Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria (13 November 1801 – 14 December 1873) was a Princess of Bavaria and later Queen consort
of Prussia.
, the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his Queen Friederike Karoline Wilhelmine Margravine of Baden. She was the identical twin sister of Queen Amalie of Saxony, consort of King John I of Saxony
, and sister of Archduchess Sophie of Austria, mother of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria
and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico
; as well as Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria, mother of Franz Josef's consort, Empress Elisabeth of Austria
(Sisi), who was Elisabeth's godchild and namesake. She was known within her family as Elise.
and supported his intellectual interests, namely his attempts at artwork, which he held dear to his heart. In 1830, Elisabeth converted to Protestantism
.
Becoming Queen consort of Prussia in 1840, she was never without influence in Prussian politics, where she was active in preserving the close friendship between Prussia and the Austrian Empire
.
To Frederick William IV, she was an exemplary wife and, during his long illness, a dedicated nurse. Initially hostile to her nephew's wife, Victoria, Princess Royal
known within the family as Vicky. Their relationship thawed when Vicky took care of Elisabeth and comforted her during the early painful days of her widowhood. Elisabeth never forgot Vicky for it and in her will broke with tradition by leaving Vicky her jewels. These jewels where meant to have been bequethed to the current Queen, (by then Augusta of Saxe-Weimar her sister-in-law who was by then Prussian Queen and German Empress), it was an incident that Augusta never forgave Vicky for. After his death on January 2, 1861, Elisabeth lived quietly at her seats at Sanssouci
, Charlottenburg
, and Stolzenfels and dedicated herself to charity work in memory of her late husband. Her brother-in-law, Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany, held her in high regard as a true friend.
During a visit to her sister, Queen Amalie of Saxony
, Elisabeth died in 1873 in Dresden
. She was buried next to her husband on 21 December at the Friedenskirche
in Potsdam
.
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Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Prussia.
Early life and family
Elisabeth was born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, the daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his Queen Friederike Karoline Wilhelmine Margravine of Baden. She was the identical twin sister of Queen Amalie of Saxony, consort of King John I of Saxony
John I of Saxony
John was a King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin....
, and sister of Archduchess Sophie of Austria, mother of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy...
; as well as Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria, mother of Franz Josef's consort, Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Austria was the spouse of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others...
(Sisi), who was Elisabeth's godchild and namesake. She was known within her family as Elise.
Marriage
On 29 November 1823, she married the future King Frederick William IV of PrussiaFrederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
and supported his intellectual interests, namely his attempts at artwork, which he held dear to his heart. In 1830, Elisabeth converted to Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
.
Becoming Queen consort of Prussia in 1840, she was never without influence in Prussian politics, where she was active in preserving the close friendship between Prussia and the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
.
To Frederick William IV, she was an exemplary wife and, during his long illness, a dedicated nurse. Initially hostile to her nephew's wife, Victoria, Princess Royal
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
known within the family as Vicky. Their relationship thawed when Vicky took care of Elisabeth and comforted her during the early painful days of her widowhood. Elisabeth never forgot Vicky for it and in her will broke with tradition by leaving Vicky her jewels. These jewels where meant to have been bequethed to the current Queen, (by then Augusta of Saxe-Weimar her sister-in-law who was by then Prussian Queen and German Empress), it was an incident that Augusta never forgave Vicky for. After his death on January 2, 1861, Elisabeth lived quietly at her seats at Sanssouci
Sanssouci
Sanssouci is the name of the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is...
, Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
, and Stolzenfels and dedicated herself to charity work in memory of her late husband. Her brother-in-law, Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany, held her in high regard as a true friend.
During a visit to her sister, Queen Amalie of Saxony
Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
Amalie Auguste was a Princess of Bavaria and Queen of Saxony.-Biography:Amalie was the fourth child of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife Karoline of Baden. She was the identical twin sister of Elizabeth Louise, later Queen of Prussia as wife of Frederick William IV of Prussia...
, Elisabeth died in 1873 in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. She was buried next to her husband on 21 December at the Friedenskirche
Church of Peace (Sanssouci)
The Protestant Church of Peace is situated in the Marly Gardens on the Green Fence in the palace grounds of Sanssouci Park in Potsdam, Germany. The church was built according to the wishes and with the close involvement of the artistically gifted King Frederick William IV and designed by the court...
in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
.
Titles and styles
- 13 November 1801 – 26 December 1805: Her Serene Highness Princess Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria
- 26 December 1805 - 29 November 1823: Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria
- 29 November 1823 – 7 June 1840: Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth Ludovika of Prussia, Princess of Bavaria
- 7 June 1840 – 2 January 1861: Her Majesty The Queen of Prussia
- 2 January 1861 – 14 December 1873: Her Majesty The Dowager Queen of Prussia
Ancestry
Elizabeth Ludovika's ancestors in three generationsSources
- The information in this article is based on that in its German equivalent.
- Moritz Freiherr von Bissing: Elisabeth Königin von Preußen, Berlin 1974.
- Ludovika Hesekiel: Elisabeth Luise, Königin von Preußen (Berlin 1881).
- Dorothea Minkels: "Porträts der preußischen Königin Elisabeth in der Sammlung des Stadtmuseums Berlin." in: Jahrbuch 2004/2005 Stadtmuseum Berlin, pg. 278-304.
- Alfred v. Reumont: Elisabeth, Königin von Preußen (Berlin 1874)
- Dorothea Minkels: Elisabeth von Preußen. Königin in der Zeit des AusMÄRZens. Norderstedt 2008.
External links
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