Luitpold Rupprecht Heinrich Prinz von Bayern (born 14 April 1951) is a member and second in line of succession to the headship of the House of Wittelsbach, which reigned as Kings of Bavaria until 1918,[1] and the head of König Ludwig Schlossbrauerei.

Luitpold Prinz von Bayern
Prince Luitpold in July 2012
Born (1951-04-14) 14 April 1951 (age 73)
Schloß Leutstetten, Leutstetten, Bavaria, West Germany
Spouse
Katrin Beatrix Wiegand
(m. 1979)
Issue
  • Princess Auguste of Lippe-Weissenfeld
  • Princess Alice of Auersperg
  • Prince Ludwig
  • Prince Heinrich
  • Prince Karl
Names
German: Luitpold Rupprecht Heinrich Prinz von Bayern
HouseWittelsbach
FatherPrince Ludwig of Bavaria
MotherPrincess Irmingard of Bavaria
ReligionRoman Catholic

Early life edit

Luitpold was born at Schloß Leutstetten near Starnberg, in Bavaria. He is the only surviving child of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (1913–2008) and his wife Princess Irmingard of Bavaria (1923–2010).[1]

Marriage edit

On 25 June 1979, Luitpold married Katrin Beatrix Wiegand (born 19 September 1951 in Munich), daughter of Gerd Wiegand (1922 in Cottbus – 1994 in Munich), architect, and first wife Ellen Schumacher.[1][2][3] Initially the union was considered morganatic, but on 3 March 1999, the marriage was declared retroactively to be dynastic on the condition their children contracted dynastic marriages.[1] The couple had five children:[1]

  • Auguste Marie Philippa of Bavaria (born 1979), Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, who married Ferdinand of Lippe-Weißenfeld (born 1976) on 5 June 2010 in Andechs Abbey in Munich.
  • Alice Isabella Maria of Bavaria (born 1981), married Lukas of Auersperg (born 1981) on 29 August 2009.
  • Ludwig Heinrich of Bavaria (born 1982),[4] who married Sophie-Alexandra Evekink,[5] a doctoral student at the Law Faculty of the University of Oxford, on 20 May 2023 at the Theatine Church in Munich.[6]
  • Heinrich Rudolf of Bavaria (born 1986), married on 22 April 2017 to Henriette Gruse (born 1982) in Andechs Abbey in Munich.
  • Karl Rupprecht of Bavaria (born 1987)

Business activities edit

Luitpold is the proprietor and CEO of a brewery located at Kaltenberg Castle (König Ludwig GmbH & Co. KG Schlossbrauerei Kaltenberg) which was founded in 1871, and largely extended by him. He who also purchased Marthabräu brewery at Fürstenfeldbruck in 1980, where his wheat beer is produced.[7] At Kaltenberg he also organizes an annual jousting tournament.

In 2011 he purchased the Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, founded in 1745 by Maximilian III Joseph, Prince-Elector of Bavaria.

Luitpold owns the Bavarian castles of Leutstetten and Kaltenberg, in which he lives with his family.[1]

Ancestry edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVI. "Haus Bayern". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2001, pp. 3, 6-7,9. ISBN 978-3-7980-0824-3.
  2. ^ Burke's Royal Families of the World, Europe and Latin America
  3. ^ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels
  4. ^ See German article: Ludwig Prinz von Bayern
  5. ^ Bridger-Linning, Stephanie (19 May 2023). "Royal wedding of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, one of the world's most eligible bachelors, will take place tomorrow". Tatler. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  6. ^ Burack, Emily (18 August 2022). "Prince Ludwig of Bavaria Is Engaged to an Oxford PhD Student". Town and Country. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Standorte – König Ludwig". koenig-ludwig-brauerei.com. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  1. Die Wittelsbacher. Geschichte unserer Familie. Adalbert, Prinz von Bayern. Prestel Verlag, München, 1979
Luitpold Prinz von Bayern
Born: 14 April 1951
Lines of succession
Max Emanuel in Bayern — TITULAR —
Line of succession to the Bavarian throne
2nd position
Succeeded by
Prince Ludwig of Bavaria