Spectators in the Front Row

His gift for precise observation, his urbanity and his subtle humour make this memoir by the head of the house of Wittelsbach a real pleasure to read. Reflected in this highly personal account are almost ninety years of life: the Duke’s schooldays, key moments in world history, experiences behind the bar of a jazz club, meetings with heads of government (with whom the protagonist sometimes escaped to the pub without their respective bodyguards noticing), passionate rendezvous with modern art, work trips with the ‘trade union’ of the modern aristocracy, a love of nature and of Bavaria, cultural and political debates (often heated ones), private moments – and throughout it all an awareness of his responsibility for the house of Wittelsbach at the heart of society.

*The gentleman from Nymphenburg – the unusual life of Duke Franz of Bavaria

*90^th birthday on 14 July 2023

*An aristocratic art-lover looks back on ninety years of politics, society, art and culture

*A sober eyewitness to world events and a firm believer in democracy tells the story of his life