It was a wedding the people of the nation of Georgia had not seen in centuries. A prince and princess getting married at a cathedral in Tbilisi. But what made this union even more special is that the bride and groom come from feuding strands of a royal dynasty that once ruled this ex-Soviet state. 
Spanish-born Prince David Bagrationi-Mukhraneli, 32, and Princess Anna Bagrationi-Gruzinsky, 31, were married before hundreds of guests in Tbilisi’s Trinity Cathedral as crowds of well-wishers gathered outside.
The marriage is expected to bring an end to feuding over who is the rightful heir to Georgia’s centuries-old throne.It is also inspiring a debate among Georgians on whether to establish a constitutional monarchy in this country located in the Caucasus.
Footage on Rustavi-2 television showed the bride in a flowing white dress and the groom in traditional Georgian costume, with a khanjali dagger belted to his waist.
Georgian flags waved in the background as the pair exchanged vows before a bearded priest of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
“I hope that this (day) will be the happiest of my life,” Princess Anna told the channel before the ceremony.
More than 3,000 guests, including President Mikheil Saakashvili and representatives of Europe’s aristocratic families,were at the ceremony.
Claiming descent from the biblical King David, the Bagrationi dynasty ruled a large part of present-day Georgia from at least the 9th century until the country was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the early 19th century.
A noble family in Tsarist Russia, many of the Bagrationis were scattered across Europe after the Bolshevik Revolution and the Soviet takeover of Georgia in 1921 following a brief period of independence. Many of those who stayed were killed or thrown into Soviet concentration camps.
Various branches of the family have laid claim to the Georgian throne, with the Mukhraneli and Gruzinsky branches considered the most likely contenders
David Bagrationi-Mukhraneli is the son of Jorge de Bagration y de Mukhrani, a prominent racing driver whose branch of the family settled in Spain after World War II. A cousin of Spain’s King Juan Carlos, the father died in 2008 after settling in Tbilisi.
The two houses have long feuded over their claims to the throne and historians say any children from the marriage would resolve the dispute.
It comes as support is growing for Georgia to adopt a constitutional monarchy in place of the presidential system it adopted after gaining its independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
The influential patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, has promoted the restoration of the monarchy and a recent phone-in survey on Georgian Public Television showed more than 40 percent of callers backed the idea.
Georgian political analyst Tornike Sharashenidze said that many Georgians are frustrated with the presidential system adopted after the country gained independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Critics say too much power is concentrated in the hands of the presidency and that the system needs more checks and balances.
“Georgians are largely disappointed with the presidential republic. This is why the idea of a constitutional monarchy emerged and has gained significant support within society,” Sharashenidze said.
Still, even Georgia’s most ardent monarchists admit it’s unlikely the country will have a king or queen soon after Sunday’s ceremony.
Akaki Asatiani, the leader of Georgia’s small Monarchist Party, said many Georgians are resistant to the idea of a constitutional monarchy and do not understand how it would work.
“The 200-year gap in the royal tradition is an issue and most Georgians lack understanding of the constitutional monarchy system,” he said. “But sooner or later people will realize that this constitutional model is a guarantee for democracy and stability.”
This article heavily used two separate AFP articles
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