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| Louis I of Bavaria |
(1786-1868)
"Ludwig I was the second King of Bavaria. He had been born in 1786, just in time to be made godson to the ill-fated Louis XVI of France, after whom he was named (Ludwig being the German form of Louis). He had come to the throne at the age of thirty-nine in 1825 on the death of his father. Maximilian I. In his youth, a gallant soldier, he was a man of learning and culture with a great love of the art and architecture of Italy and Greece. It was he who turned Munich from a quaint old German city into the 'New Athens' that it came to be called. Munich owes to him the imposing Florentine buildings on the Ludwigstrasse, the church of St. Boniface, and the Konigsplatz, whose pillared classical buildings were later used as a setting for several political rallies. Though rather hard of hearing, Ludwig I was a man of vibrant personality and strong physical presence." (The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria: 1)
"Ludwig had soft features, wide-set blue eyes, and a proud mouth, but his face bore several marks as a result of his having survived smallpox at the age of eleven. He was also profoundly deaf and spoke with a stammer, which may have been related to his loss of hearing. Despite his aural deficiency he fought with distinction and courage, though not with passion. . . ." (Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe)
"Ludwig's wife, Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, was a woman of attractive personality and great beauty, but Ludwig had a restless eye, and such an appreciation of female charms that he commissioned a series of portraits of famous beauties of the day. which now fills a room in the palace of Nymphenburg. At the time Lola Montez came into his life he was sixty-nine years old and Lola twenty-eight." (The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria: 2)
True Pants Man.
" . . . The king of Bavaria was Ludwig I (1786-1868). He was a true pants man. Ludwig's architect and confidant Leon von Klenze kept a dossier of the king's conquests which lists the names of over 50 girls." (Destination Munich)
Ludwig's Gallery of Beauties
" . . . One of his most famous conceptions is the celebrated 'Schönheitengalerie' (Gallery of Beauties), in the south pavilion of his Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. A collection of 36 portraits of the beautiful women painted between 1827 and 1850 mostly by Joseph Karl Stieler. . . . " (Cadaster Workshop 2012)
"Ludwig even had scouts fan out across the kingdom to search for models for his Gallery of Beauties, a collection of portraits of the foxiest ladies he could find. . . . " (Destination Munich)
"Ludwig of Bavaria's admiration of art did not stop at inanimate treasures. His worship of beauty extended quite naturally to the loveliest women in his realm. Regardless of social position or class, the chosen ones were offered a place in his Schonheits Galerie (Gallery of Beauties), and their exquisite features, whether countess of shepherdess, were preserved by the court painters. Although he spent hours alone in silent meditation of the beauties in the Schonheits Galerie, it was opened at certain times for the appreciation of his subjects." (Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours: 266)
Ludwig I's lovers were:
" . . . The king of Bavaria was Ludwig I (1786-1868). He was a true pants man. Ludwig's architect and confidant Leon von Klenze kept a dossier of the king's conquests which lists the names of over 50 girls." (Destination Munich)
Ludwig's Gallery of Beauties
" . . . One of his most famous conceptions is the celebrated 'Schönheitengalerie' (Gallery of Beauties), in the south pavilion of his Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. A collection of 36 portraits of the beautiful women painted between 1827 and 1850 mostly by Joseph Karl Stieler. . . . " (Cadaster Workshop 2012)
"Ludwig even had scouts fan out across the kingdom to search for models for his Gallery of Beauties, a collection of portraits of the foxiest ladies he could find. . . . " (Destination Munich)
"Ludwig of Bavaria's admiration of art did not stop at inanimate treasures. His worship of beauty extended quite naturally to the loveliest women in his realm. Regardless of social position or class, the chosen ones were offered a place in his Schonheits Galerie (Gallery of Beauties), and their exquisite features, whether countess of shepherdess, were preserved by the court painters. Although he spent hours alone in silent meditation of the beauties in the Schonheits Galerie, it was opened at certain times for the appreciation of his subjects." (Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours: 266)
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| Ludwig I von Bayern |
Ludwig I's lovers were:
1) Charlotte van Hagn (1809-1891)
Lover in 1826.
German actress
Lover in 1826.
German actress
Wife of: Alexander von Oven, a landowner, mar 1848, div 1851
". . . Charlotte had met King Ludwig shortly after her 17th birthday, and after a quickie tryst the smitten aristocrat commissioned the royal painter Joseph Karl Stieler. . .to fashion a painting of Charlotte. Completed in 1828, the painting portrays Charlotte as the character of Thekla from Schiller's poem "Wallenstein's Camp," one of Ludwig's favorite pieces of Literature. Ludwig ordered the painting to be hung in his 'Schonheitengalerie" (Gallery of Beauties), located in the south pavillion of his Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. . . ." (German Adventures I: Liszt and Charlotte von Hagn)
2) Helene Sedlmayr (1813-1898)
First Encounter: " . . . Helene crossed the king's path after his wife, Queen Therese, bought toys from Auracher's for the princes. Helene was charged with delivering the goods to the royal Residenz, where she ran into the regent himself. Ludwig, struck by her doey-eyes and jet-black hair, decided she'd be a perfect fit for his gallery of gorgeous dames. . . Ludwig is said to have wooed her with the words 'Don't have such a searching and inquiring glance. You cheeky, lovely beauty, look at me and trust me.' Ludwig's heart ran so hot for Helene it was feared the affair would embarrass the royal court. After all, she was a mere shoemaker's daughter." (Destination Munich)
Affair's end & aftermath.
"To protect Ludwig's reputation Helene Sedlmayr was betrothed to the king's valet, with the surname Miller. Though is was as forced marriage, it was a happy one and the couple had 10 children -- nine sons and one daughter. . . . " (Destination Munich)
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| Jane Digby |
3) Jane Digby, Lady Ellenborough (1807-1881)
British adventuress
Lover in 1830.
British adventuress
Lover in 1830.
"After some hesitation and consultation with her mother, Jane decided to leave Paris for Munich and did so in August 1831. . . Jane made her way to Munich, and within days she was spotted by the king, who then insisted on meeting her. Shortly thereafter, he commissioned a portrait by Carl Stieler, the court painter, to be hung in the so-called Gallery of Beauty in the palace where Ludwig was known to visit each day for poetic inspiration. . . (T) extent of her relationship with Ludwig remains clouded and uncertain. Almost immediately, they were rumored to be lovers and such evidence as is available does suggest that she was the king's mistress. . . But the affair lasted only a short time, though they remained good friends for many years. . . . " (Cotteman: 103)
4) Lola Montez, Grafin von Landsfeld (1821-1861)
Irish dancer, actress & courtesan
Lover in 1846-1848.
Irish dancer, actress & courtesan
Lover in 1846-1848.
" . . . While dancing in Munich, Lola attracted the attention of King Louis the First of Bavaria, who was in his 60s at the time, and she subsequently became his mistress. . . ." (Lackman: 75)
"Presenting herself to the Bavarian court as a Spanish noblewoman, Lola became acquainted with King Ludwig I. He was captivated by her and made her his official mistress. Ludwig lavished gifts on Lola including a house with all the trappings and a substantial income. On his birthday, February 17, 1847, he went so far as to make her Countess Marie von Landsfeld, and bestow Bavarian citizenship on her." (Ozmore & Abernethy)
Why Her?: " . . . Ludwig fell in love with Lola's beauty, her mind and her esprit fort; and Lola delighted in the company of this amiable, intelligent monarch who allowed her to flex her political muscle and to taste the heady wine of power. . . The king was enamored with Lola's mind as he was with her beauty. Many a sane man has bought a woman he admires flowers each day---Ludwig's daily bouquets for Lola were poems. . . . " (Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours: 273)
Why Him?: "There are many accounts of King Ludwig's fascination with the dance, but few make an honest attempt to explain Lola's feelings for the king. The assumption that her only interests were venal does both dancer and king an injustice. Ludwig was an easy man to like, and in some ways his temperament was very similar to Lola's. As well as being very learned, the king was a tremendous enthusiast who carried along with him anyone willing to listen and learn. . . He was gracious, kind, and excellent company; nor should the particular glamour and appeal of absolute monarch be underestimated. . . . " (Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours: 273)
5) Maria Bacinetti, Marchesa di Florenzi (1802-1870)
Lover in 1821-1868.
Italian noblewoman
Why Her?: " . . . Ludwig fell in love with Lola's beauty, her mind and her esprit fort; and Lola delighted in the company of this amiable, intelligent monarch who allowed her to flex her political muscle and to taste the heady wine of power. . . The king was enamored with Lola's mind as he was with her beauty. Many a sane man has bought a woman he admires flowers each day---Ludwig's daily bouquets for Lola were poems. . . . " (Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours: 273)
Why Him?: "There are many accounts of King Ludwig's fascination with the dance, but few make an honest attempt to explain Lola's feelings for the king. The assumption that her only interests were venal does both dancer and king an injustice. Ludwig was an easy man to like, and in some ways his temperament was very similar to Lola's. As well as being very learned, the king was a tremendous enthusiast who carried along with him anyone willing to listen and learn. . . He was gracious, kind, and excellent company; nor should the particular glamour and appeal of absolute monarch be underestimated. . . . " (Cupid and the King: Five Royal Paramours: 273)
Lover in 1821-1868.
Italian noblewoman
She was an Italian noblewoman and a well-known translator of philosophical works. The daughter of the Count of Ravenna, Marianna received a good education, becoming the female ideal of an educated woman at that time. For 40 years, she was the mistress of King Ludwig I, and he greatly valued her advice in government matters." (Arrayed in Gold)
First encounter: "In 1821, at the age of 18, Marianna met Crown Prince Ludwig, then 34, during the Carnival in Rome. They immediately began an intense relationship that lasted until his death in 1868. Some sources state that they were lovers. Others claim that it was a platonic relationship on a high intellectual level." (Ludwig the First)
Personal & Family Background: She was the daughter of Count Pietro Bacinetti of Ravenna, scion of a(n) old and rich patrician family, and the Countess Laura Rossi. (Ludwig I of Bavaria).
Persona & Character: " . . . (T)he Florentine Marianna Marquesa Florenzi (was) a gifted and intelligent woman known for her translations of European philosophical works into Italian, who was King Ludwig's lover, friend and confidant for some forty years. Some 4,500 letters passed between the two of them survive to this day." (Atlas Obscura)
Physical Traits & Personal Qualities: [In 1810] "...Ludwig himself was then 'a fair young man...with soft features, a flushed face, a proud full mouth and wide blue eyes. . . ." (Lovell)
Spouses & Children:
Persona & Character: " . . . (T)he Florentine Marianna Marquesa Florenzi (was) a gifted and intelligent woman known for her translations of European philosophical works into Italian, who was King Ludwig's lover, friend and confidant for some forty years. Some 4,500 letters passed between the two of them survive to this day." (Atlas Obscura)
Physical Traits & Personal Qualities: [In 1810] "...Ludwig himself was then 'a fair young man...with soft features, a flushed face, a proud full mouth and wide blue eyes. . . ." (Lovell)
Spouses & Children:
1. Marchese Ettore Florenzi, Marchese di Rasina (d.1832), mar 1819
2. Evelyn Waddington, mar 1836
Ludwig II's physical appearance & personal qualities.
"A French journalist who saw Ludwig II in his youth, has said: 'His beauty belongs to the romantic type. His dark eyes are dreamy and full of enthusiasm. His handsome face, elegant personality, and dignified bearing at once win admiration and sympathy. He is in possession of all the graces of youth, its illusions and enthusiasm; but at the same time he offers an example of that need for change which belongs to the youth. His subjects look upon him as a fool. They are mistaken: he is only foolish on one point---namely, where music is in question.'" (Ludwig II King of Bavaria: 141)
His lovers were:
1) Albert Niemann (1831-1917)
German singer
The greatest German tenor.
"The greatest German tenor, however, for many years was Albert Niemann, who was blessed with a magnificent voice and a fine appearance, suitable for the impersonation of Wagner's heroes, in which he excelled. He was born in 1831, at Erxleben, Magdeburg, and went on the stage in 1849. At first he sang only small parts, or else in the chorus, but, as he improved with study, he attracted the attention of Herr von Hulsen, General Intendant of the Royal German Theatres, who took him to Berlin, and was selected by Wagner to sing Siegmund at Bayreuth in 1876. Until he came to America in 1886 and 1887, when his voice had long sing departed, his only appearances out of German were in the unsuccessful production of'Tannhauser' at Paris, in 1861, and he sang in London in '82. In 1887 he formally retired from the stage." (Famous Singers of T0-day and Yesterday: 2264)
"Ludwig was sufficiently unworried to attend a performance of Lohegrin on 21 February with Albert Niemann in the leading role. Niemann, with his fine voice and striking looks, was for Ludwig the ideal Lohegrin. Further performances were ordered, and the singer was invited to a series of audiences with the Prince. Ludwig also sent Niemann bunches of flowers and a pair of jewelled cuff-links with a swan design." (The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria: 27)
2) Alfons Weber (1862-?)
3) Emil Rohde (1839-1913), German stage actor.
4) Innocent Nachbaur (1830-1903), German singer
"Joseph Kainz, the actor, who was later so celebrated, had, at the beginning of the eighties, an engagement at Munich; he was then twenty-three years of age. The King saw him for the first time in Victor Hugo's Marion de Lorme, in which he played the part of the homeless Didier. His unusually sonorous voice, his lofty glance, and the passionate warmth of his acting captivated Ludwig, who the same evening caused to be delivered to him a valuable sapphire ring. Kainz thanked him in a letter full of fire. In an autograph letter, dated the 1st of May, 1881, his Majesty assured him of his friendly feelings, and of his sincere and hearty wishes for his welfare. He added: 'Continue as you have begun, in your arduous and difficult but beautiful and honourable calling.'" (Ludwig the Second, King of Bavaria: 209)
". . . Ludwig had no better luck with Josef Kainz, a young Hungarian actor who had dazzled the King with his performances on stage and off. . . . " (Lambda Philatelic Journal)
"A more recent protege was Joseph Kainz, a young actor, with a tenor voice of surprising quality. The King had heard him sing Didier in Victor Hugo's Manon Lescaut, and at once invited him to the palace. Kainz spent weeks with the King, who loaded him with handsome presents. Sometimes whole nights were passed in recitation, Ludwig taking his share. This incongruous friendship was much talked of; and, again, as in the case of Wagner, the cry was raised of political influence. Kainz, however, thought of nothing but advancing himself, neither had he the personal influence possessed by Wagner. Beyond his lovely voice he had little to recommend him. Such violent delights are likely to have violent endings, and the King, who was most capricious in his likings, took a sudden distaste to Kainz, who naturally had not sufficient experience in Court life to guide him over its many shoals and quicksands." (The Romance of King LUdwig II of Bavaria: His Relations with Wagner and his Bavaran Fairy Places: 182)
"From 1880 he worked with Ernst von Possart at the National Theatre Munich and became one of the favourite actors of King Ludwig II of Bavaria appearing in private performance exclusively for the monarch's delight. . . . " (Wikepedia)
". . . Ludwig had no better luck with Josef Kainz, a young Hungarian actor who had dazzled the King with his performances on stage and off. . . . " (Lambda Philatelic Journal)
"A more recent protege was Joseph Kainz, a young actor, with a tenor voice of surprising quality. The King had heard him sing Didier in Victor Hugo's Manon Lescaut, and at once invited him to the palace. Kainz spent weeks with the King, who loaded him with handsome presents. Sometimes whole nights were passed in recitation, Ludwig taking his share. This incongruous friendship was much talked of; and, again, as in the case of Wagner, the cry was raised of political influence. Kainz, however, thought of nothing but advancing himself, neither had he the personal influence possessed by Wagner. Beyond his lovely voice he had little to recommend him. Such violent delights are likely to have violent endings, and the King, who was most capricious in his likings, took a sudden distaste to Kainz, who naturally had not sufficient experience in Court life to guide him over its many shoals and quicksands." (The Romance of King LUdwig II of Bavaria: His Relations with Wagner and his Bavaran Fairy Places: 182)
"From 1880 he worked with Ernst von Possart at the National Theatre Munich and became one of the favourite actors of King Ludwig II of Bavaria appearing in private performance exclusively for the monarch's delight. . . . " (Wikepedia)
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| Max Graf von Holnstein @Suddeutsche Zeitung |
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| Maximilian von Holnstein @Wikipedia |
Bavarian landowner & diplomat
Imperial Councilor & Colonel of Ludwig II; Master of the Horse.
Son of the Bavarian landowner and royal chamberlain Karl Theodor von Holnstein (1797-1857) & Caroline, b. Freiin von Spiering (1815-1859)
Great-grandson of Count Franz Ludwig von Holnstein (1723-1780), the illegitimate son of the Elector and later Emperor Karl Albrecht of Bavaria (1697-1745) and his lover Maria Caroline Charlotte of Ingenheim
Husband of Maximiliane von Gumppenberg (1850-1937)
"Count Maximilian von Holnstein (1835-1895) had been a close friend, and possibly a lover, of Ludwig's and had been his Master of the House, but he fell from royal favour in 1883." (The Speedicut Papers: Book 7 (1884-1895): Royal Scandals)
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| Paul von Thurn und Taxis |
Son of Maximilian Karl, 6th Furst von Thurn und Taxis & his 2nd wife Mathilde Sophie von Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg
Husband of Elise Kreutzer, mar in 1868.
"The King was more successful with Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis, whom he called "My most beloved Angel". In the words of Desmond Chapman-Huston (Ludwig II: The Mad King of Bavaria), "if Ludwig's favorites had all been like Paul, and if Ludwig himself could have exercised even a reasonable amount of circumspection, he might well have lived a happier and less frustrated life." Ludwig and Paul liked to dress up in Wagnerian costumes, as Barbarossa and Lohengrin. It is a shame that their relationship did not last." (Reference here?). "Teenaged Ludwig became best friends with (and possibly the lover of) his aide-de-camp, the handsome aristocrat and sometime actor Paul Maximilian Lamoral, a scion of the wealthy Thurn and Taxis dynasty. The two young men rode together, read poetry aloud, and staged excerpts from the operas of their idol, Richard Wagner. Their relationship lapsed when Paul became engaged in 1866." (deatschlandostmark)
" . . . As an adolescent, Ludwig became close friends with his aide de camp, Prince Paul, a member of Bavaria's wealthy Thurn und Taxis family. The two young men rode together, read poetry aloud, and staged scenes from the Romantic operas of Richard Wagner. The friendship ended when Paul became engaged in 1866. . . ." (Ludwig II King of Bavaria: 214)
"His other biggest love affair, with Prince Taxis, was of a different sort. The prince and Ludwig held a candid friendship in which they staged scenes of Wagner's operas together, spent time with one another, and consummated their love deeply. Whenever Prince Taxis would go abroad, they sent each other extensive letters of love. The young, beautiful prince held a high place in Ludwig's favour, and he showered him with presents and adoration. The young man was beauty incarnated, and Ludwig's human version of Lohengin. Still, Prince Taxis began to displease Ludwig and the king began to draw away from him, much about the same time he met Hornig. Prince Taxis began to notice that Ludwig's heart was jumping each time Hornig was present, and he slowly began to realize that Ludwig had fallen in love with the young stable boy. The prince, being a sensible man, said goodbye to Ludwig, who in turn wished him a good life. Prince Taxis later married. Still, it was in his mind, where Ludwig met with the great difficulties." (Ludwig II Shrine)
8) Richard Hornig
Chief Equerry & Master of the Horse (Stalmeester de Koning)
"The story of Bavaria's capitulation to the German revolution begins with the appearance of a handsome young man at Schloss Berg, a castle of the Wittelsbachs shrouded in the shadows of the Bavarian Alps. The young man, with his well-proportioned body and blind and wavy hair, was a groom in Ludwig's stables; his name was Richard Hornig. Dressed in a sky-blue Eton jacket, he was leading a mount when the King's eye fell upon him Ludwig swooned. An intimacy soon grew up between the two men, in spite of the difference in their stations, and together they set out on a sort of honeymoon journey to France, where Ludwig, travelling incognito as the Count of Berg, made a pilgrimage to Versailles, the Mecca of his cult of kingship. When he returned to Bavaria, he dismissed his fiancee, Sophie, the daughter of Duke Max of Bavaria. Ludwig had, a few months before, thrown himself enthusiastically into preparations for their wedding; he had studied the precedents of Versailles, and had ordered a special coach to be built, more splendid than that of the Sun King. But no amount of frippery could conceal the fact that he was not to be the bride, and that in embracing a woman he would be compelled to forsake his groom. 'Sophie got rid of,' he wrote in his diary after the engagement was broken off. ' The gloomy picture fades. I longed for, am athirst for, freedom. Now I can live again after this torturing nightmare.'" (Forge of Empires: Three Revolutionary Statesmen and the World They Made, 1861-1871: 354)
Chief Equerry & Master of the Horse (Stalmeester de Koning)
"The story of Bavaria's capitulation to the German revolution begins with the appearance of a handsome young man at Schloss Berg, a castle of the Wittelsbachs shrouded in the shadows of the Bavarian Alps. The young man, with his well-proportioned body and blind and wavy hair, was a groom in Ludwig's stables; his name was Richard Hornig. Dressed in a sky-blue Eton jacket, he was leading a mount when the King's eye fell upon him Ludwig swooned. An intimacy soon grew up between the two men, in spite of the difference in their stations, and together they set out on a sort of honeymoon journey to France, where Ludwig, travelling incognito as the Count of Berg, made a pilgrimage to Versailles, the Mecca of his cult of kingship. When he returned to Bavaria, he dismissed his fiancee, Sophie, the daughter of Duke Max of Bavaria. Ludwig had, a few months before, thrown himself enthusiastically into preparations for their wedding; he had studied the precedents of Versailles, and had ordered a special coach to be built, more splendid than that of the Sun King. But no amount of frippery could conceal the fact that he was not to be the bride, and that in embracing a woman he would be compelled to forsake his groom. 'Sophie got rid of,' he wrote in his diary after the engagement was broken off. ' The gloomy picture fades. I longed for, am athirst for, freedom. Now I can live again after this torturing nightmare.'" (Forge of Empires: Three Revolutionary Statesmen and the World They Made, 1861-1871: 354)
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| Richard Hornig |
"Prince Paul's successor was Richard Hornig, who began his 20 years career as the King's head groom and equerry. Hornig's influence was such that he was dubbed, by jealous politicians, "the secret Chancellor of Bavaria". This affair ended with Hornig's marriage "something harder for Ludwig to bear ... than the whole of the Franco-Prussian War." Ludwig had no better luck with Josef Kainz, a young Hungarian actor who dazzled the King with his performances."(Koymansky, 1997-2008)
"Three months before the planned wedding to Princess Sophie, Ludwig met Richard Hornig, a groom at the stables of Berg castle. A blond, blue-eyed Prussian five years older than the King, he was to become an important figure in Ludwig's life. Richard Hornig was a superb horseman and mutual love of horses can be a strong bond. Hornig saw the King constantly and intimately, and their friendship seems to have been sincere and lasting. He saw to the comfort and well-being of his Sovereign. He soon occupied the office of Crown Equerry and Master of the Horse. He controlled all horse transport, coaches and carriages, stabling, purchase, breeding and training of the Royal horses, which numbered around 500. The King and Hornig often visited the remote castles, chalets and mountain huts, mostly in a four-horse carriage and sometimes in an illuminated sleigh in the moonlight. Hornig soon acted as go-between the King and his ministers...which cased much criticism. The King and Hornig also set out on a journey through Germany and to Grance, with the King travelling incognito as Count von Berg. The esteemed late author Major Desmond Chapman-Huston had little doubt that the appearance of Richard Hornig in May led to the break with Sophie. Perhaps it convinced Ludwig that for him a normal love for any woman was not possible." (Ursula's History Web)
"There were, however, a handful of very intense, and reasonably long-lived relationships that Ludwig had. The longest was with his equerry, Richard Hornig, who remained in the King's service for 20 years." (Koymansky, 1997-2008)
" . . . Ludwig's heart ached for a true companion, one he found when he met Richard Hornig. Blond, with crystal blue eyes, Hornig came into the king's service as part of his table hands. He was not simply a stable boy, though. He helped the king in various tasks, such as his personal affairs. Hornig was Ludwig's lackey, waiting on him at every hour, but the young man didn't mind. Hornig's soul was a happy one, and a simple one, and this drew Ludwig to the young man. Hornig refused at first to be treated as an object, or as another of the king's boys, and Ludwig refused to admit that what he felt for the young man was love. But, the king's heart began to reach out towards the young man, and Hornig's soul began to bleed for the love he wanted from Ludwig. Both men strip themselves of any pretences and admitted their love for each other without any doubts. Ludwig's heart found peace next to him, and allowed the young man to embrace him with love and affection. The young stable hand was happy in the king's love, even if Ludwig still kept other young boys with him. There were countess of tears on Hornig's face, sorrow eating his heart and longing tearing him apart, but he was comforted in knowing the Ludwig loved him. The king gave him a key, a lovely small key, that allowed Hornig to read his secret diary, which only both of them could read, since only they held the key. Hornig held the key to Ludwig's dark, passionate diary, as much as he held the king's heart." (Ludwig II Shrine)
"The Master of the Horse, Hornig, was later the King's favourite. He was a handsome and well-informed man, with agreeable manners. During the long period of eighteen years he acted as Ludwig's private secretary, and accompanied him on his travels. . . ." (Ludwig II King of Bavaria: 154)
Richard Hornig's physical appearance and personal qualities: "In July Ludwig went on another trip, this time to the Giant International Exhibition which was staged in Paris that year. He took with him a new companion, Richard Hornig, who had recently entered service in the King's stable and was to have a close relationship with Ludwig over many years. Though never as highly placed as Holnstein, the Master of the Horse, he was to hold the important position of Stallmeister (equerry)... At this time Hornig was about twenty-six years old and had recently completed his military service.. He was fair-haired with a lean, wiry build and, like Ludwig, was a magnificent horseman." (McIntish: 88)
Benefits: "Hornig persistently refused offers of a title from Ludwig. He did, however, accept the gift of a house and large grounds at Seeleiten on the Starnberg lake...." (McIntosh: 169)
"Three months before the planned wedding to Princess Sophie, Ludwig met Richard Hornig, a groom at the stables of Berg castle. A blond, blue-eyed Prussian five years older than the King, he was to become an important figure in Ludwig's life. Richard Hornig was a superb horseman and mutual love of horses can be a strong bond. Hornig saw the King constantly and intimately, and their friendship seems to have been sincere and lasting. He saw to the comfort and well-being of his Sovereign. He soon occupied the office of Crown Equerry and Master of the Horse. He controlled all horse transport, coaches and carriages, stabling, purchase, breeding and training of the Royal horses, which numbered around 500. The King and Hornig often visited the remote castles, chalets and mountain huts, mostly in a four-horse carriage and sometimes in an illuminated sleigh in the moonlight. Hornig soon acted as go-between the King and his ministers...which cased much criticism. The King and Hornig also set out on a journey through Germany and to Grance, with the King travelling incognito as Count von Berg. The esteemed late author Major Desmond Chapman-Huston had little doubt that the appearance of Richard Hornig in May led to the break with Sophie. Perhaps it convinced Ludwig that for him a normal love for any woman was not possible." (Ursula's History Web)
"There were, however, a handful of very intense, and reasonably long-lived relationships that Ludwig had. The longest was with his equerry, Richard Hornig, who remained in the King's service for 20 years." (Koymansky, 1997-2008)
" . . . Ludwig's heart ached for a true companion, one he found when he met Richard Hornig. Blond, with crystal blue eyes, Hornig came into the king's service as part of his table hands. He was not simply a stable boy, though. He helped the king in various tasks, such as his personal affairs. Hornig was Ludwig's lackey, waiting on him at every hour, but the young man didn't mind. Hornig's soul was a happy one, and a simple one, and this drew Ludwig to the young man. Hornig refused at first to be treated as an object, or as another of the king's boys, and Ludwig refused to admit that what he felt for the young man was love. But, the king's heart began to reach out towards the young man, and Hornig's soul began to bleed for the love he wanted from Ludwig. Both men strip themselves of any pretences and admitted their love for each other without any doubts. Ludwig's heart found peace next to him, and allowed the young man to embrace him with love and affection. The young stable hand was happy in the king's love, even if Ludwig still kept other young boys with him. There were countess of tears on Hornig's face, sorrow eating his heart and longing tearing him apart, but he was comforted in knowing the Ludwig loved him. The king gave him a key, a lovely small key, that allowed Hornig to read his secret diary, which only both of them could read, since only they held the key. Hornig held the key to Ludwig's dark, passionate diary, as much as he held the king's heart." (Ludwig II Shrine)
"The Master of the Horse, Hornig, was later the King's favourite. He was a handsome and well-informed man, with agreeable manners. During the long period of eighteen years he acted as Ludwig's private secretary, and accompanied him on his travels. . . ." (Ludwig II King of Bavaria: 154)
Richard Hornig's physical appearance and personal qualities: "In July Ludwig went on another trip, this time to the Giant International Exhibition which was staged in Paris that year. He took with him a new companion, Richard Hornig, who had recently entered service in the King's stable and was to have a close relationship with Ludwig over many years. Though never as highly placed as Holnstein, the Master of the Horse, he was to hold the important position of Stallmeister (equerry)... At this time Hornig was about twenty-six years old and had recently completed his military service.. He was fair-haired with a lean, wiry build and, like Ludwig, was a magnificent horseman." (McIntish: 88)
Benefits: "Hornig persistently refused offers of a title from Ludwig. He did, however, accept the gift of a house and large grounds at Seeleiten on the Starnberg lake...." (McIntosh: 169)
9) Richard Wagner.
"The first of Ludwig's Friends was the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig fell in love with the composer when, as a teen, he first saw Wagner's operas. As King (1864), Ludwig invited Wagner to Munich, gave him a pension and a house to compose in, and wrote him a series of passionate letters: 'I love no woman, no parents, no brother, no relations, no one fervently and from the depths of my heart -- as I love you.' Unfortunately, Wagner accepted Ludwig's gifts and set up house with Cosima von Bulow, who left her husband for the occasion. Within a year, the temperamental composer had alienated everyone and had to leave Munich. However, Ludwig remained, till his death, a 'perfect Wagnerite'." (Koymansky, 1997-2008)
10) Baron von Varicourt.
" . . . Another person who must be mentioned in this context is cavalry officer named Baron von Varicourt, whom Ludwig made his aide-de-camp in 1873 and for whom he had a short-lived infatuation. Because of Varicourt's name, Ludwig imagined him to possess an illustrious genealogy, with forebears who had rendered distinguished service to France and the French monarchy. Varicourt tried to tell the King that this was not so, but Ludwig would not listen. . . ." (The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria: 155).
"Baron Varicourt, one of King Ludwig's best friends and his aide-de-camp, was a great friend of ours. From him we often heard much of the King's eccentricities. His great-grandfather was the Baron Varicourt of the Garde Suisse who defended Marie Antoinette against the rabble. . . Varicourt was a most interesting man: his devotion to his King was very great, and it is a strange coincidence that the unfortunate man, who had once been under restraint, became suddenly insane, and shortly after his master's tragic end shot himself at an hotel at Wartzburg on his way to see his sister. . . ." (Macdonell: 160)
"One of these men was Count Varicourt, a youthful man of beautiful looks. Count Varicourt came into Ludwig's life wanting to use the king's innocent lavishness, and had faked to be a distant relative of King Louis XIV, the 'Sun King' of France, whom Ludwig admired a lot. Pompous, greedy, and a self centred fool, Count Varicourt led the king to believe this lie, and the king confused their friendship with love, since he began to lust for the young man. They shared a deep relationship, through letters and meetings, but Count Varicourt does not love him. Ludwig discovered that his lust was, indeed, unreal, and abandoned all attempts to find love with him." (Ludwig II Shrine)
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