# Princess Ludovika of Bavaria

Princess Ludovika of Bavaria (Marie Ludovika Wilhelmine; Mary Louise Wilhelmina; 30 August 1808 – 25 January 1892) was the sixth child of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife Caroline of Baden. She was the mother of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and was born and died in Munich.

## Early years

Marie Ludovika Wilhelmine was born to King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Caroline of Baden as their sixth child. The birth of Ludovika was known to be difficult. Ludovika was christened one day after her birth as Ludovika Wilhelmine.
Ludovika and her sisters received many lessons in literature as well as geography and history. They spoke both German and French.

## Marriage

Ludovika married Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria, whose father Duke Pius August in Bavaria was her cousin, on 9 September 1828 in Tegernsee. Ludovika was always frustrated that, unlike her elder sisters who married kings and Austrian archdukes, she would not be marrying someone with a grand title, but rather a peculiar and childish duke who had a fondness for circuses. Ludovika was determined to create dynastic marriages for her daughters. She and her husband had ten children, including Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen Maria Sofia of the Two Sicilies.
Maximilian was mostly away from home; due to this, Ludovika wrote that she spent their first wedding anniversary alone and wept. In 1830, Ludovika found herself pregnant with their first child. On 21 June 1831, she gave birth to a son whom they named Ludwig Wilhelm.

## Issue

| Children | Birth | Death | Notes |
| Ludwig Wilhelm, Duke in Bavaria | 21 June 1831 | 6 November 1920(1920-11-06) (aged 89) | Married Henriette, Freiin von Wallersee (morganatically) on 28 May 1859. They had two children. |
| Wilhelm Karl, Duke in Bavaria | 24 December 1832 | 13 February 1833(1833-02-13) (aged 0) | Died in infancy at seven weeks old. |
| Helene Caroline Therese, Duchess in Bavaria | 4 April 1834 | 16 May 1890(1890-05-16) (aged 56) | Married Maximilian Anton Lamoral, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis on 24 August 1858. They had four children. |
| Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, Duchess in Bavaria | 24 December 1837 | 10 September 1898(1898-09-10) (aged 60) | Married Franz Joseph I of Austria on 24 April 1854. They had four children. |
| Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria | 9 August 1839 | 30 November 1909(1909-11-30) (aged 70) | Married Sophie of Saxony on 11 February 1865. They had one daughter. Karl Theodor remarried Maria Josepha of Portugal on 29 April 1874. They had five children. |
| Marie Sophie Amalie, Duchess in Bavaria | 4 October 1841 | 19 January 1925(1925-01-19) (aged 83) | Married Francis II of the Two Sicilies on 3 February 1859. They had one daughter. |
| Mathilde Ludovika, Duchess in Bavaria | 30 September 1843 | 18 June 1925(1925-06-18) (aged 81) | Married Lodovico, Count of Trani on 5 June 1861. They had one daughter. |
| Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria | 8 December 1845 | 8 December 1845(1845-12-08) (aged 0) | Stillborn. |
| Sophie Charlotte Augustine, Duchess in Bavaria | 23 February 1847 | 4 May 1897(1897-05-04) (aged 50) | Married Ferdinand Philippe Marie, duc d'Alençon on 28 September 1868. They had two children. |
| Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria | 7 December 1849 | 12 June 1893(1893-06-12) (aged 43) | Married Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on 20 September 1875. They had three sons. |

## Ancestry

Ancestors of Princess Ludovika of Bavaria :