Figure 1.--This photograph shows five of the six children from Prince Rupprecht's second family. The photograph was probably taken about 1928.

Rupprecht first wife Maria Gabriele had died in 1912 before World War I. After the War in 1921 he decided to marry again. He married Princess Antoinette von Nassau of Luxembourg (1899- ). They had six children including: Heinrich, Prince of Bavaria (1922- ), Irmingard, Princess of Bavaria (1923- ), Editha, Princess of Bavaria (1924- ), Hilda, Princess of Bavaria (1926- ), Gabriele, Prince of Bavaria (1927- ), and Sophie, Princess of Bavaria (1935- ). It is interesting to note how differently bthese children were dressed compared with the way his firsrt sons were dressed. One reason may be the different fashion sence of his new, young wife. The primary reason, however, is how significantly fashions changed in the 1920s after World War I.

Parents

Father

Crown Prince Rupprecht (Ruppert) was born in 1869. He succeeded as head of the Wittelsbach dynasty in 1921 upon the death of his father, Ludwig III, the last ruling King of Bavaria. Since then, royal titles have no longer carried any legal status. Lingering monarchist sympathies still exist in Bavaria, but there have been no serious attempts to reinstate the Wittelsbacher. Putting Rupprecht, King Ludwig III's son, onto the throne was considered in the early 1930s, as a way to check Hitler's rise to power, and in the 1940s at the end of the Second World War, but never came about. His first wife was Marie Gabriele, née Duchess in Bavaria (1884-1912). They had four children, including Albrecht, Prince of Bavaria (1905- ). He had a second family after World War I.

Mother

Rupprecht first wife Maria Gabriele had died in 1912 before World War I. After the War in 1921 he decided to marry again. He married Princess Antoinette von Nassau of Luxembourg (1899- ).

Children

Ruppecht and Antoinette had six children including: Heinrich, Prince of Bavaria (1922- ), Irmingard, Princess of Bavaria (1923- ), Editha, Princess of Bavaria (1924- ), Hilda, Princess of Bavaria (1926- ), Gabriele, Prince of Bavaria (1927- ), and Sophie, Princess of Bavaria (1935- ). We have no biographical information on the children at this time. As their father wa an ani-NAZI, we wonder ow th children fared during the 1930s and World War II. Hopefully our Bavarian reader will provide us some information.

Changing Fashions

It is interesting to note how differently these children were dressed compared with the way his firsrt sons were dressed. One reason may be the different fashion sence of his new, young wife. The primary reason we believe, however, is how significantly fashions changed in the 1920s after World War I.

Limited Informaion

A HBC reader comments, "You may be right about the diffences in clothes, but can you really tell from this one photo? Maybe the clothes were chosen to be folk clothes such as some of the pictures Luitpold and Albrecht are seen wearing." Our reader is quite corect. There is no way of making definitive judgements based on one photograph, especially with the children in folk costume. This is, however all we have to go on at this time. So our aessessment is a tentative one until more information becomes avilable.

Girl's Outfits

One interesting asoect is the girl's outfits. While the boys' outfits are similar to pre-World War I Bavarian folk costumes, the girls' outfits are very different. Rather than dindrels, the girls wear outfits rathe like the boys only with skirts rather than short pants. We never noticed this before World War I.

Created: May 7, 2002
Last updated: May 7, 2002