Not all royal weddings are huge lavish affairs that take place in front of thousands of people. The likes of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and Charlotte Casiraghi and Dimitri Rassam chose intimate civil ceremonies, and many of them went on to have bigger celebrations with more wedding guests at a later date.
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Many members of the royal family also took the opportunity to make the most of their low-key nuptials with unconventional, casual wedding outfits. Look back at some of our favourite civil ceremonies…
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Princess Charlene
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrincess Charlene of Monaco married Prince Albert II in a civil ceremony on 1 July 2011 inside the Throne Room of the Prince's Palace of Monaco. Thousands of well-wishers watched the moment via giant screens outside, before the couple celebrated at a Jean Michel Jarre concert.
Charlene wore a Karl Lagerfeld chiffon aquamarine jumpsuit and matching jacket for her civil ceremony, and changed into an off-the-shoulder Armani Privé silk gown for her Roman-Catholic ceremony on 2 July.
Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo
Monaco's Andrea Casiraghi married his long-time partner Tatiana Santo Domingo in a small civil ceremony at the royal palace on 31 August 2013. Tatiana chose a boho look with a floaty lace Missoni dress and sandals and a flower garland in her hair. Guests included Charlotte Casiraghi, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene.
Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo
On 25 July 2015, Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo tied the knot in a civil ceremony at the Palace of Monaco before enjoying a folklore-themed picnic and an evening party at the five-star Hôtel de Paris. The bride had a whopping four outfit changes, starting with a beautiful pale pink bespoke gown by Italian fashion house Valentino for the ceremony.
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Charlotte Casiraghi and Dimitri Rassam
Photo: Eric Mathon / Palais Princier Monaco
Charlotte Casiraghi followed suit on 1 June 2019, marrying her partner Dimitri Rassam in the state rooms at Monaco's Royal Palace. Princess Caroline of Monaco's daughter wore a brocade Saint Laurent mini dress for the civil ceremony, before changing into a satin strapless gown and her grandmother Princess Grace's iconic Cartier diamond necklace at the reception.
Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall tied the knot on 9 April 2005 in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Berkshire, followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George's Chapel.
Camilla looked elegant in a Philip Treacy hat and blue silk Robinson Valentine dress with a hand-painted ikat design, hand-embroidered with gold threadwork.
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Prince Philippos
Princess Diana's godson Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark married Nina Flohr on 12 December 2020 at St. Moritz in Switzerland, but they held another celebration for friends and family at their stunning Cambridge home in 2021. Nina shared a photo on Instagram and captioned it, "Just married (civilly)."
Jérôme d’Ambrosio and Eleonore von Habsburg
Austrian royal Eleonore von Habsburg and Jerome d'Ambrosio got married on 20 July 2020 in Monaco in a civil ceremony. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only their closest family members were in attendance but a larger group of guests were invited to a socially distanced lunch.
Eleanore, who is a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, looked stunning in an off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera dress, which she paired with a delicate fascinator by Stephen Jones and diamond drop earrings.
Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Countess Stephanie de Lannoy of Luxembourg
Photo: Christian Aschman / DPA/PA Images
Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, had a beautiful royal wedding to Countess Stephanie de Lannoy on 20 October 2012 at Notre-Dame Cathedral, which saw the bride wear a bespoke Elie Saab gown. However, they officially signed the paperwork the day before during their civil ceremony at the Luxembourg City Town Hall.
Louis Ducruet of Monaco and Marie Chevallier
Photo: Luci-Bebert-Nebinger / Palais Princier Monaco
After a civil ceremony at City Hall on 26 July 2019, Princess Stephanie of Monaco's son Louis Ducruet and Marie Chevallier celebrated with their close friends and family at the palace. The following day, the couple had a religious wedding at Monaco Cathedral, which is where Louis' late grandparents Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly got married.
Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Claire Lademacher
Prince Felix of Luxembourg and his German sweetheart Claire Lademacher said their vows at a civil ceremony on 17 September 2013 at Villa Rothschild Kempinski, Germany. The couple married in front of 350 guests, before having a religious wedding at Sainte Marie-Madeleine basilica in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.
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