- Why the Bavarian baby is called "Rupprecht"
This former royal family remains an exceptional phenomenon: No German dynasty is more closely associated with its land than the Wittelsbachs, who ruled uninterrupted in Bavaria from 1180 onwards, first as dukes, then as electors, and later as kings. After the November Revolution, they were the first to abdicate.
Royal Resister as Patron
How deeply this family is still rooted in a positive tradition is evident now with the birth of the heir: Prince Ludwig and Princess Sophie want to baptize their firstborn, who was born on August 6, 2024, after a special representative of the dynasty: Rupprecht, that brave man who, as the successor of his childless uncle King Ludwig III, arranged with the republic as the last crown prince of Bavaria and bravely opposed the advances of the National Socialists.
Rupprecht's grandson Franz von Bayern, 91, the current duke, recently reported in the stern about the dramatic consequences of this decision, which forced him, at the age of 11, to fear for his life in concentration camps. "My grandfather thought analytically and he saw through Hitler's plans from the beginning," said Duke Franz. "Although he had repeatedly tried to win over the family, the crown prince knew that there was nothing else to do but to fight this evil ideology. After the war, it helped to be on the right side."
One may interpret this name choice as a special commitment to this important decision, which unfortunately found few followers in the rest of the German high nobility. Ludwig and Sophie von Bayern, the new parents, are considered open-minded and unconventional representatives of the high nobility and are therefore popular among the Bavarians. Ludwig, the eldest son of Prince Luitpold, the brewer and host of the Knight's Tournament at Schloss Kaltenberg, has made a name for himself early on.
Young Parents with Impressive Careers
The 41-year-old has been active as a development aid worker in Africa for years, but with completely new approaches. Under the motto "Africa Rising", he invited a themed evening at Schloss Nymphenburg, where he presented his projects. This includes the "Learning Lions" project, which he started in 2015 and uses an IT campus in the semi-desert by Lake Turkana in Kenya to give young Africans access to the digital job market. The prince sees digital craftsmanship as a "resource for Africa". The young mother, born Evekink, has Dutch-Canadian roots and has previously worked mainly for human rights. The former employee of the UN Secretary-General is researching and writing her doctorate at the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford on the concept of justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict areas.
Succession in Republican Times
Even if the "throne succession" in the 21st century is extremely theoretical, it still plays a significant role within the House of Wittelsbach. The newly born Prince Rupprecht Theodor Maria would thus be in fourth place. The succession in the Wittelsbach House has always been complex. There are several lines, besides the Duke of Bavaria himself, his brother Max is a Duke in Bavaria - due to the adoption by Duke Ludwig Wilhelm in Bavaria in 1965, securing the continuation of this line. Also, Princes Luitpold, Wolfgang, and Leopold von Bayern are the heads of a respective family branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty. However, only two of them bear the title of Duke.
What also belongs to a tradition of the House is a cultivated Bodenständigkeit. Therefore, the young family enjoys their happiness in Bavaria and perhaps even glad that no royal responsibility awaits Baby Rupprecht.
Franz von Bayern, the current duke and Rupprecht's grandson, shares a significant connection with Bavaria as he faced dramatic consequences due to his grandfather's brave decision to oppose the National Socialists, even at the risk of his own life.
Despite having several lines within the Wittelsbach dynasty, the newly born Prince Rupprecht Theodor Maria would be in fourth place in the succession, and the young family is content to enjoy their life in Bavaria, free from any royal responsibilities.
