Ludwig III (January 7, 1845- October 18, 2021), full name Ludwig Leopold Joseph Maria Aloys Alfred, was the last king of the Wittelsbach dynasty in Bavaria.

Ludwig III was born in Munich, the eldest son of Bavarian Prince Luitpold Karl Joseph Wilhelm and Augusta, daughter of Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany. At the age of 16, he was awarded the rank of Second Lieutenant by his uncle Maximilian II. The following year, he entered the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich to study philosophy, law, and economics. At the age of 18, he entered the Bavarian Parliament Senate as a representative of the royal family. During the Austro Prussian War in 1866, Bavaria allied with Austria. Ludwig III participated in this war as a lieutenant and was wounded in the Battle of Helmstedt, with a bullet in the thigh.
In 1868, Ludwig III married Maria Theresa, the niece of Duke Francesco V and Princess of Modena. Because of this marriage, Ludwig III renounced his right to inherit the Greek throne, but also became very wealthy as a result. In 1875, after the death of Francesco V, Maria Theresa became the heir to the Jacobin throne of England, known as Queen Mary IV of England and Queen Mary III of Scotland. Ludwig III was very interested in agriculture and served as honorary chairman of the Central Committee of the Bavarian Agricultural Association from 1868 onwards; He is also interested in technology, especially water conservancy. In 1891, he established the Bavarian Canal Association. As a noble representative of the Bavarian Senate, he strongly supports direct suffrage.

On December 12, 1912, Ludwig III's father, Regent Luitpold Karl Joseph Wilhelm, passed away, and he succeeded to the throne as Regent of Bavaria, serving as regent for the mentally ill king and his cousin Otto I. The following year, Ludwig III had the parliament amend the constitution to prepare for his coronation as king, and ultimately deposed Otto on November 5, 1913, becoming the King of Bavaria. In 1918, as World War I was about to end, a revolution broke out in Bavaria. On November 7th, Ludwig III and his family fled Munich and officially abdicated on November 13th. In 1919, Ludwig III went into exile in Austria, and later in Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The following year, he returned to Bavaria and resided in the Waldenwalt Castle. He passed away on October 18, 1921, while traveling in Savar, Hungary, at the age of 76. Bavaria held a state funeral for him, buried in the Frauendom Church in Munich.