Duke in Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Duke in Bavaria was a title used among others since 1506, when primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...

 was established, by all members of the House of Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...

, with the exception of the Duke of Bavaria which began to be a unique position. So reads for instance the full title of Karl I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and patriarch of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld
House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld
Palatinate-Birkenfeld , later Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, was the name of a collateral line of the Palatine Wittelsbachs. The Counts Palatine from this line initially ruled over only a relatively unimportant territory, namely the Palatine share of the Rear County of Sponheim; however, their...

: "Count Palatine by Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, Count to Veldenz and Sponheim". The title grew in importance as Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria
Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria, full German name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837...

 began to use it as his primary title. This choice has also had effect for his descendants.

On 16 February 1799, the head of the House of Wittelsbach Charles Theodore of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...

 died without issue. Wittelsbach had been the ruling house of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...

 since 1180 with the title of a Duke of Bavaria, and the higher title of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire since 1648. As after the Landshut War of Succession
Landshut War of Succession
The Landshut War of Succession resulted from an agreement between the duchies of Bavaria-Munich and Bavaria-Landshut . The agreement concerned the law of succession when one of the two Dukes should die without a male heir...

 primogeniture was established, there could only be one Duke of Bavaria anymore, resulting in the actually quite unprecedented decision to create a title of Duke in Bavaria for the rest of the family, which all members of the House took for themselves, even the older Palatine branch – the other major Wittelsbach possession. Reversely, all Wittelbachs were also Counts Palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...

 by Rhine. After Charles Theodore's death, who had unified Bavaria with the Palatinate and the other major possessions of Jülich and Berg in his person, two cadet branches were surviving: one headed by Maximilian I Joseph, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, the other by William, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen
Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria
Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria, full German name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837...

, and both Zweibrücken and Gelnhausen were occupied by the French, which might explain why the custom was abandoned to name cadet branches by the title of their cadet possessions no matter how small.

The both agreed in the House Treaty of Ansbach that the Wittelsbach inheritances should be indivisible further on. Maximilian Joseph, as from the senior branch, inherited Charles Theodor's title of Elector of Bavaria, while William, his brother-in-law in addition to rather distinct a relative, was compensated with the title of Duke in Bavaria. As head of a specific family branch, it is possible since to speak somewhat paradoxically of The Duke in Bavaria. When Wittelsbach became a Royal House, the Dukes in Bavaria were lifted to the dignity of a Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...

. Then if not earlier, the title of Duke in Bavaria came into formal disuse by the Royal branch, who were quite content to be Princes of Bavaria. It should be kept in mind that even if we commonly speak of a Royal and a Ducal branch of the House, it was clear that the Dukes as well were of royal rank, and to make things more complicated, the head of the royal branch is now again called the Duke: the Duke of Bavaria, of course. Among the notable members of the Ducal branch were Duke Max, who, a talented Zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...

 player and composer himself, ranks among the most important promoters of Bavarian folk-music; his daughters Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Queen Mary Sophie of the Two Sicilies; and in more recent times Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein
Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein
Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein , is the wife of Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Regent of Liechtenstein and heir apparent to the Liechtensteiner throne.-Early life and education:...

.

In 1965 there were only two male members of the family, Duke Ludwig Wilhelm
Duke Ludwig Wilhelm in Bavaria
Duke Ludwig Wilhelm Karl Norbert Theodor Johann in Bavaria was a Bavarian noble.- Life :...

 and his cousin Duke Luitpold; both were elderly and had no children. On 18 March 1965 Duke Ludwig Wilhelm adopted Prince Max of Bavaria
Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria
Max-Emanuel Ludwig Maria Herzog in Bayern, sometimes styled Prince Max of Bavaria, Duke in Bavaria, born 21 January 1937 as son of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, is the heir presumptive to both the headship of the former Bavarian Royal House and the Jacobite Succession...

, the second son of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria
Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria
Albrecht Luitpold Ferdinand Michael, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine , was the son of Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria and his first wife, Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria. He was the one surviving child from that marriage...

 and the grandson of Ludwig Wilhelm's sister Marie Gabrielle. From this point onwards Max has used the surname "Herzog in Bayern" in place of the surname "Prinz von Bayern". Max has five daughters, including the Sophie mentioned already, all of whom were born with the surname "Herzogin in Bayern".

Ancestors

Wilhelm, the first Duke in Bavaria, was descended from the line of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen. His ancestors were:
  • Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
    Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
    Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken was member of the Wittelsbach family of the Counts Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken 1532–1559.-Biography:...

     (1526 – 1569), m. Anna of Hesse
    Anna of Hesse
    Anna of Hesse was a princess of Hesse by birth and marriage Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken.- Life :...

    .
    • Karl I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld (1560 - 1600), fifth son of Wolfgang, m. Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg
      Brunswick-Lüneburg
      The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...

      • Christian I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Bischweiler (1598 - 1654), third son of Karl, m. his cousin Magdalene Catherine
        Countess Palatine Magdalene Catherine of Zweibrücken
        Magdalena Catherine, Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken was a Countess Palatine of Zweibrücken by birth and by marriageDuchess and Countess Palatine of Birkenfeld.- Life :...

         of Zweibrücken, a daughter of John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
        John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
        John II the Younger was the Duke of Zweibrücken from 1604 until 1635.-Life:John was born in Bergzabern in 1584 as the eldest son of John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and his wife, Magdalene. He succeeded his father in 1604. In 1606 he acquired the County of Bischweiler in Alsace...

         and Cathérine de Rohan
        Rohan (family)
        The House of Rohan is a family of viscounts, later dukes and princes, coming from the locality of Rohan in Brittany. Their line descends from the viscounts of Porhoët and said to trace back to the legendary Conan Meriadoc. Through the Porhoët, the Rohan are related to the Dukes of Brittany, with...

        .
        • John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen
          John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen
          John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen was a member of the Wittelsbach family and as such held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld at Gelnhausen, Count of Veldenz and Count of Sponheim...

           (1638 - 1704), second surviving son of Christian I, m. Esther Marie of Witzleben. They were parents of several sons.
          • John, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen (1698 - 1780), second son of John Charles, m. Sophie Charlotte of Wild, father of William, Duke in Bavaria.

Dukes in Bavaria

If we take 1799 as the beginning of somewhat a House of its own, the heads of this house were:
  • William
    Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria
    Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria, full German name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837...

     (1789/99-1837), (The) Count Palatinate of Gelnhausen 1789, Duke in Bavaria (roughly) 1799
  • Pius August
    Duke Pius August in Bavaria
    Duke Pius August in Bavaria, full German name: Pius August Herzog in Bayern was a Duke in Bavaria as a member of the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen line of the House of Wittelsbach...

     (1837)
  • Max Joseph
    Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria
    Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria , known informally as Max in Bayern, was a member of a junior branch of the House of Wittelsbach and a promoter of Bavarian folk-music...

     (1837-1888)
  • Charles Theodore
    Duke Karl-Theodor in Bavaria
    Duke Karl-Theodor in Bavaria was a member of the House of Wittelsbach and a well-known ophthalmologist. He was the brother of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria.-Life:...

     (1888-1909) due to abdication of his elder brother on account of his morganatic marriage
  • Louis William
    Duke Ludwig Wilhelm in Bavaria
    Duke Ludwig Wilhelm Karl Norbert Theodor Johann in Bavaria was a Bavarian noble.- Life :...

     (1909-1968)
    • After his death, his cousin Luitpold Emanuel (lived 1890-1973) remained the last natural member of the family.
  • Max Emanuel
    Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria
    Max-Emanuel Ludwig Maria Herzog in Bayern, sometimes styled Prince Max of Bavaria, Duke in Bavaria, born 21 January 1937 as son of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, is the heir presumptive to both the headship of the former Bavarian Royal House and the Jacobite Succession...

    , adopted, since 1968.


The members of the family used the title Duke or Duchess in Bavaria, with the style of Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...

.

Family tree

  • Wilhelm
    Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria
    Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria, full German name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837...

     (1752-1837), second son of Johann, m. 1780 Countess Palatine Maria Anna of Birkenfeld (1753-1824), and had issue:
  • Maria Elisabeth Amalie Franziska (1784-1849), m. 1808 Louis Alexandre Berthier
    Louis Alexandre Berthier
    Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valangin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel , was a Marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.-Early life:Alexandre was born at Versailles to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Berthier ,...

    , sovereign Prince of Neuchâtel (1753-1815), and had issue.
  • Pius August
    Duke Pius August in Bavaria
    Duke Pius August in Bavaria, full German name: Pius August Herzog in Bayern was a Duke in Bavaria as a member of the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen line of the House of Wittelsbach...

     (1786-1837), m. 1807 Princess and Duchess Amélie Louise of Arenberg
    Princess Amélie Louise of Arenberg
    Princess and Duchess Amélie Louise of Arenberg, full German name: Amalie Luise, Prinzessin und Herzogin von Arenberg and full French name: Amélie Louise, princesse et duchesse d'Arenberg, was a member of the House of Arenberg by birth and, through her marriage to Duke Pius...

     (1789-1823), and had issue:
  • Maximilian Joseph
    Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria
    Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria , known informally as Max in Bayern, was a member of a junior branch of the House of Wittelsbach and a promoter of Bavarian folk-music...

     (1808-1888), m. 1828 Princess Ludovika of Bavaria (1808-1892) and had issue:
  • Ludwig Wilhelm
    Ludwig Wilhelm, Duke in Bavaria
    Ludwig Wilhelm was Duke in Bavaria.-Early life:Ludwig Wilhelm was the eldest child of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria, and was brother of Empress Sissi.-Relationships and issues:He renounced his rights as firstborn, to marry the actress Henriette Mendel Ludwig...

     (1831-1920), left morganatic issue through his surviving daughters.
  • Wilhelm Karl (1832-1833).
  • Helene
    Duchess Helene in Bavaria
    -Titles and styles:*4 April 1834 – 24 August 1858 Her Royal Highness Duchess Helene in Bavaria*24 August 1858 – 16 May 1890 Her Royal Highness the Hereditary Princess of Thurn and Taxis-Ancestry:-Sources:...

     (1834-1890), m. 1858 Maximilian Anton Lamoral, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis
    Maximilian Anton Lamoral, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis
    -Titles and styles:*28 September 1831 – 26 June 1867: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Honours:*Knight of the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece -Ancestry:-References:...

     (1831-1867) and had issue.
  • Elisabeth (1837-1898), m. 1854 Emperor Franz Josef of Austria (1830-1916) and had issue.
  • Karl Theodor
    Duke Karl-Theodor in Bavaria
    Duke Karl-Theodor in Bavaria was a member of the House of Wittelsbach and a well-known ophthalmologist. He was the brother of the Empress Elisabeth of Austria.-Life:...

     (1839-1909), m. 1865 Princess Sophie of Saxony
    Princess Sophie of Saxony
    Princess Sophie Maria Friederike Auguste Leopoldine Alexandrine Ernestine Albertine Elisabeth of Saxony, Duchess of Saxony was the eighth...

     (1845-1867) and had issue:
  • Amalie Marie
    Duchess Amalie in Bavaria
    Duchess Amalie Maria in Bavaria was the only child of Duke Karl-Theodor in Bavaria and his first wife Princess Sophie of Saxony...

     (1865-1912), m. 1892 Duke Wilhelm of Urach
    Mindaugas II of Lithuania
    Prince Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Württemberg, 2nd Duke of Urach was a German prince who was elected King of Lithuania with the regnal name Mindaugas II on 11 July 1918...

     (1864-1928) and had issue.
m. secondly 1874 Infanta Maria Josefa of Portugal (1857-1943) and had further issue:
  • Sophie (1875-1957), m. 1898 Count Hans Viet of Toerring-Jettenbach (1862-1929) and had issue.
  • Elisabeth (1876-1965), m. 1900 King Albert I of the Belgians (1875-1934) and had issue.
  • Marie Gabrielle (1878-1912), m. 1900 Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria
    Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria
    Rupprecht or Rupert, Crown Prince of Bavaria was the last Bavarian Crown Prince.His full title was His Royal Highness Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine...

     (1869-1955) and had issue.
  • Ludwig Wilhelm
    Duke Ludwig Wilhelm in Bavaria
    Duke Ludwig Wilhelm Karl Norbert Theodor Johann in Bavaria was a Bavarian noble.- Life :...

     (1884-1968), m. 1917 Princess Eleonore of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1880-1965); in 1965 he adopted:
  • Prince Max of Bavaria
    Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria
    Max-Emanuel Ludwig Maria Herzog in Bayern, sometimes styled Prince Max of Bavaria, Duke in Bavaria, born 21 January 1937 as son of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, is the heir presumptive to both the headship of the former Bavarian Royal House and the Jacobite Succession...

     (born 1937), grandson of Marie Gabrielle, who thereby became Duke in Bavaria; he m. 1967 Countess Elizabeth Douglas (born 1940) and has issue:
  • Sophie
    Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein
    Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein , is the wife of Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Regent of Liechtenstein and heir apparent to the Liechtensteiner throne.-Early life and education:...

     (born 1967), m. 1993 Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein
    Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein
    Alois Philipp Maria, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg is the eldest son of Hans Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. Alois has been Regent of Liechtenstein since 15 August 2004...

     (born 1968) and has issue.
  • Marie Caroline (born 1969), m. 1991 Duke Philipp of Württemberg (born 1964) and has issue.
  • Helene (born 1972).
  • Elizabeth (born 1973), m. 2004 Dr. Daniel Terberger (born 1967) and has issue.
  • Anna (born 1975), m. 2007 Klaus Runow (born 1964).
  • Franz Josef (1888-1912).
  • Maria Sophie (1841-1925), m. 1859 King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies
    Francis II of the Two Sicilies
    Francis II , was King of the Two Sicilies from 1859 to 1861. He was the last King of the Two Sicilies, as successive invasions by Giuseppe Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia ultimately brought an end to his rule, and marked the first major event of Italian unification...

     (1836-1894) and had issue.
  • Mathilde Ludovika
    Duchess Mathilde Ludovika in Bavaria
    Mathilde Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria was the fourth daughter of Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria...

     (1843-1925), m. 1861 Prince Lodovico of the Two Sicilies, Count of Trani (1838-1886) and had issue.
  • Sophie Charlotte (1847-1897), m. 1868 Prince Ferdinand of Orléans, Duke of Alençon
    Ferdinand Philippe Marie, duc d'Alençon
    Ferdinand Philippe Marie, duc d'Alençon was the son of Louis Charles Philippe Raphael, duc de Nemours and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary .-Marriage and issue:...

     (1844-1910) and had issue.
  • Maximilian Emanuel
    Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria
    Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria, full German name: Maximilian Emanuel, Herzog in Bayern was a Duke in Bavaria and member of the House of Wittelsbach. Maximilian Emanuel was the tenth and youngest child of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and his wife Princess Ludovika of Bavaria...

     (1849-1893), m. 1875 Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
    Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
    Princess Marie Luise Franziska Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, full German name: Marie Luise Franziska Amalie, Prinzessin von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, Herzogin zu Sachsen was a Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by birth and a Duchess in Bavaria through...

    (1848-1894) and had issue:
  • Siegfried (1876-1952).
  • Christoph (1879-1963), m. 1924 Anna Sibig (1874-1958).
  • Luitpold (1898-1973).

External links

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