Ludwig and sophie, 1867.

Engagement

Soon after the end of the war, the Royal family began to notice how much time Ludwig was spending with Sophie, the youngest sister of the Austrian Empress. She was a delicate girl not quite twenty with long ash-blond hair. For Ludwig she had a major characteristic in her favour - she was a fellow Wagner enthusiast. They seemed a perfect couple. They would spend hours discussing the Master's works, and soon began addressing each other as Elsa and Heinrich (both characters from Lohengrin). Within a few months of their first meeting, Sophie's mother demanded Ludwig state his intentions, and through shrewd planning from her, the couple announced their engagement in January 1867. The nation was delighted with the news, and court balls, dinners and theatre performances were held in the couple's honour. 

The honeymoon ends

The date for the wedding was first set for August, 1867. Shortly after it was changed to October 12th, the date both Ludwig I and Max II had married. But it was beginning to be obvious that not everything was well. Ludwig and Sophie were seen occupying separate boxes at the theatre, and people remarked that the couple seemed to be lacking a glow. Further evidence of this happened when Ludwig left court balls early and alone in order to catch the final act of plays. The truth was that Ludwig was desperately worried about the wedding. He stated to the Court Secretary that he would rather drown himself in the Alpsee than to marry. As the wedding date dew nearer Ludwig was more agitated and miserable. He wrote to Wagner

"Oh, if only I could be carried on a magic carpet to you . . . at dear, peaceful Tribschen* - even for an hour or two. What I would give to be able to do that!"

*Wagner's house in Lucerne, Switzerland.

But Sophie was just as miserable. She knew that the King didn't love her. Finally she sent a letter offering Ludwig his freedom. But rather than except it, yet another postponement was made, to December. Meanwhile, wild rumours were circulating through Munich, the most absurd being that Sophie had broken Ludwig's heart by having an affair with a local photographer. (This rumour still persists to this day.) In the end it was Sophie's father who ended the affair. He sent word to Ludwig in early October demanding that he set a definite date at the end of November, or withdraw his proposal. Ludwig took the latter option. That night he wrote in his diary,

"Sophie is finished with. The gloomy picture vanishes. I longed for freedom, I thirsted for freedom, to wake from this horrible nightmare."

Ludwig fled to his beloved Alps, and hid there in his dreams. He wrote to Wagner from Hohenschwangau on 21 November, 1867;

"I write these lines sitting in my cosy gothic bow-window, by the light of my lonely lamp, while outside the blizzard rages. It is so peaceful here, this silence is stimulating, whereas in the clamour of the world I feel absolutely miserable.

"Thank God I am alone at last. My mother is far away, as is my former bride, who would have made me unspeakably unhappy. Before me stands a bust of the one, true Friend whom I shall love until death. . . If only I had the opportunity to die for you."

(The following year Sophie married Prince Ferdinand d'Orleans, a grandson of King Louis-Phillipe of France. In 1897 she died in a fire during a charity bazaar in Paris.)

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