The Princess Who Swallowed a Glass Piano
Princess of Amelia of Bavaria suffered from a strange delusion that plagued other royals.
The Bavarian royal family had many members who suffered from various psychological issues. In a time when mental health was little understood, these family members were considered eccentric at best and mad at worst. A minor member of the family who unfortunately suffered from a rare mental illness was Princess Alexandra of Bavaria.
Born Princess Alexandra Amalie in 1826, she was the daughter of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and was the aunt of the ill-fated King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who also suffered from mental illness. Alexandra was attractive, as her portrait was included in her father’s famous Gallery of Beauties. Prince Lucien Bonaparte sought her hand in marriage, but her father refused as the prince was divorced and he was concerned for Alexandra’s delicate health. She remained unmarried. Like many unmarried royal ladies, she was appointed Abbess of the Royal Chapter for Ladies of St. Anne, which was a religious community that only housed noblewomen.
In her life, she wrote a number of books in German, as well as translating others’ works into German. She translated plays for children and even submitted her stories to a periodical. Despite these accomplishments, Alexandra…
