Prince Paul Maximilian Lamoral von Thurn und Taxis b. 27 may 1843
cr Herr von Fels by the King of Bavaria 1879 d. Cannes 10 Mar 1879;
m. Astheim 7 Jun 1868 to Elise Kreutzer
1e) Heinrich von Fels (b. 30th June 1867- ); m.NN
„Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis was disowned by his haughty family, and resigned from the Bavarian Army” Desmond Chapman-Houston. “Paul had kept a secret diary, about the alliance between him and Ludwig, where he wrote his inner most thoughts. After Ludwig turned his back on Paul, and his indiscretion, the von Thurn und Taxis family destroyed all evidence of Paul, including diary, photos etc” Christopher McIntosh.
The only memories left of Paul is his letters to his beloved Ludwig. Most of this correspondent is preserved in the archives of the Wittelsbachs family. Some time before his death Ludwig demanded all his letters to Paul returned from the von Thurn und Taxis family to him. Some are copied in the book written by Desmond Chapman-Houston.
Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis. “Ludwig’s first and most intimate relationship had undoubtedly been with his aide-de-camp Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis. The to young men where lost in a rush of romantic enthusiasm. They spend every moment together, in the silent countryside, in the dark alpine forests, racing from one hunting lodge to the next to curl up alone together before roaring fires, in each others arms” Greg King.“Beloved Ludwig! Oh Ludwig, you could not have made me happier than by calling me to your side, you ask whether I thought of you-you know that you are my only thought…that your image is always before my eyes!” “I will always think of you in love. Farewell dear Ludwig, I embrace you and press you to my faithful heart” Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis.“Their love affair started some time before 27th of October 1863, and had a very great impact on both, but for Paul, Ludwig would be his only love until the day he died” Christopher McIntosh.
“The second occasion Ludwig went out on his own was equally significant, he made his way to the door of his new friend and aide-de-camp. The apartment was situated in 82 Türken Strasse, and Paul had undoubtedly taken it to be near the Residenz” Desmond Chapman-Houston.
“Let me assure you that I shall always foster with the same sincerity the feelings of gratefulness and faithful love which I bear for you in my heart. Remember with love, your faithful Ludwig” Written by Ludwig II to Paul. Edir Grein aka. Erwin Riedinger.
“Ludwig had already decided that he must have Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis all to himself, it makes it plain that in their intimacy, as was inevitable, it was Ludwig who took the initiative” Desmond Chapman-Houston.
“But soon that confidence was to receive a jolt. Jealous tongues had started to wag, attempting to discredit the Ludwig’s companion, and evil and untrue rumours reached Ludwig’s ears that Paul lived a frivolous life. Having little malice in his own nature, Ludwig could never get used to it in others and at first he probably took the rumours about Paul at face value” Christopher McIntosh.
“But for all the protestations of undying love, the relationship was doomed. Ludwig’s feelings for his friend grew deeper and developed into great love, but the friendship was so precariously balanced that the slightest tremor of reality threatened to send it plummeting to oblivion. Paul again “faltered” making a wrong choice, saying the wrong word, displaying too much familiarity on one occasion and not enough affection on another. Trivial in themselves, such incidents preyed upon Ludwig’s mind until they became unbearable. Once and for all, he cut Paul out of his life. Apparently the final indiscretion was so trivial that even Paul himself was unaware of it. When he learned of his fall from grace, he sent some agonized letters to the King, but there was to be no respond from Ludwig” Greg King.
“Paul’s letter to Ludwig is undated, but must have been written somewhere about the middle of December 1866” “My own bellowed Ludwig! What in the name of all the Saints has your Friedrich done to you? What did he say that no hand, no good night, no Auf Wiedersehen favoured him? How I feel I cannot say, my trembling hand may show you my inner disquiet. I did not intend to hurt you. Forgive me; be good again with me, I fear the worst-I cannot stand this. May my notes climb to you reconcilingly. Amen! Forgive your unhappy Friedrich” Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis.
(Friedrich a nickname Ludwig had given Paul)
“For some time Paul had felt the demise of Ludwig’s affections towards him, from midst November 1866, he started to drink without limits and in a state of turmoil and distress ended up with the infamous actress Elise Kreutzer, with whom he spend a night at a local boarding house, he was well too drunk to remember, the next morning they parted but in the end of December 1866 she proclaimed him to be the father of her unborn child” Edir Grein aka. Erwin Riedinger.
“Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis were, by his family, forced to marry Elise witch was morganatically, and thereafter was disowned by them, and striped of all his titles, rank and birthrights. Paul kept writing to Ludwig but without any reply, in the end he begged his King to give him a title, and in 1879 Ludwig issues the Almanach de Gotha stated that Prince Paul had renounced his birthright, and his name, had been `inscribed upon the list of the nobility of Bavaria as Monsieur Fels” Desmond Chapman-Houston.
“After their final break up Paul would never see his beloved Ludwig again, and died a humble death in Cannes, remembering the only true love of his life” Edir Grein aka. Erwin Riedinger.
