An Oxford student has tied the knot with a European prince in a lavish wedding ceremony.
Hundreds of well-wishers were seen lining the streets when 40-year-old Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married 33-year-old Oxford student Sophie-Alexandra Evekink in Germany.
Sophie, who is studying for a PhD in criminology, paired a classic white floral dress with a princess-cut skirt as she walked down the aisle at St Kajetan in Munich on Saturday.
This was accompanied with a long veil, which was embroidered with delicate lace flowers to match the sleeves and the bodice of her dress.
She also wore a diamond, botanical headpiece and carried a small posy of flowers.
After their vows, the couple - who announced their engagement in August 2022 - headed to a luxury reception at Nymphenburg Palace, the ancestral home of Bavaria's former monarchy.
The UK-based student's new husband, Ludwig, is the eldest son of Prince Luitpold and the great-great grandson of Bavaria's last ever King, Ludwig III.
Sophie was born in Singapore to a Dutch-Canadian family in 1989, and has spent several years working on human rights issues.
She has a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and East European Studies from University College London (UCL) and a Masters in Science from the University of Oxford.
The keen scholar is currently working towards a PhD at University of Oxford, which focuses on securing justice for victims of conflict-related sexual violence.
Speaking to Germany's Bild newspaper last summer, Prince Luitpold revealed his admiration for his new daughter-in-law and said he hoped they would "start a family soon".
He commented: “Ludwig made a good choice. My future daughter-in-law is a very intelligent and educated woman.”
Despite Germany's former aristocracy being abolished in the early twentieth century, Sophie will receive a title through her marriage – though she plans to only use this while she is in Bavaria, reports the Bild, as she already has academic papers published under her former name.
Instead of giving them wedding presents, he couple reportedly asked guests to donate towards humanitarian initiatives targeted at helping the victims of the war in Ukraine.
