Ludwig's Legacy: A Bavarian Prince's Life And Times

There are two Prince Ludwigs of Bavaria. The first, born in 1845, was the son of Prince Luitpold, the younger brother of King Maximilian II. The second, born in 1913, was the eldest son of Prince Franz of Bavaria, the third son of King Ludwig III. The latter died at the age of 95 in 2008. The former became king in 1912, and the latter never became king. The former is referred to in most sources simply as 'Prince Ludwig', while the latter is referred to as 'Prince Ludwig of Bavaria'. This answer will assume that the latter is the subject of the user's query.

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, born in 1913, was 40 years old at the time of his wedding in 2023. He is the great-great-grandson of the last King of Bavaria, Ludwig III, who ruled from 1913 to 1918.

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria's early life

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the great-great-grandson of the last Bavarian King, Ludwig III, was born on 22 June 1913 at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria. He was the eldest son of Prince Franz of Bavaria, the third son of King Ludwig III, and his wife, Princess Isabella Antonie of Croÿ.

Prince Ludwig grew up in a royal household and was educated at the Maximilians-Gymnasium in Schwabing, Munich. After graduating, he went on to study forestry at a university in Hungary. In 1939, he was drafted into the German military, serving as a Gebirgsjäger. However, his military career was short-lived due to the Prinzenerlass, which prohibited members of Germany's royal houses from participating in military operations.

During World War II, Prince Ludwig spent time in Sarvar, Hungary, where his family owned a castle. In 1945, as the war drew to a close, his family fled Hungary and settled in Leutstetten near Starnberg in Bavaria. After the war, he married his first cousin, Princess Irmingard of Bavaria, on 19 July 1950. They had three children together: Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, Princess Maria of Bavaria, and Princess Philippa of Bavaria.

Prince Ludwig's early life was marked by his royal upbringing, education, and brief military service before World War II. He later settled into a quiet life with his family in Bavaria, where he lived until his death on 17 October 2008, at the age of 95.

His military service

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the 40-year-old great-great-grandson of the last Bavarian King, Ludwig III, was born on 22 June 1913 and passed away on 17 October 2008 at the age of 95. He was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach.

In 1939, as most young German men of his age, Prince Ludwig was drafted into the military, serving as a Gebirgsjäger. However, his military career was short-lived. In early 1941, he was relieved of all combat duties due to the Prinzenerlass, which prohibited members of Germany's royal houses from participating in military operations. This was a result of the concern among Nazi leaders that members of the former royal families could become focal points of anti-Nazi sentiment or even take over the government in a coup.

After being relieved of his duties, Prince Ludwig spent the remainder of the war at Sarvar in Hungary, where his family owned a castle. In 1945, as the war was coming to an end, his family fled Hungary and settled at Leutstetten near Starnberg in Bavaria.

Thus, while Prince Ludwig's military service was brief, it placed him in the midst of the significant historical events of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany.

Marriage to Sophie-Alexandra Evekink

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Sophie-Alexandra Evekink, a dual Dutch-Canadian citizen, in a lavish ceremony in Munich, Germany, on 20 May 2023. Evekink, who was born in Singapore, wore a classic white dress with floral detailing on the princess-cut skirt and sheer long sleeves. Her hair was styled half up, with the rest in ringlet curls around her shoulders, and she wore a diamond, botanical headpiece.

The couple tied the knot at St Kajetan in Munich, where hundreds of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the bride. Following the ceremony, a reception was hosted by Prince Ludwig's cousin, Duke Franz of Bavaria, at Nymphenburg Palace.

Evekink is a graduate of University College London and the University of Oxford, and at the time of her wedding, was working towards a PhD in criminology at Oxford. She also teaches a course on transitional justice at the university's Criminology Centre. Evekink previously worked for the United Nations in Geneva and New York and has a keen interest in violence prevention and women's human rights. She has conducted research in the Middle East and the Caucasus and has written about terrorism, radicalisation, and human trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe.

Prince Ludwig, who was 40 at the time of his wedding, is the eldest son of Prince Luitpold and the great-great-grandson of Bavaria's last king, King Ludwig III. He is in line to be the future head of the House of Bavaria. The prince studied law at the University of Göttingen, specialising in human rights and international humanitarian law. He has spent much of his time in rural Kenya, where he has founded several non-profit organisations. Ludwig is also a board member of the Nymphenburg Aid Association and carries out representative and honorary tasks in Bavaria at the request of Duke Franz.

His career and charitable work

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the great-great-grandson of the last Bavarian King, Ludwig III, is a law graduate with a focus on human rights and international humanitarian law. He is the son of Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, whose business holdings include the König Ludwig Schlossbrauerei, a brewery with roots dating back to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516.

Prince Ludwig has spent a significant amount of time in rural Kenya, where he has founded several non-profit organisations, including Learning Lions and Start Up Lions. He has also been involved in various charitable initiatives in Africa through his position as a board member of the Nymphenburg Aid Association.

In addition to his charitable work, Prince Ludwig has taken on representative and honorary tasks in Bavaria at the request of the Duke of Bavaria. He has been trained in estate management at the family seat of Nymphenburg Palace, which he will inherit one day.

Prince Ludwig is expected to become the head of the House of Bavaria in the future. The current Duke of Bavaria, Franz, is his father's cousin and has no male heirs. Therefore, upon Franz's death, the title will pass to Prince Ludwig's father, Luitpold, and eventually to Prince Ludwig himself as the oldest male in the family.

His death

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the great-great-grandson of the last Bavarian King, Ludwig III, passed away on 17 October 2008, at the age of 95. He died of pneumonia at Schloss Leutstetten, with a Funeral Liturgy held for him on 22 October at the abbey church at Andechs.

Prince Ludwig was born on 22 June 1913, at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria. He was the eldest son of Prince Franz of Bavaria and his wife, Princess Isabella Antonie of Croÿ. After graduating from Maximilians-Gymnasium, he studied forestry at a university in Hungary. In 1939, he was drafted into the military but was relieved of his duties in 1941 due to the Prinzenerlass, which prohibited members of Germany's royal houses from participating in military operations.

During World War II, Prince Ludwig spent time in Sarvar, Hungary, where his family owned a castle. In 1945, as the war drew to a close, his family fled Hungary and settled in Leutstetten near Starnberg in Bavaria. On 19 July 1950, he married his first cousin, Princess Irmingard of Bavaria, and the couple had three children: Prince Luitpold, Princess Maria, and Princess Philippa.

Following the death of Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria in 1955, Prince Ludwig and Princess Irmingard moved into Schloss Leutstetten, where they resided until his death. Prince Ludwig held several notable titles, including Grand Prior of the Bavarian Order of Saint George and Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert. He was also a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece from 1960 onwards.

Prince Ludwig's life and dedication to his roles within the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach were honoured in the Funeral Liturgy held at Andechs Abbey Church. His body was then laid to rest in the Wittelsbach cemetery within the abbey grounds, marking the conclusion of his long and remarkable life.

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