Background
The marriage was disliked by her father, who regarded it as an unwelcome alliance with Prussia, but her mother approved of it because Philip lived in Hungary.
The marriage was disliked by her father, who regarded it as an unwelcome alliance with Prussia, but her mother approved of it because Philip lived in Hungary.
In 1895, Louise became romantically involved with Count Geza Mattachich (1868–1923), stepson of Oskar Keglevich, Count of Buzin. Mattachich was a lieutenant in a Croatian regiment of the Austrian army. They met in the Prater in Vienna.
They traveled first to Paris, then Cannes, living in other destinations in the south of France and the rest of Europe.
Her son became estranged from her, because he felt her actions had ruined his chance for inheritance. Her daughter soon left her mother at the advice of her fiancé, the duke of Schleswig-Holstein.
In 1898, Prince Philipp and Mattachich fought a duel in Vienna, first with guns, then with swords, in which the prince was injured. Mattachich had been arrested in Zagreb and imprisoned for four years for forgery.
Louise and Prince Philipp were finally divorced in Gotha on 15 January 1906, almost eight years after Louise had begun divorce proceedings.
Despite being daughter of arguably the wealthiest king of the age, she was forced to claim bankruptcy after it became known that Mattachich had forged the signature of Louise"s sister, Princess Stéphanie, on promissory notes for jewelry worth approximately $2,500,000. As a result of this episode she was institutionalized in May 1898 for six years. Mattachich was sentenced to four years in prison for forgery.
Once his sentence was over, he helped Louise escape from the asylum in which she was interned in 1904.
They were together until his death in Paris. 18 February 1858 - 4 February 1875: Her Royal Highness Princess Louise of Belgium, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony 4 February 1875 - 1 March 1924: Her Royal Highness Princess Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony.