Washington Journal., 1943-02-19
GLIMPSES OF SOME CONTEMPORARIES
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II of Bavaria
By EDWIN EMERSON

hanging on the walls of school rooms, taverns
and public offices. Most of them were colored
prints showing a smooth, youthful face with
blue eyes and wavy black hair above a sky
blue tunic with silver epanlettes and a silver
embroidered collar, from which dangled a
small white cross, below which on one side
showed a large silver star with eight points.
Of all those portraits | liked best a lfe-slze
oil painting that hung in the %rector,s room
of our Latin School. It showed the young
ruler standing in his coronation robes with
an ermine lined mantle hanging from his
shoulders, a golden chain about his neck, sew
eral crosses and stars on his breast, white
satin knee breaches and white silk stockings.
His tall, erect figure, fair complexloned face
and flashing blue eyes made him look every
inch a King"
His subjects were known to adore him, most
of all the peasants and hunters. We saw
chem focking into Munich on holidays, dressed
ia their mountaineers' garb of green hats with
feathers, light gray jackets, and short leather
breeches leaving the knees bare, while the
women and girls wore small round hats over
their braided hair from which two long black
ribbons hung down their backs over their
voluminous skirts that came down to their
calves, clad in white wooden stockings. When
lthey entered a tavern, where the Kings por-
trait hung, the men and boys always dotted
their hats, while the peasant women and girls
dropped a little courtsy.
Among the townsfolk the King was viewed
rather askance because he did not maintain
much Of a court. No banquets, or balls or
ether festivities were given i'll the royal
palace.
The last of the court festivals remembered
had been a moonlight party in the glass en-
leased winter garden of the palace. Then one
of the court ladies through a mistep had fallen
Into the little lake. She might have drowned
lf King Ludwig had not plunged into the
water and rescued her.
Thereafter he put a ban on general court
Festivities. This meant that the court pur-
lveyors,-the florists, jewelers., ~tailors, mil
liners, f~urriers, shOemakers, confectloners
and all those other tradesmen in Munich who
basked in the privilege Of displaying the royal
Wittelsbach arms over the signboards OF their
lshops-suffered under diminished business.
The tradesmen's preference was for a royal
court that encouraged lavish OUTLAWS among
Jem.
Not only the tradesmen, but also the nobil-
ty and officers of the royal guards regiments
garrisoned in Munich would have preferred
Ia ~livelier court with frequent military page
ants. They resented King Lndwig's marked
preference for untitled poets, musicians,
artists and actors, as well as his abstention
from all military parades and m%aneuvers. It
was recalled reproachfully that he had failed
TO lead at the front during the German wars
Of 1866 and 1901.
Hopes for a gayer court, which had risen
high after the announcement Of the Kings
Itetrothal to his cousin Sophie Of Wittelsbach,
q sister Of Empress Elizabeth of Austria,
we're dashed by the scandal Of the Kings
breach of his engagement.
The breach happened during a court ball
II the Museum Hall Of Munich, when King
Ludwig discovered Princess Sophie's too
manifest fondness for an untitled youth, her
l~partner in one of the dances. So the Kings
magnificent gifts of bridal jewels were sent
back to him and thenceforth he Stunned the
society Of his royal relations and other court
~lcircles.
Corpus Christi Day
The first glimpse | had Of King Ludwig
in the flesh was during a grand religious and
lStrasse on Corpus Christi Day. His appear
ance, then, as he walked behind the Arch
Bishop and the chanting clergy, he and his
Younger brother, Prince Otto, clad in their
blue military uniforms and carrying lighted
lcandles, called forth warm acclaim from the
throngs of townsfolk and peasants lining the
sidewalks of the wide avenue.
All the setting of the scene contributed to
the enthusiasm Of the great holiday. From
every house along the way auttered flags and
banners, the doorways and balconies were
festooned with flowers, against the walls Of
the houses leaned small white birch trees
bright with green leaves, and on the roadway
was strewn a thick carpet Of green branches
and twigs.
Most Impressive amid the ~colorful pageant
of clerical robes and brilliant soldiers uni
forms was the baldachin held aloft over the