The sons of Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia

Elisabeth, the daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria, married the future King Friedrich Wilhelm IV on November 29, 1823. Friedrich Wilhelm IV reigned 1840 to 1861. He and Elisabeth had no children.
Suppose King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and Queen Elisabeth have three sons. What happens then?
 
It's quite interesting, isn't it because these boys would be first cousins with the Franz Joseph and Elisabeth. One or more of them could marry one of the Bavarian sisters bringing a very close dynastic element to German politics at the time.
 
The sons of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and Queen Elisabeth are:
Prince Joachim, born 1826
Prince Albert Frederick born 1830
Prince Sigismund born 1834

Prince Joachim may marry:
Maria Elisabeth of Saxony or Maria Sidonia of Saxony.
They are the daughters of King John of Saxony and Amalie Auguste (Queen Elisabeth of Prussia's sister).

Prince Albert Frederick may marry Marie Sophie Amalie of Bavaria.
She is the daughter of Ludovika of Bavaria (Queen Elisabeth of Prussia's sister).

Prince Sigismund may marry Mathilde Ludovika of Bavaria.
She is the daughter of Ludovika of Bavaria (Queen Elisabeth of Prussia's sister).
 
How do you suppose these sons would be raised and educated? Frederick William IV was a romantic, but I'm not sure how this would carry over into their upbringing. I have no idea what sort of person Elisabeth was beyond supposedly being a loving and supportive wife, and someone with at least some interest in theology, so no real clues there either.

If Joachim is given a standard Prussian military upbringing, he's likely to run into many of the same conflicts with liberal politicians as William I did IOTL. While a regency likely won't be required at any point, I could still see William being a major influence in king Joachim's reign if he has the same Prussian mindset.

As for marriages; we won't necessarily have to only look in Germany for potential spouses. There are many legible Russian grand duchesses available, for instance. They mainly married other German nobles OTL, but with three Prussian princes, they might as well try to maintain dynastic ties to Russia as well rather than only marrying Wettins and Wittelsbachs.
 
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