The psychiatric report that led to the deposition of King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1886 was based almost exclusively on negative statements, mostly made by court officials. A personal examination by the psychiatrists never took place. The outcome was already determined before the assessment was commissioned. This opened the door wide for the creation of legends. However, the nearly universally published version of the monarch's paranoid illness is no longer tenable after studying extensive sources. The numerous statements from prominent contemporaries regarding the king's life, behavior, and illnesses paint a different picture. The book illustrates the life and suffering of the Bavarian king and relies on records from Richard Wagner, Otto von Bismarck, Felix Dahn, and many other politicians, artists, or actors. The study arrives at entirely new insights.