Sophie Evekink Fainted During Her Royal Wedding to Prince Ludwig of Bavaria

When Sophie Evekink married Prince Ludwig of Bavaria on May 20, 2023, something quite unexpected happened to the royal bride. While Evekink was reciting her vows at Theatiner Church in Munich, Germany, she fainted. Royal blogger ChristinZ recapped the incident on Twitter on the day of their nuptials. “A spokesperson confirmed that Princess Sophie fainted during the wedding this morning,” she tweeted. “After a drink, she was fine again and the ceremony continued.” The blogger also created a thread and quoted German newspaper Bild. “The bride fell backwards, the groom caught her,” the tweet said. “The maid of honours rushed over, paramedics brought her water. She felt well again straight away. Prince Leopold of Bavaria gave her a piece of glucose.” According to the outlet, after the bride left the church, she had enough energy to wave to the crowds.

Besides the minor health scare, the royal affair was full of stylish looks. The bride wore a lace-embroidered A-line gown with long sleeves designed by Reem Acra, per People. Evekink accessorized with a diamond cross necklace and matching earrings and a diamond tiara attached to her lace cathedral-length veil. She also carried a bouquet of lily of the valley. The groom sported a gray vest and black jacket with a paisley-printed tie. According to the publication, the flower girls and page boys wore clothes inspired by the traditional styles and colors of Bavaria. The young bridal party members donned white dresses with puff sleeves, a ruffled bib collar, a blue sash, and flower crowns. The boys were clad in blue pants with white collared shirts. 

After the bride and groom held their royal ceremony, they celebrated at a reception, which took place Nymphenburg Palace. Prince Ludwig’s cousin Duke Franz of Bavaria hosted the event, People reported. Ahead of their big day, a spokesperson told the outlet that the ceremony and reception would include personal touches and honor the region, such as Bavarian delegations during the vow exchange and local food and drinks on the post-ceremony menu.

Although it’s unclear when the prince and princess of Bavaria first met, they announced their engagement in August 2022. At the time, Prince Ludwig’s father, Prince Luitpold, told Bild that he was excited to welcome Evekink into the royal family. “Ludwig made a good choice,” he shared. “My future daughter-in-law is a very intelligent and educated woman. I hope they start a family soon. It is very gratifying that Ludwig is now more in Bavaria again."

Prince Ludwig is on the path to becoming the head of Bavaria. Since the ruling Duke Franz doesn’t have any children he will be succeeded by his brother, Prince Max of Bavaria. Max doesn’t have any sons, so he will pass his title on to his cousin Prince Luitpold and his descendants, which includes Ludwig. The prince is also an expert in human rights and international humanitarian law, a board member of the Nymphenburg Aid Association, and the founder of several nonprofit organizations in Kenya. Meanwhile, his wife is studying to receive her doctorate at the Law Faculty at Oxford University, where she also teaches a course on transitional justice at the university’s Criminology Centre. In the past, Evekink worked for the United Nations on health and human rights.