Editing Prince Rupert of the Rhine (section)

===Service in Germany===
[[File:The Great Executioner, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, 1658.jpg|thumb|Rupert's largest and most famous [[mezzotint]] work, ''[[The Great Executioner]]'', considered by critic Antony Griffiths to be "one of the greatest mezzotints"|alt=The gray tone picture shows a European man dressed in informal 17th-century clothing holding a sword, on which Rupert's name can just be made out, in one hand, and the severed head of John the Baptist in the other. The mezzotint engraving appears fluid, with broad sweeps of detail.]]
After his quarrel with the Royalist court in exile, Rupert travelled to [[Heidelberg]] to visit his brother [[Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine|Charles Louis]], now partially restored as [[Elector Palatine]], where the two had an ambivalent reunion.<ref>Kiston, p. 118.</ref> Charles Louis and Rupert had not been friendly as children and had almost ended up on opposite sides during the Civil War. To make matters worse, Charles Louis had been deprived of half [[Electoral Palatinate|the old Palatinate]] under the [[Peace of Westphalia]], leaving him badly short of money, although he still remained responsible under the Imperial laws of [[apanage]] for providing for his younger brother and had offered the sum of £375 per annum, which Rupert had accepted.<ref>Kitson, pp. 118–119.</ref> Rupert travelled on to [[Vienna]], where he attempted to claim the £15,000 compensation allocated to him under the Peace of Westphalia from the Emperor. [[Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand III]] warmly welcomed him, but was unable to pay such a sum immediately—instead, he would have to pay in installments, to the disadvantage of Rupert.<ref>Kitson, p. 119.</ref>

Over the next twelve months, Rupert was asked by the [[Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena|Duke of Modena]] in Northern Italy to raise an army against the [[Papal States]]—having done so, and with the army stationed in the Palatinate, the enterprise collapsed, with the Duke requesting that Rupert invade Spanish held [[Milan]] instead.<ref name="Kitson, p.120">Kitson, p. 120.</ref> Rupert moved on, having placed his brother Charles Louis in some diplomatic difficulties with Spain.<ref name="Kitson, p.120"/> Rupert travelled onwards, continuing to attempt to convince Ferdinand to back Charles II's efforts to regain his throne.<ref>Kiston, p. 121.</ref>

In 1656, relations between Rupert and Charles Louis deteriorated badly. Rupert had fallen in love with [[Marie Luise von Degenfeld|Louise von Degenfeld]], one of his sister-in-law's [[maids of honour]].<ref>Spencer, p. 248.</ref> One of Rupert's notes proffering his affections accidentally fell into the possession of Charles Louis' wife [[Landgravine Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel|Charlotte]], who believed it was written to her. Charlotte was keen to engage in an affair with Rupert and became unhappy when she was declined and the mistake explained. Degenfeld was uninterested in Rupert, but was engaged in an affair with Charles Louis; this was discovered in due course, leading to the annulment of the marriage.<ref>Kitson, p. 122.</ref> Rupert, for his part, was unhappy that Charles Louis could not endow him with a suitable estate, and the two parted on bad terms in 1657, Rupert refusing ever to return to the Palatinate again and taking up employment under Ferdinand III in his [[Kingdom of Hungary]].<ref>Kitson, p. 123.</ref>