Louis II (26 December 1777 – 16 June 1848) was Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 6 April 1830 until 16 June 1848. He was the son of Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse, and Princess Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt.
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Life
Before his reign
He studied at Leipzig University. Thereafter, he lived mostly in Darmstadt. In 1804, he represented his father at the coronation of Napoleon in Paris. He took part in the Congress of Erfurt and the Congress of Vienna and attended the coronation of Louis XVIII in Paris.
Based on the 1820 Constitution of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, he was a member of the First Chamber of Parliament until becoming sovereign in 1830. He was not active in parliament apart from defending the constitution against any attempts to amend it, and was disinterested in governmental affairs, despite most cabinet ministers trying to include and brief him on current matters.