
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov kisses Victoria Romanovna Bettarini as they leave the Saint Isaac's Cathedral as Russian honour guards salute them during their wedding ceremony in Saint Petersburg, on October 1, 2021.

Russia was to hold its first royal wedding, on October 1, 2021, since the 1917 Bolshevik revolution toppled the Romanov monarchy, with royals from across Europe expected at the lavish ceremony.

The guest list of around 1,500 people included other prominent names like Konstantin Malofeyev, a monarchist and billionaire close to the Kremlin, and Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

The House of Faberge said it was the first time it had created wedding rings for members of the Romanov family "since before the Russian revolution".