With their closest friends and family gathered at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Princess Theodora of Greece made her grand entrance accompanied by her brother Crown Prince Pavlos.
The Bold and the Beautiful actress looked stunning as she married American lawyer Matthew Kumar on 28 September following a six-year engagement. At 5:30 pm, the royal bride made her way down the aisle in a truly stunning wedding dress by Celia Kritharioti. It featured a striking bardot neckline, a billowing, lace veil and glorious bustle detail at the back.
Theodora teamed it with beautful weddingheels, a bouquet of white roses and the glittering Khedive of Egypt tiara which secured the Connaught lace veil – a family heirloom that originally belonged to Princess Margaret of Connaught – in place in her elegant, half-up, half downhairstyle.
Greek designer Celia is known for her dramatic princess silhouettes, feminine lace details and heavily embellished designs.
Her role in the royal wedding was announced ahead of Theodora and Matthew’s original wedding date in May 2020.
After the big day was postponed twice – first due to the coronavirus pandemic, and again following the death of Theodora’s father King Constantine – royal fans have been patiently waiting to catch their first glimpse of the elegant design, which was over four years in the making.
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Celia’s relationship with royals
The fashion designer’s celebrity clients include the likes of Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow, and she has had a long-standing relationship with the royals, too.
For Theodora’s brother Prince Philippos’ wedding with Nina Flohr in 2021, Celia dressed several Greek royals, including mother-of-the-groom Queen Anne-Marie.
She wore a metallic blue gown with a draped bodice, an asymmetric neckline and a ruched waist.
Sharing a peek inside the celebrations, Celia wrote on Instagram: “To have and to hold. I love weddings. Looking forward to the next Royal Bride,” before tagging Princess Theodora.
Tiara speculation
There was much speculation about what headpiece Theodora would wear on her wedding day.
Many correctly assumed the Khedive of Egypt Tiara would be her first choice since it has been a tradition among other royal brides in the family, including her mother Queen Anne-Marie, her aunts Queen Margrethe II and Princess Benedikte, and her sister Princess Alexia.
Created by Cartier, the diamond and platinum tiara features a laurel wreath design.
It was originally owned by Princess Margaret of Connaught and, like the veil, was passed down to her daughter Princess Ingrid following her death in 1920.
Another known contender was the Antique Corsage Tiara, chosen by Marie-Chantal in 1995, Princess Tatiana in 2010 and Nina Flohr in 2021.
The modest tiara was originally Grand Duchess Louise’s pearl and diamond corsage which Queen Ingrid turned into a headpiece for her daughter Princess Anne-Marie for her 18th birthday.
Princess Theodora has often been seen wearing it to events, including Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark’s wedding in 2004 and Prince Joachim and Marie Cavallier’s nuptials in 2008.
Royal wedding
Newlyweds Theodora and Matthew hosted a pre-wedding dinner at the Byzantine and Christian Museum on Friday night, before guests gathered for their ceremony at 5.30 pm the following day.
An after-wedding dinner will take place at the One&Only Aesthesis Hotel in the Vouliagmeni area. The hotel is situated on the former site of The Stars nightclub, where Theodora’s aunt, Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos I celebrated after their nuptials in 1962.
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