Ludwig II. of Bavaria was diagnosed by a commission of four mental doctors and, on their recommendation, His Royal Highness Prince Luitpold, took over the Regency.

  - On June 9, 1886, an official delegation came to the Castle of Neuschwanstein in the attempt to incarcerate the King but they couldn't see him.  

  - On June 11, Doctor Gudden was commanded to accompany the King to the castle of Berg.

  - On June 13, Ludwig II. and the Doctor went for a walk unwatched in the Schlosspark.  The weather was cloudy and rainy. Both men were never seen alive again.  Their bodies were found floating on the waters of Lake Starnberg.

What exactly happened to Ludwig II.and Doctor Gudden can only be conjured, despite copious testimony of varying quality and reliability. The whole story can neither be confirmed nor disproved since the relevant documents in the private Archives of the Bavarian State and of the Wittelsbach family will not become available until the year 2000, and it is generally supposed that even then their contents will remain secret.  This fact in itself suggests direct family involvment in the affair.

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