26: Louis marries Leonilla
Only two years after Stephanie’s death, Louis married a second time, again through the mediation of the Tsar. His new wife was the beautiful Princess Leonilla Bariatinsky, just 18 years old and a former maid of honour of the Tsarina. She was known for both her beauty and her wisdom.
The princely couple travelled all over Europe, met artists, had their portraits taken and acquired an important collection of mainly contemporary art. However, their relationship with the autocratic Tsar Nicholas I deteriorated noticeably due to Louis’s liberal attitude. It was time to return to Germany.