Ludvik, Prince of Kollstansze
Prince Ludvik of Kollstansze (3 June 1505 – 20 October 1534) was prince of the state of Kollstansze from 1522 - 1534. He is most notable for his marriage to an imposter of his intended bride, Maleen of Adlkofen.
Ludvik was born in the principality of Kollstansze, a state of the Holy Roman Empire, on the night of 3 June 1505. He was the only surviving child of his father, Prince Ludvik, and his third wife, Ramona, who died in 1507.
By most accounts, Ludvik was highly educated but did not particularly enjoy learning--he was slow remembering new subjects and preferred riding and hunting with his friends in the household. He was generally considered irresponsible and rakish, more interested in sport than politics, and was indulged by his father, who was old at the time of his birth and grateful to have any son, after three marriages and at least ten children who had died early. Ludvik famously disliked John of Willmars, second son of the Prince and later prince in his own right; they met first at a celebration or summit in 1521, in Kollstansze, where Ludvik mocked his partial paralysis to such an extent that he was required to give a formal apology. At that time, Ludvik was betrothed to Sophia of Zittau, but she was so repulsed by him that she rejected the marriage. That put him on a kind of blacklist--all of Sophia's sisters rejected him as well, and Zittau was lost as a possible alliance.
When Ludvik was betrothed to John's former betrothed, Maleen the Duchess of Adlkofen, who had been passed over by the regent of Willmars, he was incensed, but she was the best that could be found at the time, It was arranged that they would be married in 1525, when Maleen was eighteen and Ludvik was nineteen.
Unknown to anyone in Kollstansze, Maleen and her cousin Adelaide had switched places en route to Kollstansze. Why exactly this was done is unclear. Possibly Maleen rejected him and threatened to make a scene, and was switched with Adelaide to keep her under control—possibly Adelaide’s father wanted to advance his own family. Either way, the wedding was held in October of 1525, and Ludvik married Adelaide.
By most accounts, Ludvik was highly educated but did not particularly enjoy learning--he was slow remembering new subjects and preferred riding and hunting with his friends in the household. He was generally considered irresponsible and rakish, more interested in sport than politics, and was indulged by his father, who was old at the time of his birth and grateful to have any son, after three marriages and at least ten children who had died early. Ludvik famously disliked John of Willmars, second son of the Prince and later prince in his own right; they met first at a celebration or summit in 1521, in Kollstansze, where Ludvik mocked his partial paralysis to such an extent that he was required to give a formal apology. At that time, Ludvik was betrothed to Sophia of Zittau, but she was so repulsed by him that she rejected the marriage. That put him on a kind of blacklist--all of Sophia's sisters rejected him as well, and Zittau was lost as a possible alliance.
When Ludvik was betrothed to John's former betrothed, Maleen the Duchess of Adlkofen, who had been passed over by the regent of Willmars, he was incensed, but she was the best that could be found at the time, It was arranged that they would be married in 1525, when Maleen was eighteen and Ludvik was nineteen.
Unknown to anyone in Kollstansze, Maleen and her cousin Adelaide had switched places en route to Kollstansze. Why exactly this was done is unclear. Possibly Maleen rejected him and threatened to make a scene, and was switched with Adelaide to keep her under control—possibly Adelaide’s father wanted to advance his own family. Either way, the wedding was held in October of 1525, and Ludvik married Adelaide.
Several months after the marriage, Ludvik departed first to hunt with other lords, and then for a summit in Willmars. While he was gone, Adelaide delivered a stillborn child and died. Adelaide’s replaced her with his other, illegitimate, daughter, Federica, because he was unwilling to lose the alliance. It is possible that she was schizophrenic; Frederick told Ludvik that his wife had lost her mind after the child’s death.
Almost overnight, Ludvik became what people of the court called “a different person”. It is known that several nights after he returned to find Federica pacing and talking to her hallucinations, he called the real Maleen’s husband—Count Conrad von Hemsdorf, ambassador from Willmars—who had gotten into some kind of altercation with Ludvik’s friends in 1515 at the time of the formal apology. Conrad had some medical knowledge, and, according to his notes, spoke to Ludvik and attempted to convince him not to dismiss Federica. He made little progress; household records and Conrad’s notes show that at least four doctors and several priests visited over the next several weeks, and that trepanning and exorcism were recommended as treatments, along with prayer or immediate divorce or annulment.
What exactly happened during these several weeks is only partially recorded—Conrad’s notes record that he started to be called to talk to Ludvik about what he should do almost every night. Other ambassadors and people in the castle record that he at times avoided her and at times only wanted to look at her.
Accounts agree that several Sundays after his return, things changed. Multiple sources agree that Ludvik told Federica in front of a number of ladies—including Maleen and the childhood nurse who accompanied Federica throughout her life—that she couldn’t come to Mass with him. Federica reportedly burst into tears, which, according to Conrad, who heard from Maleen, “made L[udvik] look struck with panic as if he didn’t understand what was going on—he made a clumsy attempt to comfort her, left, and returned almost at once to see if anything had changed before asking if she would like to come”. The ambassador from Zittau speculates that “the prince had never seen the result of his actions before”. Federica went to Mass with him, and after that, Ludvik gave up on the idea of divorce and stopped bringing in doctors.
Almost overnight, Ludvik became what people of the court called “a different person”. It is known that several nights after he returned to find Federica pacing and talking to her hallucinations, he called the real Maleen’s husband—Count Conrad von Hemsdorf, ambassador from Willmars—who had gotten into some kind of altercation with Ludvik’s friends in 1515 at the time of the formal apology. Conrad had some medical knowledge, and, according to his notes, spoke to Ludvik and attempted to convince him not to dismiss Federica. He made little progress; household records and Conrad’s notes show that at least four doctors and several priests visited over the next several weeks, and that trepanning and exorcism were recommended as treatments, along with prayer or immediate divorce or annulment.
What exactly happened during these several weeks is only partially recorded—Conrad’s notes record that he started to be called to talk to Ludvik about what he should do almost every night. Other ambassadors and people in the castle record that he at times avoided her and at times only wanted to look at her.
Accounts agree that several Sundays after his return, things changed. Multiple sources agree that Ludvik told Federica in front of a number of ladies—including Maleen and the childhood nurse who accompanied Federica throughout her life—that she couldn’t come to Mass with him. Federica reportedly burst into tears, which, according to Conrad, who heard from Maleen, “made L[udvik] look struck with panic as if he didn’t understand what was going on—he made a clumsy attempt to comfort her, left, and returned almost at once to see if anything had changed before asking if she would like to come”. The ambassador from Zittau speculates that “the prince had never seen the result of his actions before”. Federica went to Mass with him, and after that, Ludvik gave up on the idea of divorce and stopped bringing in doctors.
Ludvik ruled until 1534. He was known for leniency and a desire to dispatch as many tasks as possible to others in his cabinets, but was generally well liked.
Ludvik died from what was most likely tuberculosis in 1534.
A fictionalized account is in George Powell's TV show "The Cursed Queen"
Ludvik appears in Elizabeth Raye-Muller's "The Cursed Queen"
A fictional account is recorded in Natalie Andrew's "As Alike As Two Suns", where Ludvik is mostly an antagonist
Another fictional account is in Laura Gillespie's "A Time Traveler at Court", where Ludvik begins as an antagonist but becomes more sympathetic
Ludvik appears in Elizabeth Raye-Muller's "The Cursed Queen"
A fictional account is recorded in Natalie Andrew's "As Alike As Two Suns", where Ludvik is mostly an antagonist
Another fictional account is in Laura Gillespie's "A Time Traveler at Court", where Ludvik begins as an antagonist but becomes more sympathetic