After their civil wedding at Kaltenberg Castle on 24 December 2022, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Sophie-Alexandra Evekink celebrated their religious wedding at the Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan und Adelheid (Theatine Church of St. Cajetan and Adelaide) in München (Munich), Germany at 10am on 20 May 2023.
The wedding was celebrated by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of München and Freising, co-celebrated by the Benedictine abbot Johannes Eckert and Andrew, a befriended priest from Kenya. The wedding ceremony was musically accompanied by Father Mehlhart OP, the orchestra and the vocal chapel of the Theatinerkirche. One of the pieces that was played, was the Missa Sancti Nicolai by Joseph Haydn.
The groom, accompanied by his mother Princess Beatrix, entered the Odeonsplatz in front of the church already pretty early. He greeted the many delegations of Bavarian sports and mountain rifle and traditional costume associations waiting there, as well as flower children from all Bavarian administrative districts. The bride and her father arrived at 10am and was greeted by the Cardinal in front of the church. She had to wait for a while to enter the church, and also greeted all the groups in front of the church.
The reception took place in the Steinerner Saal (Stone Hall) at Nymphenburg Palace at 1pm. Bride and groom cut the wedding cake, that was created by Café Luitpold. The cake was based on the classic Prinzregententorte, but modernized with pistachios. It was covered in white and light blue, with the initials of the bridal couple.
A summary of the wedding was broadcasted by BR (Bayerische Rundfunk) in the evening of 20 May 2023.
The wedding dress, veil & tiara
The bride wanted to make a statement with her dress and veil, and also combine traditional and modern aesthetics. The dress was designed by Reem Acra, originally from Lebanon. Sophie herself has spent some time in the Middle East. The veil was created by the Ukrainian bridal and evening fashion label WONÁ Concept. The label designed a simple organic veil with integrated Bavarian, Canadian and Dutch elements. The bridal couple has been helping to coordinate the projects of Hilfsverein Nymphenburg at the Ukrainian border after the start of the war.
The tiara of the bride in the form of leavy branches and blossoms is a family piece. Prince Ludwig’s grandmother Princess Irmingard wore it when she got married in 1950.
In the evening the bride by the way wore a light blue evening gown by WONÁ Concept. On request of the bride the dress can be used again for special occasions.
Decorations of the groom
Prince Ludwig wore the insignia of the Royal Bavarian House Knights of St. George and the House Knights of St. Hubert. The latter is awarded by the head of the House of Wittelsbach to members of the family and external personalities.
The bridal couple
Prince Ludwig was born in 1982 as eldest child of Prince Luitpold and Princess Beatrix of Bavaria née Wiegand. He grew up at Kaltenberg Castle with two younger brothers and two younger sisters. He studied law in Göttingen, Germany, and spezialised in human rights and international humanitarian law. As he is likely to become head of the family in the future, he has taken on a variety of representative and honorary tasks at request of the present Duke of Bavaria. He is since 2011 a board member of the Stiftung Hilfsverein Nymphenburg and a.o. is busy overseeing their African projects. In 2014 he founded charitable projects, like the Learning Lions and the Start Up Lions, in Kenya.
Sophie-Alexandra Evekink was born in 1989 in Singapore as daughter of Theodorus Evekink and Veronicah Taylor, from the Netherlands and Canada. Sophie grew up in Canada and the Netherlands. She graduated in political science with a master in Criminology from Oxford University Law School. She has been working in the diplomatic service of various organisations, including the United Nations. As part of a PhD programme she is currently teaching at Oxford University. For her dissertation, she is researching the concept of justice for victims of sexual violence in armed conflict. She is busy learning German.
The attendants
The ushers: Huibert-Jan Evekink, John de Jong, the Hon. Robert Leigh-Pemberton, Matthew MacLachlan, Christopher Norgaard, Dr Daniel Terberger.
The altar “boys”: Carl Franke, Dr. Fabian Huber, Tassilo Prince of Merode, Marie-José Schimert, Casimir Tatos.
Flower children: Olivia Princess von Auersperg, Ludwig Prince von Auersperg, Maximilian Prince of Bavaria, Elisabeth Franke, Mafalda Baronesse von der Heydte, Louis-Ferdinand Prince zur Lippe-Weissenfeld, Carl-Philipp Prince zur Lippe-Weissenfeld, Otto Prince zur Lippe-Weissenfeld, Maria-Thereza Countess Droste zu Vischering von Nesselrode, Balthazar Baron von Stotzingen, Maria-Olympia Tatos, Maria-Filippa Tatos, Angelica Taylor, Eloise Viergutz, Eleanor Viergutz.
Lectures and prayers by: Dr Auguste of Bavaria, Princess zur Lippe-Weissenfeld, the Hon. Caroline Arbuthnot, Prof. Dr. Alice Princess von Auersperg, Elizabeth Duchess in Bavaria, Hubertus Count Droste zu Vischering von Nesselrode, Paulus Evekink, Moritz Baron von der Heydte, Gabriella Wentges, Brizan Were.