Prussia-Russia marriage: Louiss Ferdinand and Kira marry twice

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May 2, 1938

Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia and Grand Duchess Kira of Russia were married today in a civil ceremony at Schloss Cecilienhof this morning, reports the Associated Press.

Potsdam's marriage clerk came to the castle to perform the wedding in the castle's library.  Normally, civil weddings take place at Potsdam's city hall.

Former Crown Prince Wilhelm, the groom's father, and Grand Duke Kirill, the bride's father, were the only witnesses for the civil wedding.

As the civil wedding occurred,  guests assembled in the castle's great hall for the Russian Orthodox service.  The guests included 61 men and women "of royal blood beside the bridal pair and their parents," 26 counts and countesses and other nobles, and eleven commoners.

An altar was set up in a "spacious bay window" in the great all.  A Russian chorus of "sixteen voices sang from an alcove to the left of the altar."

Grand Duchess Kira, the younger daughter of Grand Duke Kirill and his late wife, Victoria, wore a "gown of richly embroidered silver brocade, nealy 100 years old," a court dress," that belonged to her grandmother, Grand Duchess Marie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russia.

The bride and groom entered the hall together.   She wore a diadem of "Russian crown jewels," and carried "a bouquet of white carnations and orchids."

Grand Duchess Kira and Prince Louis Ferdinand "held burning white candles adorned with white ribbons" during part of the wedding, and their vows were made with a "very audible 'yeas'"

This was a private family wedding. No members of reigning royal families were invited except for Queen Alexandrine of Denmark.   Queen Alexandrine is the sister of former Crown Princess Cecilie, the groom's mother.

Queen Alexandrine was accompanied by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark. No high members of the German government attended the wedding. 

Other guests included former King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, the brothers and sisters of the Crown Prince and their families, the groom's brothers and sisters, Archduke Anton and Archduchess Ileana of Austria, and the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,

The newlyweds will now travel to Doorn where a Lutheran wedding will take place in the presence of Prince Louis Ferdinand's grandfather, former Kaiser Wilhelm II.