Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse

Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

Louis IV (Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Karl) (12 September 1837 - 13 March 1892), was the fourth Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning from 13 June 1877 until his death. Through his own and his children's marriages he was connected to the British Royal Family, to the Imperial house of Russia and other royal houses of Europe.

Early life

Louis was born at Darmstadt, Germany as the son of Prince Charles of Hesse-Darmstadt (23 April 1809-20 March 1877) and Princess Elizabeth of Prussia (18 June 1815-21 March 1855).

Marriage

On 1 July 1862, Louis married Princess Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria of Great Britain at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. On the day of the wedding, the Queen issued Letters Patent granting her new son-in-law the style of Royal Highness. This style was only in effect in Great Britain, not the German confederation where Prince Ludwig was only a Grand Ducal Highness. The Queen subsequently created him a Knight of the Garter. The marriage produced seven children:

Styles of Ludwig IV
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness
Alternative style	Sir

• Princess Victoria of Hesse and the Rhine (5 April 1863-24 September 1950) m. her father's cousin Prince Louis of Battenberg, later 1st Marquess of Milford-Haven (24 May 1854-11 September 1921), and had issue.
• Princess Elizabeth (1 November 1864-17 July 1918), took the name Elizabeth Feodorovna on her baptism into the Russian Orthodox Church, m. her father's cousin The Grand Duke Sergei of Russia (11 May 1857-17 February 1905), the fifth son of Tsar Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna, nee Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, and had no issue.
• Princess Irene (11 July 1866-11 November 1953) m. her first cousin, Prince Heinrich of Prussia (14 August 1862-20 April 1929), the second son of Victoria, Princess Royal and the German Emperor Friedrich III and had issue.
• Prince Ernest Louis (25 November 1868-9 October 1937), succeeded his father as Grand Duke, 13 March 1892, forced to abdicate 9 November 1918; m. 1st (divorced 1901) his first cousin HRH Princess Victoria Melita of Great Britain and of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (25 November 1876-2 March 1936), the second daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and later reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; m. 2nd Princess Eleonore zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (17 September 1871-16 November 1937), and had issue.
• Prince Friedrich (7 October 1870-29 May 1873).
• Princess Alix (6 June 1872-17 July 1918), took the name Alexandra Feodorovna on her baptism into the Russian Orthodox Church, m. her second cousin, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (18 May 1868-17 July 1918), grandson of Ludwig IV's paternal aunt, Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna
• Princess Marie (24 May 1874-16 November 1878).

Military commands

During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Louis commanded the Hessian cavalry in support of the Austrian side. In the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War, Louis led the Hessian contingent of the armies of the North German Confederation.

Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine

On 13 June 1877, he succeeded his uncle as Grand Duke of Hesse taking the name Louis IV.

Following the death of Princess Alice in 1878, Ludwig IV contracted a morganatic marriage on 30 April 1884 with Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska (3 September 1854-8 May 1941), the former wife of Alexander Kolémine, the Russian chargé d'affaires in Darmstadt. His second wife received the title Countess von Romrod. The marriage, which caused great concern within his family, was annulled within a year. Grand Duke Ludwig IV died on 13 March 1892 and was succeeded by his son, Ernest Louis. His remains are buried at Rosenhöhe, the mausoleum for the Grand Ducal House of Hesse outside of Darmstadt.