Royal Wedding Drama: When a Princess’s Choice Caused a Family Feud
Princess Marie d’Orléans and Prince Gundakar of Liechtenstein celebrated their wedding day on July 29, 1989, at Schloss Friedrichshafen, but the event was marked by familial discord stemming from the bride’s choice of venue.
Rather than the traditional Chapelle royale de Dreux favored by her father’s family, Princess Marie opted to hold the ceremony at the Württemberg summer home. This decision deeply angered Prince Henri, Count of Paris, and his father, the Count of Paris, leading to their absence from the wedding, according to reports from the time.
Despite the strained relations within the d’Orléans family, the marriage proved successful. Princess Marie and Prince Gundakar went on to have five children: Princess Leopoldine, Princess Marie Immaculée, Prince Johann, Princess Margarete, and Prince Gabriel.
Prince Gundakar Albert Alfred Petrus of Liechtenstein, born April 1, 1949, in Vienna, Austria, is the eldest son of Prince Hans-Moritz of Liechtenstein and Princess Clotilde von Thurn und Taxis. His lineage connects him to one of Europe’s wealthiest and most private dynasties. Princess Marie, born Marie Isabelle Marguerite Anne Geneviève d’Orléans on January 3, 1959, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, is the eldest daughter of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, and Duchess Marie Thérèse of Württemberg.
The wedding itself drew attention, mirroring the interest often generated by the Liechtenstein royal family’s events. In September 2021, the marriage of Princess Marie Astrid of Liechtenstein and Ralph Worthington, held at the late-Gothic Orbetello Cathedral in Tuscany, similarly captivated observers. Princess Marie Astrid wore the Kinsky Honeysuckle tiara, a 19th-century piece adorned with diamonds, silver, and gold, for the occasion.
The 1989 civil wedding was held at Dreux, but failed to appease the bride’s father and grandfather. Only the Countess of Paris, the Duchess of Württemberg, and the Duke of Orléans attended from the d’Orléans family.