Sisi’s youngest brother was her favourite. Duke Maximilian Emanuel in Bavaria was the youngest of the 10 siblings. He joined the Bavarian army and became a Lieutenant General.
Duke Maximilian fell in love with Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha but negotiations were already underway for her to marry Prince Leopold of Bavaria. According to Dr Brigitte Hamann Sisi intervened to help her brother. Empress Elisabeth invited Prince Leopold to Vienna and introduced Gisela to him. He fancied being the Emperor’s son-in-law and became engaged.
Sisi had cleared the way for Duke Maximilian Emanuel to woo Princess Amelie. They were married in 1875 at Ebenthal in Lower Austria. The couple had three children and lived at Schloss Biederstein in the Munich suburb of Schwabing.
They both died before Sisi. Duke Maximilian Emanuel died in 1893 and Princess Amalie the next year, leaving the three children aged three to 17. They were buried in Bavaria at Saint Quirinus Church (Tegernsee) in Miedbacher Landkreis.
The new palace of Schloss Biederstein built in 1826 -30 was demolished in 1934. The earlier 18th century castle was destroyed in 1944 and its ruins demolished in 1945.
Attribution [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
