All About Royal Families

Princess Ludovika of Bavaria was born on August 30th. 1808 in Munich. as a daughter of King Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria and his wife Karoline of Baden.   Princess Ludovika - Source picture : Wikipedia Love & Marriage On September 9th. 1828, Princess Ludovika married  Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria in Tegerensee.    Duke Maximilian Joseph - Source picture: Wikipedia They had 10 children, including Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) of Austria .  Own picture of Book They were the grandparents of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium .   Queen Elisabeth of Belgium - Source: Wikipedia

Princess Sophie of Bavaria was born in 1805 in Munich. She was the identical twin sister of Princess Maria Anna, later Queen of Saxony.   Princess Sophie - Source picture: Wikipedia She married Franz Karl, Archduke of Austria .   Franz Karl - Source picture: Wikipedia During the Revolution of 1848, she persuaded her husband to give up his rights  of the throne in favour of her son, Franz Joseph.  At that time she was called 'the only man at court'. In the Sissi movies she is best remembered due to her bad relationship  to Empress Elisabeth (Sissi). Normally I hate rumors but this one I don't want to hold back. Archduchess Sophie had a close relationship with Napoleon II.  Yes! The son of Napoleon I, at that time emperor of France.  Napoleon II lived at the Viennese Court with the title: Duke of Reichstadt.   Hofburg Vienna own picture   Schönbrunn Vienna own picture She never rec...

  Amalie Auguste - Source picture: Wikipedia Princess Amalie Auguste was born in 1801 in Munich.  She was the identical twin sister of  Queen Elisabeth Ludovica of Prussia . She married John of Saxony.   John of Saxony - Source picture: Wikipedia They had 9 children. Prince John of Saxony was the younger brother of Frederick Augustus II. Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria was born in 1805.  She was the younger sister of Princess Amalie Auguste. Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria was the identical twin sister of  Archduchess Sophie of Austria .   Maria Anna - Source picture: Wikipedia She married Frederick Augustus II of Saxony .   Frederick Augustus II - Source picture: Wikipedia He died during a journey in Austria. 

  Own picture of a painting of Elisabeth Ludovika Princess Elisabeth Ludovika was born in 1801 in Munich. Her parents were King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his second wife Caroline of Baden. She was known in her family as Elise. She was the identical twin sister of Queen Amalie of Saxony. Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria married Frederick William IV of Prussia . She became Queen Consort of Prussia.   Frederick William IV - Source picture: Wikipedia Elisabeth Ludovika was never involved in politics.  So, she had no political influence. However due to her, there was a close  friendship between Prussia and the Austrian Empire. One of her sisters was Archduchess Sophie  (the mother of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria -  I will talk about her later in this Weekend Special).   Elisabeth Ludovika died in 1873 in Dresden (during a visit to one of her other sisters). She's buried next to her husband at the Friedenskirs...

  Source picture: Wikipedia Caroline Augusta was born in 1792 in Mannheim. Her first marriage was arranged by Napoleon I of France.  She married William I of Württemberg .   Source picture - Wikipedia This was a political arranged marriage.  The couple lived separated in their palace. Later they divorced.  Pope Pius VII dissolved the marriage, so they could remarry for the  Catholic Church. Caroline Augusta remarried Francis II of Austria  (in German Franz II see also the page: House of Habsburg on this blog).   Source picture: Wikipedia After the death of her second husband, Carolina Augusta moved to Salzburg  (Austria).   Own picture of a rainy Salzburg Caroline Auguste was described as elegant, likeable, religious and intelligent. She was good friends with both her sister, Archduchess Sophie and her niece  Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi). Caroline...

Princess Augusta of Bavaria married Eugène de Bauharnais. Although this marriage was arranged by Napoleon I of France, it turned out to be a love match.   Princess Augusta of Bavaria - Source: Wikipedia   Eugène de Bauharnais - Source picture: Wikipedia Their eldest daughter Josephine married Oscar I, King of Sweden .   Josephine - Source picture: Wikipedia Auguste , one of their sons, married Marie II of Portugal .   Auguste - Source picture: Wikipedia Another daughter Amélie married Pedro II of Brazil .   Amélie - Source picture: Wikipedia Their youngest son, Maximilian, married  Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna of Russia   (daughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia ).   Maximilian - Source picture: Wikipedia

Last week, I was in Berlin. Of course I visited a lot of Prussian Royal Palaces. The only remaining Castle in the city is called Charlottenburg Castle (built in the late 17th. century). During the second World War it was seriously damaged, but the castle was reconstructed. Charlottenburg Castle Berlin Germany Now it is a huge tourist attraction, as you can see on the picture. Sophie-Charlotte, Queen Consort of Prussia, gave the order to build this palace. She was the second wife of Frederick I.    Frederick I - Own picture of a painting   Sophie Charlotte of Hannover - Queen Consort of Prussia Here are some inside views of the Castle:   Beautiful ceilings: Finest Wall Decoration & furniture: The weather vane on the chimney-breast: The Porcelain Cabinet: The Charlottenburg Palace Chapel: Queen Consort Sophie Charlotte wanted 'the place she dedicated  to her ...