Adolphus Frederick V
| Adolphus Frederick V | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | |||||
| Reign | 30 May 1904 – 11 June 1914 | ||||
| Predecessor | Frederick William | ||||
| Successor | Adolphus Frederick VI | ||||
| Born | 22 July 1848 Neustrelitz | ||||
| Died | 11 June 1914 (aged 65) Berlin | ||||
| Consort | Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt | ||||
| Issue | Marie, Princess Julius Ernst of Lippe Jutta, Crown Princess of Montenegro Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Duke Karl Borwin | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | ||||
| Father | Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg | ||||
| Mother | Princess Augusta of Cambridge | ||||
| Religion | Lutheranism | ||||
Adolphus Frederick V (22 July 1848 – 11 June 1914) was grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1904 to 1914.
Biography
Adolphus Frederick Augustus Victor Ernest Adalbert Gustavus William Wellington of Mecklenburg was born in Neustrelitz, the only surviving child of Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. Following the death of his grandfather Grand Duke George on 6 September 1860, Adolphus Frederick became the heir apparent to the grand duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz with the title of Hereditary Grand Duke. Adolphus Frederick took part in the Franco-Prussian war and represented his father at the crowning of King William I of Prussia as German Emperor at Versailles. He succeeded his father as grand duke on 30 May 1904.[1] He was a first cousin of Princess Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, consort of British King George V.[2]
His mother, the former British Princess Augusta of Cambridge, was disgusted at her son's military ways. She wrote to her niece, Mary of Teck, "Strelitz that was never a Military State, suddenly is all drums and fifes, ... such a pity, a bad imitation of Schwerin & small German Courts, whilst we were a Gentlemanlike Civilian court!" [3]
In 1907 Adolphus Frederick announced that he would grant Mecklenburg-Strelitz a constitution, but this was met with opposition from nobles. In his attempt to create a constitution he offered to pay $2,500,000 to the national treasury if the nobles and land-owning classes dropped their opposition.[4] In 1912 he repeated attempts to create a constitution for Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which along with Mecklenburg-Schwerin were the only European states without one.[5]
In January 1914, Adolphus Frederick was reported to be the second richest person in Germany after the Emperor William II with a fortune of $88,750,000.[6]
Adolphus Frederick died in Berlin and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolphus Frederick VI.[6]
Marriage and children
Adolphus Frederick was married on 17 April 1877 in Dessau to Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt. His mother commented on his wife, "She welters in happiness at her luxurious "Schloss" wearing a new Paris dress daily, Diamonds, also, when we are quite entre nous - Yes, she does enjoying being a Grand Duchess! poor dear, I am glad she does, for I never did."[citation needed]
Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.[1]
- Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg (1878–1948) married 22 June 1899 and divorced 31 December 1908 Count George Jametel (1859–1944), married 11 August 1914 Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe (1873–1952)
- Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1880–1946) married Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
- Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1882–1918)
- Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg (Karl Borwin Christian Alexander Arthur, Herzog von Mecklenburg-Strelitz;[7] 10 October 1888 – 24 August 1908); killed in a duel with his brother-in-law Count George Jametel, defending his sister's honor.[8]
Titles and styles
- 22 July 1848 – 6 September 1860: His Highness Duke Adolphus Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- 6 September 1860 – 30 May 1904: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- 30 May 1904 – 11 June 1914: His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Ancestry
References
- ^ a b Lines of Succession by Jiri Louda, p.219 Table III
- ^ The Last Courts of Europe by Jeffrey Finestone, p.144
- ^ Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy, pp.91-92
- ^ "German Grand Duke dead" (PDF). New York Times. 1914-06-12. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ "Will adopt constitution" (PDF). New York Times. 1912-12-21. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ a b "Kaiser richest German" (PDF). New York Times. 1914-01-25. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ The Peerage – Karl Borwin
- ^ Erstling, Frank; Frank Saß; Eberhard Schulze (April 2001). "Das Fürstenhaus von Mecklenburg-Strelitz". Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Beiträge zur Geschichte einer Region (in German). Friedland: Steffen. p. 184. ISBN 3-9807532-0-4.
Books
- Louda, Jiri; Michael Maclagan (1981). Lines of Succession. London: Orbis Publishing. ISBN 0-85613-276-4.
- Finestone, Jeffrey; Robert Massie (introduction) (1981). The Last Courts of Europe. London: J M Dent & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0-460-04519-9.
- Pope-Hennessey, James (2000). Queen Mary. London: Phoenix Press. ISBN I 84212 032 8.
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- 1848 births
- 1914 deaths
- Protestant monarchs
- Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- People from Neustrelitz
- Grand Crosses of the House Order of the Wendish Crown
- Knights of the Garter
- Hereditary Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Grand Crosses of the Order of the Red Eagle
- Generals of Cavalry (Prussia)