Duke in Bavaria

Duke in Bavaria was a title that, inter alia, led the Wittelsbach dukes of Palatinate -Zweibrücken and the secondary lines derived from them.

That was about the full title of Charles I, the founder of the House of Pfalz- Birkenfeld: " Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Count of Sponheim and Veldenz ". However, after the Palatine Primogeniturrecht only the reigning dukes of Zweibrücken were actually in the rank of a duke, the other family members had the rank of Count Palatine.

Importance was the title in 1799 by the side line Palatinate - Birkenfeld - Gelnhausen that its their genealogical origin with Johann Karl von Birkenfeld - Gelnhausen ( 1638-1704 ), brother of Christian II of Palatinate - Birkenfeld, and - after a long process legitimized - Descendants takes from his second marriage with Esther -Marie wit life ( 1665-1725 ). After Maximilian Joseph of Pfalz- Birkenfeld -Zweibrücken Bavarian and Palatine Elector was, he raised his cousin Wilhelm from the Gelnhauser line actually in the duke booth. As of Bavaria in 1806 kingdom was, he was allowed to call at the same time " Royal Highness ".

Prominent members of this line were Empress Elisabeth of Austria, her brother, the ophthalmologist Dr. Herzog Carl Theodor in Bavaria, and the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium.

Those of the present head of the line is done by 1965 civil - legal adoption, Max in Bavaria, the biological brother and designated successor of the current head of the House of Wittelsbach, Franz of Bavaria. His grandmother was Marie Gabriele born Duchess in Bavaria. About him comes from the current Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein the line.