Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria
Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria was queen of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William IV. By birth, she was a Bavarian princess from the House of Wittelsbach; she was related to the ruling houses of Austria and Saxony through the marriages of her sisters. She supported her husband's interests in art and made charitable donations.
Portrait by Karl Joseph Stieler, c. 1823
Elisabeth Ludovika as a Bavarian princess, 1822
Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV, the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, was king of Prussia from 7 June 1840 until his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to as the "romanticist on the throne", he was deeply religious and believed that he ruled by divine right. He feared revolutions, and his ideal state was one governed by the Christian estates of the realm rather than a constitutional monarchy.
Frederick William IV in 1847
Portrait of Crown Prince Frederick William, c. 1810
Queen Elisabeth Ludovica of Prussia at an unspecified date
The Cologne Cathedral in 1856. King Frederick William IV provided the impetus to complete it over 600 years after construction began.