The ducal line became extinct in 1973. Max Emanuel, Duke in Bavaria (and also heir to the headship of the House of Wittelsbach), is a member of the main royal line and holds his title by adoption. As he has five daughters (one of whom is Sophie, married to the heir to Liechtenstein), the new ducal line will also become extinct on his death. It remains to be seen if Prince Luitpold, the next in line, recreates the title for one of his younger sons.
It's doubtful, since if there was to be any recreation, it would have already been done by now.
Why ? Max is the rightful duke In Bavaria.
He does'nt need to recreate the line and I wonder if he even can. I suppose at his death w/o male descendants, the line would merge into the royal line, from where it originated, unless Duke Franz )or the then Head of the House) decides otherwise.
As I posted, the last Duke In Bavaria adopted Duke Max because his own grand-mother came from the ducal line.
Does anybodey know what stipulated the adoption ?
I suppose, at the time, everybody in the family knew Duke Franz was homossexual and would probably never get married and father a son, so where did that leave Duke Max ?
An elder son would receive the royal line and a second son, the ducal line ?
Max Emanuel presumably has long resigned himself to never having a son:
Presumably
the royal succession, of course, will automatically pass to his cousin Luitpold (assuming that he survives him), without the need for adoption.
Why ? It might just merge into the royal line.
If Duke Max will survive his brother, he will be at the same time Duke OF & IN Bavaria.
And the title might become extinct at his death or it might be recreated for either of his grand-children, bearing in mind it could proove difficult for a Liechtenstein or Wurttemberg foreign prince, but easier , f.i., for Pss Elisabeth's son.
It's interesting that german royals consider they have the power to de-morganize marriages their ancestors have considered unequal, but remain attached to salic law - except for Anhalt and Sx-Weimar.
The latter having three sons, Max could easily have designated any of them as his heir; but he hasn't.
Of course, any action he takes regarding the succession would be subject to the approval of his still-living older brother, Franz, the present-day head of the house of Wittelsbach.
Agreed
But the said brother hasn't acted on the matter, either, even though he did make a major change to the house laws by de-morganatizing the marriages of his cousins -- chiefly, recognizing as dynastic the unions of Luitpold and Leopold, both of whom married commoners.
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