*The German and Russian titles are titular at this point*
On 4 May 1938, Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia, Head of the House of Romanov, and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, married Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia, who would become the Head of the House of Hohenzollern, in a Lutheran ceremony. They were second cousins once removed.
Their civil wedding had taken place two days earlier at the Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam. They were married in the Palace’s library at 11 a.m. with the groom’s father, Crown Prince Wilhelm and the bride’s father as the only witnesses. A Russian Orthodox wedding service took place in the great hall of the Palace, and it was there that the rest of the guests waited.
Kira wore a “gown of richly embroidered silver brocade, nearly 100 years old, a court dress of her grandmother, the Duchess of Coburg, only daughter of Emperor Alexander II. She entered the great hall on the arm of the bridegroom, carrying a bouquet of white carnations and orchids and wearing a diadem of Russian crown jewels.” Louis Ferdinand wore the uniform of an air force lieutenant.1
The service was performed by Provost Paul Adamontoss of Wiesbaden, who was assisted by seven others. The New York Times also wrote, “The bride and bridegroom held burning white candles adorned with white ribbons during part of the ceremony and made their vows very audible with “yeas.””2
The couple then travelled to where the groom’s grandfather, the former German Emperor Wilhelm II, was living in exile in the Netherlands. Upon their arrival, Wilhelm told Kira, “This entrance revives beautiful old memories of the wedding of beloved Charlotte, daughter of the sister of my grandfather, Kaiser Frederick Wilhelm III, with Czar Nicholas I. By this wedding, the German house and the Russian came together in a very great friendship. I hope this old tradition will, under the blessing of God, be renewed.”3
Pastor Doering performed the service in a simple ceremony. Kira wore her grandmother’s dress again for this third ceremony. She also wore an imposing necklace that had been given to her by her father-in-law. The former Emperor wore the uniform of a general of the German Imperial Guard, while the Crown Prince wore that of a general of the Death’s Head Hussars. The groom wore the light blue uniform of the new German air force.
The future Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and her husband Prince Bernhard, were among the guests. Also present was the former Emperor’s second wife, Hermine.
Wilhelm addressed his grandson, “My dear Louis Ferdinand, you have a task to fulfil. You can fulfil it only with the help of God. Under His blessing and with a strong belief in His Son, our Master. I hope you will build your house. Work with all your might to honour God, to the honour of house and to the honour of our German Fatherland, and be an example to your people. God be with you both. He will give you his blessing. We raise our glasses and drink to luck to the wedded couple.”4
Kira and Louis Ferdinand went on to have seven children together. Their grandson, Georg Friedrich, is the current Head of the House of Hohenzollern.
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