
On this day in 1894, more than a century ago, the eyes of the world were on Russia. Tsar Nicholas II, the young man who had become emperor only three weeks earlier, was preparing to marry a German princess. They couldn’t have known then that this imperial wedding, held under a cloud of mourning, would be the last nuptials of a Russian emperor and empress. Today, let’s look back on the unusual day, and the traditional jewels worn by the bride.

