Grand Duke Ludwig IV

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It was awful for Ludwig IV...a meddlesome foormer mother-in-law who condemned him to widowerhood and a tempting lady who had other motives than love in mind...the poor man must have been so lonely.

Arturo Beéche

Those pics of Prince Wilhelm are great Agneschen, good job on finding them.  So Louis was first cousin to Ludwig and Otto of Bavaria?

Thank you for that explanation, I have recently become more interested in Ludwig II but I still know very little about him.

To simplify, Queen Marie of Bavaria and Elisabeth of Hesse were sisters, both were the daughters of prince Wilhelm of Prussia and his wife Maria Anna of Hesse-Homburg.

Thomas, correct me if I am wrong but it seems to me that the wife of Emperor Aleksandr I of Russia (Elisaveta, born Luise of Baden) was a sister to both Queen Karoline of Bavaria and Wilhelmine of Hesse. I believe a fourth sister, Friederike, was Queen of Sweden.

Glad you liked the pics I posted PrinceEddy ! King Ludwig II of Bavaria is my favorite, such a sad, tragic and fascinating character ...

It was awful for Ludwig IV...a meddlesome foormer mother-in-law who condemned him to widowerhood and a tempting lady who had other motives than love in mind...the poor man must have been so lonely.

Arturo Beéche

QV could certainly be meddlesome and selfish but I don't think ANY mother-in-law would've been too thrilled about this match. She apparently wasn't a very nice woman (though the children felt she treated the GD well enough) and she BLACKMAILED him after the marriage was annulled. I don't think she would've minded if he remarried--didn't she look into changing the laws against marrying your sister-in-law so that he could possibly marry Beatrice?

You are correct!  Madame Kolemine was eventually bought off for 400,000 marks I think, and given the title Countess Romrod.  Queen Victoria directed that all attempt should be directed at getting the letters the Grand Duke wrote to her.  I don't know if they were ever returned though.

Queen Victoria and The Prince of Wales believed in the law allowing the marriage between Beatrice and Ludwig IV, but it was not successful, and, for that matter, I don't think the marriage between Beatrice and Ludwig IV would have been successful, especially in the backyard of the Hohenzollerns.  It would have been bizarre to say the least.

In the south/east Jim  

Do any of our readers know of any pictures of the Rosenhohe park layout.  IE:  Like pictures from an airplane showing the layout of the park  It would be quite interesting to see how everything Mausoleums and
burial ground are placed within the park.

I have seen a whole page devoted to the Rosenhohe but I can't recall if it has an aerial view.  I will have to search for the webpage; hopefully I can find it!  It is completely in German.

As usual Elisa, you always come through.  Thanks!

Thanks Elisa for the information.  That is a great site. I had seen it before.  Before I had found it I thought that
the New Mausoleum had been built earlier.  Pss. Alice's
original tomb was commissioned by Queen Victoria.  She
called it a table tomb and it was made of red granite. When Ernst Ludwig built the mausoleum he kept to top of the tomb with Alice and Pss Marie but had matching
tombs made for Ludwig and Alice.

QV could certainly be meddlesome and selfish but I don't think ANY mother-in-law would've been too thrilled about this match. She apparently wasn't a very nice woman (though the children felt she treated the GD well enough) and she BLACKMAILED him after the marriage was annulled. I don't think she would've minded if he remarried--didn't she look into changing the laws against marrying your sister-in-law so that he could possibly marry Beatrice?

Queen Victoria in my opinon was a nasty old woman, who care nothing for others. The poor man Louis was lonely. shame on QV!

Queen Victoria in my opinon was a nasty old woman, who care nothing for others. The poor man Louis was lonely. shame on QV!

Well, we all have our opinions, right?    I just think that times were different back then and it's hard to understand some of the thought processes and traditions--not to mention the fact of being a royal in that era--that went into the decisions that were made by people. I mean, some weren't allowed to marry at all if it would be politically difficult. QV was ahead of her time in many respects in that she wanted her children to marry for love and didn't care if they found it among the morganatic houses (ie Beatrice) or the nobility (Louise). I personally think that while her motives might not have been purely altruistic she saved him from a marriage to a hussy who would've made him the laughingstock of Europe and seriously dented his good reputation throughout Europe and perhaps would've caused his ostracization from some Courts and damaged his relations with his family members, including his children.

Thank you everyone for your help.  I greatly appreicate it. Jim

Don't think that QV was meddlesome at all.  She was not of his station and those things counted for something in those days.  He could, easily, have kept her for his mistress.  I read somewhere there was a child, but can't remember where, but that's an intriguing thought.

Ludwig IV was a hale and hearty fellow, but not the brightest light on the Christmas tree.  Alice was entirely too deep for him, though in his way he loved her.  I know that he was lonely for the rest of his life, but, let's face it, I don't think he was too shattered or he wouldn't have acquiesced so easily.