August 25: King Ludwig II of Bavaria

Born on this date in 1845, Ludwig II king of Bavaria is sometimes referred to as the Swan King or the Fairy tale King - or Mad King Ludwig. He's famous for building that fairytale castle in Germany. Here are some facts about him.

1. There is some doubt as to whether he was actually mad. While there may have been a report signed by four psychiatrists saying so, the report was commissioned by the government of the time, who didn't like his spendthrift ways and wanted to depose him. None of the psychiatrists had ever actually examined him, and three of them never even met him. While modern doctors speculate he may have suffered from a personality disorder or dementia, we'll never know for sure. We do know he was a creative introvert and a daydreamer, who avoided functions and meetings when he could. If that's a sign of madness there are a lot of mad people out here!
2. He was born in Nymphenburg Palace (in today's suburban Munich), the eldest son of Maximilian II of Bavaria and his wife Princess Marie of Prussia. He nearly wasn't called Ludwig at all. His parents wanted to call him Otto, but his grandfather, the king at the time, Ludwig I, insisted the baby be named after him, since not only did they share a birthday but 25 August is the feast day of Saint Louis IX of France, patron saint of Bavaria. Ludwig's younger brother was called Otto.
3. Ludwig didn't have a happy childhood. From an early age, his father insisted that both his sons were in training to become kings and imposed a strict regimen of education and exercise, almost certainly a strain on an introverted, creative daydreamer of a boy. He wasn't close to his mother, either, and as king, referred to her as "my predecessor's consort". He was close to his grandfather, though, and his cousin, Elisabeth.
4. Ludwig became king at the age of 18, when his father died after a short illness. He wasn't prepared for kingship, but the people liked him because he was young and good looking. He kept on his father's ministers and continued his policies.
5. One of Ludwig's passions, from the age of 15, was Opera, in particular Wagner. He was so enamoured with the composer that he invited him to the royal court early on in his reign. Ludwig is even credited with saving Wagner's career. At one point, Ludwig was forced to ask Wagner to leave Munich because of his bad behaviour, and even considered abdicating in order to go with him. Wagner persuaded him not to. Ludwig did however, provide a residence for the composer in Switzerland. Wagner could see that Ludwig wasn't suited to the office of king - he wrote of Lugwig: "Alas, he is so handsome and wise, soulful and lovely, that I fear that his life must melt away in this vulgar world like a fleeting dream of the gods."
6. It's highly likely Ludwig was gay, which would have been at odds with his Catholic faith and an obstacle to his producing an heir. He never married, nor had any mistresses, although he was engaged briefly to his cousin Duchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria. The relationship seemed based upon a love of the works of Wagner rather than anything else. He kept putting the wedding off and eventually broke off the engagement. His diaries show that he was attracted to men, and struggled with it, because of his faith.
7. Ludwig hated public functions and parties, and avoided them whenever possible. Eventually he withdrew from politics altogether and concentrated on his creative projects. What led to his downfall was that they were extremely expensive personal projects - a series of castles. he wanted Bavaria to equal France in its culture and architecture. The most famous of his castles is Schloss Neuschwanstein ("New Swan-on-the-Rock castle"), built on a mountain crag. Inside, the walls are decorated with scenes from Wagner's operas. There is also Schloss Linderhof, which included elaborate gardens including a Venus grotto lit by Electricity, where Ludwig was rowed in a boat shaped like a shell. From this castle, Ludwig went on moonlit sleigh rides in an eighteenth-century sleigh, with footmen in eighteenth century livery. At the time of his death, he'd started building a replica of Versailles. He also had plans for another castle on Falkenstein ("Falcon Rock"), a Byzantine palace in the Graswangtal, and a Chinese summer palace by the Plansee in Tyrol. These were never built.
8. When government officials arrived at Neuschwanstein to depose him, there was a scuffle, including a loyal baroness attacking the officials with an Umbrella. In the end, Ludwig was prevented from leaving by his uncle Luitpold, who had agreed to become Prince Regent. Ludwig was transported to Berg Castle on Lake Starnberg, south of Munich.
9. The circumstances of his death were somewhat suspicious. He went on walks on the lake shore with one of the psychiatrists who had declared him insane. After one such walk, without any attendants, both Ludwig and the psychiatrist were found dead in the water. Nobody knows what happened. The official report said suicide by drowning but there was no water in Lugwig's lungs, nor had there been any evidence he was suicidal. Accidental drowning was unlikely since Ludwig was a strong swimmer. The psychiatrist had been attacked and possibly strangled. Had the two attacked each other? Another theory is that Ludwig had arranged for a fishing boat to come and pick him up, and he was shot and killed during the escape attempt.
10. One of Ludwig's most quoted sayings was "I wish to remain an eternal enigma to myself and to others."

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