Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
| Frederick Francis II | |
|---|---|
| Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | |
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| Reign | 7 March 1842 – 15 April 1883 |
| Predecessor | Paul Frederick |
| Successor | Frederick Francis III |
| Spouse | Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz Anne of Hesse and by Rhine Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt |
| Issue | |
| Frederick Francis III Duke Paul Frederick Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia Duke Nikolaus Duke John Albert Duke Alexander Duchess Anne Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg Duke Friedrich William Duke Adolf Friedrich Hendrick, Prince consort of the Netherlands |
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| House | House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Father | Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Mother | Alexandrine of Prussia |
| Born | 28 February 1823 Ludwigslust |
| Died | 15 April 1883 (aged 60) Schwerin |
| Religion | Christianity (Lutheran church) |
Frederick Francis II (28 February 1823 – 15 April 1883) was a Prussian officer and Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883.
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Biography[edit]
He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust, the eldest son of Hereditary Grand Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg and his wife Princess Alexandrine of Prussia. He became heir apparent to the grand duchy following the death of his great-grandfather Frederick Francis I on 1 February 1837. Frederick Francis was privately educated until 1838. He then attended the Blochmann institute in Dresden before going to the University of Bonn.[1][2] Frederick Francis succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 7 March 1842.
Frederick Francis served on the general staff of Generalfeldmarschall Friedrich Graf von Wrangel during the Second Schleswig War. During the Austro-Prussian War he commanded the forces that occupied Leipzig and lay siege to Nuremberg. He also took part in the Franco-Prussian War, during which he was made Governor-General of Reims and commanded the German forces laying siege to Toul. He defended the Prussian forces during the Siege of Paris from attack by the Army of the Loire. He defeated French forces at the battles of Beaune-La-Rolande and Beaugency. He held the rank of Prussian general and was also a Russian General Field Marshal.[1]
Frederick Francis died on 15 April 1883 in Schwerin. He was succeeded as Grand Duke by his eldest son Frederick Francis III.
Marriages and children[edit]
Frederick Francis was first married to Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz (1822–1862) on 3 November 1849 in Ludwigslust. They had six children:
- Frederick Francis III (1851–1897) father of Alexandrine, Queen of Denmark and Cecile, last Crown Princess of Prussia.
- Paul Friedrich (1852–1923) married Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz
- Marie (1854–1920) married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia. Their son Cyril became pretender to the Russian throne after the assassination of his cousin Nicholas II of Russia.
- Nikolaus (1855–1856)
- Johann Albrecht (1857–1920) Imperial regent of the Duchy of Brunswick
- Alexander (1859-1859)
Frederick Francis married for a second time in Darmstadt on 4 July 1864 to Princess Anne of Hesse and by Rhine. They had one daughter:
- Anne (1865–1882)
His third wife was Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, with whom he had four children:
- Elizabeth (1869–1955) married Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg (1852–1931)
- Friedrich William (1871–1897)
- Adolf Friedrich (1873–1969)
- Heinrich (1876–1934) married Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, father of Juliana of the Netherlands.
Ancestors[edit]
| Ancestors of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
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References[edit]
- ^ a b "Obituary - Friedrich Franz II" (PDF). New York Times. 1883-04-16. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ Garlington, JC (1852). The Men of the Time, Or, Sketches of Living Notables. Redfield. p. 349.
External links[edit]
Media related to Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Wikimedia Commons
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Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Cadet branch of the House of Mecklenburg
Born: 28 February 1823 Died: 15 April 1883 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Paul Frederick |
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1842–1883 |
Succeeded by Frederick Francis III |
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- 1823 births
- 1883 deaths
- Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Protestant monarchs
- German Protestants
- German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War
- Field Marshals of Russia
- University of Bonn alumni
- Burials at Schwerin Cathedral
- Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross
- Hereditary Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Knights of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg)
- Knights of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
- People from Ludwigslust
