasn't accidental: the palace was built by one of their ancestors, King João V, at the start of the 18th century. Representatives of the royal houses of Luxembourg and Liechtenstein came, along with aristocrats and figures from Portuguese politics. Among the guests was Miriam de Ungría, widow of Bulgaria's Prince Kardam, with her sons Beltrán and Boris, princes of Bulgaria. The Balkans have their own royal families without thrones too - and they still have a place on the guest lists of Europe's courts.

A tiara with 800 diamonds. The bride, then 26, entered the church under a long veil of white silk tulle, and beneath it was the tiara her mother had also worn. It's a historic piece from 1887, made for Amélie of Orléans, the last Queen of Portugal: 800 diamonds set in silver and gold, with lily motifs and strings of diamond necklaces. Precious jewellery for a crown that no longer exists.

A classic gown, like her mother's. The dress was by Portuguese designer Luzia do Nascimento and was very similar to the one the bride's mother wore in 1995. It was made of mikado silk, with a high collar that opened like the petals of a flower, French sleeves with cuffs embroidered with tiny crystals, and a wide train. Before the wedding, Maria Francisca made no secret of her trust: "I know it will be spectacular. Luzia and her granddaughter Catarina, as well as being very kind, do wonderful work and I have complete faith in them." The bouquet was white hydrangeas with a little greenery, in the spirit of the most classic royal brides.

A second dress for the celebration. Like Kate Middleton, Beatrice Borromeo or Princess Eugenie of York, the Portuguese duchess changed for the party. After the church, the newlyweds and guests moved to the bride's parents' house in São Pedro de Sintra for the formal dinner. There, Maria Francisca appeared in a simple white halter-neck dress, again by Luzia do Nascimento, which strongly recalled the one Stella McCartney created for Meghan Markle. She paired it with emerald and diamond earrings that belonged to her grandmother Francisca and an emerald and diamond brooch in her half-up hairstyle.

Three years on, the photos from Mafra still look like they're from a time when kingdoms came with territories. Is it nostalgia, a show for the tourists, or simply a family keeping its traditions while the state chose its form long ago?