Figure 1.--Ludwig II had 13 children. Twelve of them are pictured here in a portrait taken about 1886. His oldest son Rupprecht is standing at the left. He would have been about 12 years old. Note how plainly the children are dressed in comparison to how Rupprecht's chldren were dressed.

Ludwig and Maria Theresa had a large family. The oldest child, Rupprecht was the crown prince, but never reigned as the dynasty was deposed at the end of World War I. The available images are notable for how plainly the children were dressed. The boys until about age 3 or 4 years wore dresses and then were breeched and began wearing plain dark Kneepants suits. The simularly aged children look to be dressed identically or similarly. Their sisters also wore plain dresses, all dark colors except for the very youngest. We do not yet know a great deal about the children, except for Crown Prince Rupprecht. In a group portrait, Rupprecht is the only boy wearing a uniform. Unlike the Prussian princes, the Bavarian princes do not seem to have been all sent to military academies. We have little biographical information. None of the boys appear to have died in World War I.

Crown Prince Rupprecht (1869- )

Crown Prince Rupprecht (Ruppert) was born in 1869, although he was not at the time the Crown Prince. He succeeded as head of the Wittelsbach dynasty in 1921 upon the death of his father, Ludwig III, the last ruling King of Bavaria. Since then, royal titles have no longer carried any legal status in Bavaria, but there is considerable social status.

Adelgunde (1870-1958)

Adelgunde was born in 1870 and married Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern.

Marie (1872-1954)

Marie of Bavaria was born in 1872. She married Prince Ferdinand of Bourbon-Sicily, Duke of Calabria (1897). They had six children. We note a portrait of Prince Luitpold with his first cousins, Maria Antoinetta, Maria Cristina, Barbara, Lucie and Urraca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. The little boy in the group we believe is Luitpold's brother, Prince Albrecht. Maria's only son, Ruggerio, died in 1914, at the age of 13.)

Figure 2.--This is the an enlargement showing the plain dark suits that Ludwig III's sons wore.

Karl (1874-1927)

Karl was born in 1874 and married Princess Isabella of Croy. Karl like his other brothers appeas to have worn plain dak kneepants suits as a boy.

Franz (1875-1957)

Prince Franz of Bavaria was born in 1875 at Leutstetten. His father was King Ludwig III. His mother was Princess Maria Theresa of Austria (1849- ). He was a highly decorated officer on the Western Front during World war I. He commanded a Bavarian Division. Prince Franz after the War married Princess Isabella Antonie of Cro˙ (1912). They had six children. Franz died in Bavaria during 1957.

Mathilde (1877-1906)

Mathilde was born in 1877 and married Prince Ludwig of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Wolfgang (1879-1895)

Wolfgang ws born in 1879.

Hildegard (1881-1948)

Hildegard was born in 1881.

Nothburg (1883-1883)

Nothburg was born in 1883.

Wiltrud (1884-1975)

Wiltrud was born in 1884 and married Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach.

Helmtrud (1886-1977)

Helmtrud was born in 1886.

Dietlinda (1888-1889)

Dietlinda was born in 1888.

Gundelinde (1891-1983)

Gundelinde was born in 1891 and married Count Johann Georg of Preysing-Lichtenegg-Moos.

Created: May 7, 2002
Last updated: 12:10 AM 6/25/2009