Prince Ernst August Jr. married London-based, Russian-born fashion designer Ekaterina Malysheva’s wedding in Hanover this past weekend in front of 600 guests including aristocrats from across the globe. The couple dated for six years before the prince popped the question while on a family vacation in Greece. The guest list was a who’s who of European royalty. The prince’s step-mother is Grace Kelly’s daughter, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and her children, including Andrea Casriraghi and his wife, Tatiana Santo Domingo, and their son Sacha and daughter India, who served as page boy and flower girl respectively, Pierre Casiraghi, and his wife, Beatrice Borromeo, and Charlotte Casiraghi, were all there to fete the couple. Prince Ernst August Jr.’s step-sister, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, who is Princess Caroline’s only daughter with Prince Ernst August, served as a bridesmaid.
One person was noticeably missing however, and as can be expected with any kind of extended family gathering, there was a bit of drama in the lead up to the main event. On Monday, the groom’s father, Prince Ernst August, announced he wouldn’t be attending and openly stated that he opposed the union due to a property dispute. He believes land and titles that had been gifted to his son should be returned to his possession and worries that the marriage jeopardizes the future of the House of Hanover’s holdings Lower Saxony. Step-mother Princess Caroline was also a absent as she and Prince Ernst August have been separated for quite some time.
The show must go on though, and the pomp and circumstance did not disappoint! The bride wore three looks custom-made by Lebanese designer and longtime friend Sandra Mansour. After a civil ceremony at the Hanover Town Hall on Thursday, festivities kicked off on Friday with a pre-wedding party. Malysheva wore a lace dress embellished with floral motifs in a pastel and red color palette inspired by her home country of Russia.
The Cinderella-style gown she wore for her nuptials on Saturday was everything a royal wedding dress should be. Made from Chantilly lace and embellished with elaborate beading that took over three months to create by hand, it had a fitted bodice, long sleeves, and a classic silhouette. For jewelry, the bride kept it simple, only wearing her mother’s diamond studs. And to finish the look, a jeweled headband that’s been passed down in the prince’s family for generations was used to secure the veil.
Late-night, Malysheva changed into one last outfit: an off-the-shoulder party dress in off-white and blush pink—perfect for dancing the night away.
After the ceremony at the historic Market Church in Hanover, the newlyweds took a horse-drawn carriage to Herrenhauser Gardens for a celebratory luncheon, and later that evening, they hosted an elegant dinner at Marienburg Castle. They’re planning a honeymoon through the southern states later this year where they’ll revel in their love of blues music and follow the Blues Trail . . . which while completely unexpected for royals, sounds a lot like the perfect happily ever after in our book.
