Duke Ludwig Wilhelm in Bavaria (1831–1920)

Ludwig Wilhelm (often called Louis) was the eldest child of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria, and was the brother of Empress Elisabeth of Austria.[3]

He pursued a career in the Royal Bavarian Army, becoming a major in the 1st Royal Bavarian Chevau-légers "Emperor Nicholas of Russia" and rising to the rank of General of the Cavalry by 1859.[1]

He renounced his rights as firstborn when he entered into a morganatic marriage to the actress Henriette Mendel, who was created Baroness von Wallersee on their marriage.[1][4] Louis became father in 1858 of a daughter Marie Louise Mendel, who, as Marie Louise von Larisch-Wallersee ("jene Gräfin Larisch"), was later involved in the Mayerling Incident. In 1859 his son Karl Emanuel was born but died shortly after.

Henriette died on November 12, 1891.[2][5]

Louis married a second time to ballet prima donna Antonie Barth, on November 19, 1892[5][6] in Munich.[7] The duke was forty years older than his bride,[2][5] and was not accepted into the duke's family as graciously as his first wife.[1] She was created Baroness von Bartolf.[8] In 1906, the duke had declared his intention to marry Fraulein Tordek, a prima donna of the Munich royal opera house.[3][9] Bartolf left the duke in 1907 after years of physical and emotional abuse.[8] They divorced in July 1913 after Frau Bartolf gave birth to a daughter, Hélène[10] that the duke claimed was not his child.[2][11]

In November 1920, Ludwig died[1] of a cardiac arrest-induced stroke and is buried in Munich's Ostfriedhof.

He received the following orders and decorations:[12]