LUXEMBOURG - Under a canopy of soldiers' drawn swords as church bells tolled, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and Belgian Countess Stephanie de Lannoy emerged smiling Saturday from the tiny duchy's Notre Dame Cathedral after wrapping up a two-day wedding gala with a religious ceremony.
Royal wedding puts tiny Luxembourg in spotlight
October 20, 2012 at 10:51PM
Onlookers and well-wishers lined the super-scrubbed streets near the cathedral and roared with joy as the newlyweds looked down from a red velvet-covered palace balcony, and haltingly -- but deeply -- kissed for the crowd.
The church wedding of Prince Guillaume -- the 30-year-old heir to the throne and Luxembourg's grand duke-to-be -- and the Belgian countess drew top-drawer guest list. It came a day after a civil ceremony at Luxembourg City Hall.
The bearded groom and his 28-year-old blonde bride were trailed by a procession of well-known royals, including Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Prince Naruhito of Japan, and Britain's Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie.
Stephanie plans to renounce her Belgian citizenship in order to -- one day -- become Luxembourg's grand duchess. The tiny country wedged between France, Belgium and Germany is an important financial center and continues to prosper despite Europe's economic trouble.
The nuptials gave tiny Luxembourg -- a founding member of the predecessor of the European Union -- a rare moment in the international media spotlight.
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Five generations have vacationed at Ely’s charming, rustic Camp Van Vac. As the end of a family legacy approached, guests anxiously awaited its fate.
