French society magazine Point de Vue was able to follow Victoria Romanovna Bettarini as she made a visit to the legendary jeweler Chaumet to select the tiara that she will wear for the first time at her wedding to the Grand Duke George on 1st October in St. Petersburg. Russian Legitimist is happy to provide an English translation of the article by Jérôme Carron.
POINT DE VUE
REBECCA VICTORIA ROMANOVNA BETTARINI
The Tiara of the Bride-to-Be
THE FIANCÉE OF GRAND DUKE GEORGE OF RUSSIA GOES TO CHOOSE THE MAIN ACCESSORY SHE WILL WEAR ON HER WEDDING DAY OCTOBER 1ST IN ST. PETERSBURG. A PIECE CREATED BY THE HOUSE OF CHAUMET WITH WHICH SHE FELL IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
THE STORY OF A SPECIAL DAY.
BY JÉRÔME CARRON, PHOTOS DAVID NIVIÈRE
On a low table in the “Salon Malmaison” of the main floor of Chaumet’s Hôtel particulier on the Place Vendôme in Paris, eleven tiaras were set before the fascinated gaze of Rebecca Victoria Romanovna Bettarini. Seated next to Jean-Marc Mansvelt, the Director General and CEO of the celebrated jeweler, the future wife of the heir of the Imperial House of Russia found a selection of heritage as well as more contemporary pieces. The bride-to-be took her time to admire these unique treasures. She tried on three or four before settling on a creation by the workmaster Benoit Verhulle, the thirteenth to hold the position since the birth of the House 240 years ago. “I wanted a tiara that had never been worn. This one is perfectly balanced, sumptuous yet simple. Its shape is an homage to the kokoshnik, the traditional Russian wedding tiara, and its ships’ sail-like shape reminds me of St. Petersburg where we will be married, as well as George’s great-grandfather, the Grand Duke Kyrill, who was a Commandant of the Imperial Navy” explains Rebecca Victoria Romanovna Bettarini. The tiara is of white gold starred with more than 438 diamonds and centering an oval-cut stone of five carats and a pear-shaped diamond of two. They are connected by the “knife-edge” technique, a specialty of the firm. “The technique has been used since Grand Duke George’s great-great-grandmother, the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, was a client of Chaumet in 1899. The ‘Waterfall’ tiara created for her remains a legendary and extraordinary work, sadly lost during the revolution,” explains the future bride before returning to her choice. “It feels like my personality and will go perfectly with my wedding gown.” Indeed, the preparations for the marriage are already well under way: “Selecting my dress was not as easy as I imagined. But after a long search, I finally found one I liked. It’s impressive but simple, with a contemporary fabric but in a classic style. As for everything else, there are still a lot of decisions to be made. We hope to be able to open many of the most beautiful palaces of Peter the Great’s city. Happily, we can count on the help of the Chancellery and those of the authorities to celebrate an Orthodox marriage in the most beautiful traditions of both Russia and the Imperial family.” See you there!
