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Luitpold Karl Joseph
Wilhelm Prinzregent von Bayern
(12.03.1821 - 12.12.1912)
place of birth: Würzburg, Bayern (Bavaria)
Königreich
Bayern: Seine
Königliche
Hoheit, Prinzregent Bayern,
Generalfeldzeugmeister
Luitpold von Wittelsbach was the
younger brother of Maximilian II. King of Bavaria, who in 1864 died and
passed the throne to his supposed mentally ill son Ludwig II.
A deft leader and high-ranking general officer in the Bavarian Army,
Luitpold took over from Ludwig II. in 1886 when it became apparent to
some in Bavaria that the "Fairly Tale King" could no longer effectively
reign. Having joined the Army in 1835 at the age of 14, young Luitpold
was soon promoted to Captain of Artillery. He pursued his military
profession with vigor and commanded an infantry division during the Austro-Prussian War of
1866.
By 1869, Luitpold was functioning as
Inspector General of the Royal Bavarian Army, and then represented his
kingdom during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71
as part of Helmuth von Moltke's German General Staff. King
Ludwig II. was not in favor of Bavaria subordinating itself to the
Prussians and thus send Luitpold to Versailles in 1871 when the
victorious Germans installed Wilhelm I. as emperor of the
newly established German Empire. After the war, Ludwig II. promoted his
uncle Luitpold to Generalfeldzeugmeister with the
rank of Generalfeldmarschall. In 1886,
Ludwig II. was declared mentally incapable of ruling as Bavaria's
sovereign, and Luitpold was controversially installed as Prince Regent.
Three days later, King Ludwig was either murdered or committed suicide,
and his insane younger brother Otto was proclaimed Bavaria's fifth
ruling sovereign. Given Otto's mental condition, however, Uncle
Luitpold continued in his capacity as Prince Regent until his death
from bronchitis in 1912. He is interred in the Theatinerkirche
in Munich.
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