On 8 July 2017 Prince Ernst August von Hannover Junior married Ekaterina Malysheva religiously in the Marktkirche (Market Church) in the old centre of the city of Hannover, Germany. The last royal wedding to be held here was that of his grandfather Prince Ernst August von Hannover (1914-1987) and Princess Ortrud zu Schleswig-Holstein (1925-1980), who got married here on 4 September 1951. At the time it was quite a happening. The couple married civilly at Marienburg Castle in Pattensen on 31 August 1951. The religious wedding was a bigger event. They were married by Bishop Hanns Lilje in the Marktkirche and outside were lots of people outside the church. After the wedding they drove in an open Mercedes to Herrenhausen and there were cheering people everywhere.
The newspapers said that the church would be decorated the evening before the wedding of Ernst August and Ekaterina. Shortly before 6pm on Friday 7 July I passed the church and saw a van all the way from Great Britain and people carrying flowers inside the church. I took a few pics and then someone was so kind to tell me the church would still be open for a few more minutes. I rushed inside and managed to take a few pictures of the flowers inside the church. No real decoration yet, but roses, hydrangea, peonies and many other mainly white and very light pink flowers. I was told the decoration was to be a surprise for the bride.
The Marktkirche is officially called the Market Church of the Saints George and James (Georgii et Jacobi). It is a nice old church in the old city town, partly surrounded by buildings, but on one side there is a rather big square. On the side of the church is a statue of Martin Luther. It is the main Lutheran church in Hannover. It was built in the 14th century as a hall church in brick Gothic style. Unfortunately the roof and vaults of the naves were destroyed in an air raid in 1943 (the city was heavily bombed and almost destroyed), they were only restored in 1952. Its tower is still one of the highest towers in Lower-Saxony and it is a symbol for the power and the wealth of the citizens. The original altar was moved to the Aegidienkirche in 1663 and in 1856 to the Welfenmuseum. It managed to survive World War II and was returned to the Marktkirche in 1952, thus after the 1951 wedding.