Death of the “Fairytale King”

Ludwig II of Bavaria dies in Lake Starnberg

Ascending to the Bavarian throne in 1864 at the age of only 18, Ludwig II was forced to reconcile his belief in the divine right of kings with the reality of late 19th-century constitutional government. Frustrated by this situation, Ludwig withdrew into a fantasy world based on the operas of Richard Wagner. Dedicating himself to his two overriding passions – the consumption of sweets and the construction of fantastic castles – by the time he was 30, he had not only realized his neo-medieval masterpieces Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee, but had also lost all his teeth. Moreover, he had become so fat that he hid himself away from the public gaze. Sleeping all day, he dressed up at night in historical uniforms and had himself driven through his kingdom. His behaviour brought him not only the nickname of “Moon King”, but also proceedings for bankruptcy.

Rumours of impending financial ruin and homosexual affairs with cavalry troopers threatened trouble for the southern German Kingdom, and its government hired experts to certify King Ludwig as mentally disturbed. At the age of 40, Ludwig was confined to Lake Starnberg and a regency was established under his Uncle Luitpold. Only a day after his incarceration, Ludwig went for a walk with his doctor on 13 June 1886 but did not return. The bodies of both men were found in the shallows of the lake. Whilst many believe that the deaths resulted from suicide, others think that Ludwig died attempting to escape. Although a post mortem was inconclusive, there were indications of a struggle between the two men and neither a heart attack nor drowning can be ruled out.