ROYAL Wedding Dress, from the estate of Princess Clementine d'Orléans, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, 1843

With this beautiful wedding dress we have to start the story from the back.

We acquired this dress, along with other wonderful and rare pieces, from the estate of Dr. Alexander Eugen Duke of Württemberg (1933-2024). The dress was stored with other items in a suitcase with the label "Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria (née Princess of Bourbon-Parma) hand-embroidered underwear / parasols of Princess Clementine of Saxe-Coburg née Princess of Orleans".

Alexander was the son of Nadejda Klementine Maria of Bulgaria (1899-1958) and Albrecht Eugen Duke of Württemberg (1895-1954).

Nadejda's parents were Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma (1870-1899) and Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (1861-1948). 

Ferdinand I's parents were Prince August of Saxe-Coburg-Coháry and Princess Clementine d'Orléans (1817-1907). 

This dress comes from Clementine. She married the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Koháry August, brother of the Portuguese King Ferdinand II, on April 20, 1843 at Saint-Cloud Palace. This wedding dress came into the possession of the House of Württemberg together with other items through inheritance. In our experience, people only kept dresses that were associated with a special memory.  It must have been passed down from grandmother to daughter and then to granddaughter.

The dress is made from a striped green-brown silk fabric that shimmers slightly gold in the light. The antique dress is a one-piece. The top and skirt are decorated with brown fringes. The decorative buttons on the skirt are attached in the order of their size. Thanks to the cut, the top is tapered. Horizontal appliqués made from metal threads. Button fastening. The top two buttons are missing. The skirt falls in the typical round shape of skirts from this period. The top is lined on the inside with light-colored cotton. In good to very good condition. The dress has signs of age and wear; a few stains. 

Waist: ~ 57 cm
Chest: ~ 79 cm
Length: ~ 140 cm

Biographical information: 

Clementine was born on June 3, 1817, the daughter of Louis Philippe I d'Orléans, King of the French, and Maria Amalia of Bourbon, in the castle of Neuilly-sur-Seine. After her father became king in 1830, she was awarded the title Princess of Orléans. She married the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Koháry August, brother of the Portuguese King Ferdinand II, on April 20, 1843 at Saint-Cloud Palace. The couple lived in the Palais Coburg in Vienna.