Max, Duke in Bavaria

Max
Max-Emanuel Ludwig Maria von Wittelsbach was born at Munich, January 21, 1937. He is the younger son of Hereditary Prince (later Duke) Albert of Bavaria and of his first wife, Countess Maria Draskovich von Traskotjan. From his birth Max was recognised by the Jacobites as "Prince Max of Cornwall and Rothesay, Prince of England, Scotland, France and Ireland". Owing, however, to the fact that his parents' marriage was, at the time of his birth, not considered dynastic as regards succession to the Bavarian throne, Max was not a dynastic "Prince of Bavaria", in spite of the fact that he was commonly addressed as such. When on May 18, 1949, Max's grandfather Rupert recognised as dynastic the marriage between Max's parents, Max officially became a "Prince of Bavaria".

On March 18, 1965, Max was adopted by his great-uncle Duke Ludwig Wilhelm in Bavaria. Since that time he has used the title "Duke in Bavaria" while also retaining all his other titles.

On January 24, 1967, in Munich, Max married Countess Elizabeth Douglas, daughter of Count Carl Ludwig Douglas and of his wife, Ottara Haas-Heye. The Douglases are a Scottish family who have been in the service of the kings of Sweden for several centuries.

The couple have five daughters:

  • Sophie (born 1967), married Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein.
  • Marie-Caroline (born 1969), married Duke Philipp of Wurttemberg.
  • Helene (born 1972).
  • Elizabeth (born 1973).
  • Maria Anna (born 1975).
Max is heir presumptive to all the British rights of his brother Francis. He is a Knight of the Order of St. Hubertus, first Grand Prior of the Order of St. George, and a Knight of Honour of the Teutonic Order. He is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Technical University of Munich, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Pinakothek der Moderne (the modern art museum in Munich), a Member of the Board of Directors of TAG Tegernseebahn Immobilien- und Beteiligungs Aktiengesellschaft (a real estate corporation centred in the Tegernsee Valley), President of the Chiemgau Golf Club (since 1987), and President of the Wittelsbacher Golf Club in Rohrenfeld-Neuburg.

Max and his wife live at Schloss Tegernsee and Schloss Wildenwart.

This page is maintained by Noel S. McFerran (noel.mcferran@rogers.com) and was last updated September 21, 2007.
© Noel S. McFerran 1998-2007.