#House Wittelsbach

[venicepearl]

Countess Palatine Maria Anna of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler (18 July 1753 – 4 February 1824) was Countess Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen and Duchess in Bavaria, through her marriage to Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria. Maria Anna was a great-grandmother of Empress Elisabeth of Austria through her son Duke Pius August in Bavaria.

[royal-confessions]

“Princess Sophie-Alexandra of Bavaria’s wedding dress was stunning and divine. One of my favorite royal wedding dresses.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[elsalouisa]

"But of all the followers of the hunt it was the Empres, with her radiant beauty, her fine seat on a horse and her wonderful figure, who was the cynosure of all eyes. Horses and the care of her figure were her two chief interests in life, and she carried her love of equestrianism so far that she even practised circus-riding in her private riding school at Gödöllő. Horses, too, furnished her favourite topic of conversation, and on one occasion my stepmother, who was no respecter of persons, after listening for some time to what the Empress had to say on the subject, dryly remarked "Est-ce que Votre Majesté ne pense qu’ aux chevaux?" History does not record Her Majesty’s answer, but I should imagine that the conversation, was brought to a speedy close!"

Sir George Buchanan "My mission to Russia: And other diplomatic memories"

[archduchessofnowhere]

We all know media loves to paint Elisabeth and her family as humble country people who lived in a modest state and were look down by the rest of their relatives for being "poor". But how did being "poor" looked like for the Ducal Wittelsbach? Well, let's look at their states! Yes, plural.

The most famous residence of the Ducal Wittelsbach was Possenhofen, a humble, small castle at the shore of Lake Starnberg that acted as the family's summer state.

This is said humble castle btw:

Ok, so if "humble" Possenhofen was just a summer residence, what was the main residence of Ducal Wittelsbach? Well, that would be Herzog Max Palais, a neoclassical three-story palace in Munich built for Duke Max between 1828 and 1830. In case you don't know, Elisabeth was born here!

Sadly, the palace was demolished and no longer exists today.

Was this all? Well, no! Because Duke Max also owned a hunting lodge called Unterwittelsbach near Aichach:

This castle acted as a sort of bachelor residence for Duke Max; neither his wife nor children were allowed to visit. Ironically, today Untterwittelsbach is known as the "Sisi Castle" and a museum about the empress works there.

Ok, this is it! Three castles! Pretty impressive for this alleged poor royal fam- KIDDING DID YOU REALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS IT?

You see, when Max bought Possenhofen he also bought another property at the shore of Lake Starnberg: Garatshausen Castle

Today the castle is owned by the Thurn und Taxis, and hosts a hospital and retirement residence.

Ok now we are done for real... with the castles Duke Max owned. Ludovika had her own castles too!

Ludovika inhereted from her parents two properties: Tegernsee Abbey (left) and Biederstein Castle (right) (disclaimer: Biederstein was actually two castles: the Old Castle built in the 18th century - pictured here in the 1890s - and the New Castle, built in the 1820s)

Tegernsee is the only property on this list that is still owned by the Wittelsbachs. Meanwhile Biederstein Castle was bombed during WW2 and no longer exists today.

Ok, so now for real real, that is it! I may be missing some property, but as far as I'm aware, Max and Ludovika owned these six residences (seven if we consider that Biederstein was two castles). Much for Sisi being a humble country girl right?

[dreamconsumer]

Duke Albrecht of Bavaria (1905-1996).

His paternal grandfather was Ludwig III of Bavaria, the last king of Bavaria, who was deposed in 1918.

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

VERY rare photo of Empress Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria smiling at the camera, 1870s (?) 🤍✨🥹

Source: Pinterest

[roehenstart]

Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Duchess of Orléans (1652-1722). By Pierre Mignard.

[royalty-nobility]

Portrait of Duke Albert V of Bavaria (1528-1579) as a Young Man

Artist: Hans Muelich (German, 1516–1573)

Date: 1545

Medium: Oil on lime panel

Collection: Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany

Albert V

Albert V (29 February 1528 – 24 October 1579) was Duke of Bavaria from 1550 until his death. He was born in Munich to William IV and Maria Jacobäa of Baden.

Albert was educated at Ingolstadt by Catholic teachers. On 4 July 1546 he married Anna of Austria, a daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503–1547), daughter of King Ladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his wife Anne de Foix. The union was designed to end the political rivalry between Austria and Bavaria. In 1550, Albert succeeded his father as duke of Bavaria.

[tiny-librarian]

A portrait of Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empress as the second wife of Joseph II.

[devtschemark]

Kaiserin Elisabeth

by Andreas Wildhack (Austrian, 1842 – 1924) after Georg Martin Ignaz Raab (Austrian, 1821 – 1885) oil on cardboard (20 × 34 cm), 1903

Dorotheum

[aristo-men]

Prince Ludwig Heinrich of Bavaria (1982-). He’s the grandson of King Ludwig III of Bavaria.

[venicepearl]

Amalie of the Palatinate (25 July 1490 in Heidelberg – 6 January 1524, Szczecin) was a member of the Wittelsbach family and a Countess Palatine of Simmern by birth and Duchess of Pomerania-Wolgast by marriage.

[royal-confessions]

“Princess Sophie-Alexandra of Bavaria’s wedding reception dress was stunning and regal. It was like a dress from a fairytale!” - Submitted by Anonymous

[elsalouisa]

Archduchess Marie Valerie about King Ludwig II of Bavaria:

18 June 1881. Oh! The King is supposed to come to Possenhofen today to visit Mama. He had an enormous magnificent bouquet sent to her with the query, when might he visit her? But it must be in the evening and no one is allowed to look at him! … but we will see him somehow anyway.

19 June 1881. No, is it possible … that … o no! The King … yesterday on 18 June 1881, yesterday I tell you, spoke to me … only me out of all of the children! no … no … but actually, yes. So: yesterday the King was supposed to visit Mama in Possenhofen at 7 oclock, and we (Amélie, Paula, Elisabeth, Countess Kornis, Siegfried, a Miss Tebr. and I) were watching from Count Angele’s room. But there was honeysuckle growing up to the window and I said I would throw a sprig down to the King; everyone said, no, then Mama came and I called out to her and asked if I could. Mama said she would fetch jasmine (because there is a long story connected with jasmine and the King), but oh! while Mama was getting the jasmine, the King came into the schloss himself to look for her. There was a kerfuffle. We ran to Siegfried’s balcony and Mama was already down below with the King and oh! she said that I, me alone, could come down so that she could introduce me, 0, me, and only me to him. O! I can still hardly believe it! But I came trembling and Mama handed me the jasmine before the door and now this incredible thing should actually take place. And I didn't even have time to put on my gloves and my dress (it was still the brown linen one) was dirty and creased. But I came out anyway … and gave him the jasmine with a very, very low curtsey! O! Great King, now you actually have the jasmine I gave you!!! He wanted to kiss my hand o! He asked me if Nazi was in Prague and I said: “Y…es!” He asked me if Gisela was here and I said: “No, she is in Munich.” He asked me whom I was up there with, whether they were my cousins and I said “Y…es.” He speaks very fast and unclearly and felt as embarrassed as | did. Mama invited us to use informal pronouns with each and he said: “But if so, then both of us, right?” And then I gave another courtesy and left. Of course, I was inundated with questions back upstairs, what it was like, what he said etс". …

[archduchessofnowhere]

The Ducal Wittelsbach family and their relatives, early 1890s. From left to right, standing: Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria, Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria, Duchess Sophie Adelheid in Bavaria, Archduchess Maria Annunziata of Austria, Princess Maria Immacolata of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria.

Sitting: Archduchess Maria Teresa of Austria (née Infanta of Portugal), King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies, Queen Marie Sophie of the Two Sicilies (née Duchess in Bavaria)

Via As Infantas de Bragança e a Sua Descendência - História das Filhas de D. Miguel by Dativo Salvia Ocaña

[dreamconsumer]

Louis of Bavaria Crowned Emperor of Rome in 1328. Unknown artist.