A very nice and old noble tradition was preserved in one of the German princely houses on 3 August 2019. Fürst Otto zu Castell-Rüdenhausen officially introduced his bride into his household. In German this is called a “Heimführung” and surely not every family seems to do it (anymore), so it is something very special. The couple got married on 15 June (see report) and Otto now officially introduced his wife Sophia née Mautner von Markhof to the village, where they actually already know here for a while. The Rüdenhauser Heimführung at least takes place since the 19th century.
At noon the festivities started when the bridal couple and their family were received by the mayor Gerhard Ackermann at the Fürstlich Castell´schen Meierei in Rüdenhausen. The young couple signed the golden book while their families waited. From this place Fürst Otto and Fürstin Sophia and quite a few family members walked through the village to the park around Rüdenhausen Castle. There the red and yellow flag of the Counts von Schönborn – Otto’s mother was born Countess Maria von Schönborn-Wiesentheid – was removed and handed over to Fürstin Maria. Then it was replaced by the red and blue flag representing the Mautner von Markhof family.
There were several speeches by the mayor, the pastor of the local protestant church and the head of the local shooting association. An elder member of the Castell-Rüdenhausen family welcomed Fürstin Sophia in name of the family with a warm and personal speech. A choir of children from the nursery of Rüdenhausen sang a song and presented the couple with paper flags. The shooting association also presented the couple with a huge plate showing places which means a lot to the couple and represent important stations of their lives: Rüdenhausen Castle, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Vienna, Mozambique and the Kilimandjaro. Afterwards everybody moved to another part of the park where there was food and beverages. The guests were able to congratulate Fürst Otto and Fürstin Sophia and even gave them presents.
All about 900 inhabitants of the village were invited to the party. Present were members of the municipality council and representants of all kind of societies and institutions, friends and business partners. Among the guests were the mother of Fürst Otto and Theodor Ritter Mautner von Markhof and his wife Marie Antoinette, the parents of the bride. Also present were Prince Dominik and Princess Olga zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg with their sons, Count Anton zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, Countess Anna zu Castell-Rüdenhausen the Fürst and Fürstin zu Leiningen, Hereditary Prince Ferdinand zu Leiningen, Prince Hermann zu Leiningen, Fürstin Anastasia zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Fürstin Marie-Louise zu Castell-Castell, Fürst Ferdinand zu Castell-Castell, Countess Stephanie von Khevenhüller-Metsch and at least two daughters, Princess Philippa zu Salm-Salm, Count Schönborn with family, Count Friedrich zu Solms-Laubach, Count Karl zu Solms-Laubach, Princess Maria zur Lippe, Count Karl zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, Count Manto zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, Count Rupert zu Castell-Rüdenhausen.
- Mainpost: Wenn der Fürst seine Braut heimführt nach Rüdenhausen
- Bunte: Otto zu Castell-Rüdenhausen – Feierliche Heimführung seiner Fürstin
- Mainpost: Braut-Heimführung – was die Fürstenfamilie dem Dorf bedeutet
- Royal Musings: The Prince of Castell-Rüdenhausen brings his bride home
