The dream king : Ludwig II of Bavaria

Wilfrid Blunt

Ludwig II (Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm, Louis II in English) (8/25/1845-6/13/1886) was Bavarian king from 1864 until just before his death. He's sometimes called the Swan King or the MärchenkÃnig (Ger. Fairytale King). He's also called the Mad King, tho the label's truth is disputed. Because he was deposed on grounds of mental illness without medical examination & died mysteriously a day later, questions abide. He's best known as an eccentric whose legacy is intertwined with the history of art & architecture, as he commissioned construction of several extravagant castles & was a major patron of Richard Wagner.