Princess Alexandra of Hanover (born 1882)
| Princess Alexandra | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | |||||
| Tenure | 7 June 1904 – 14 November 1918 | ||||
| Born | 29 September 1882 Schloss Cumberland, Gmunden, Austria-Hungary | ||||
| Died | 30 August 1963 (aged 80) Glücksburg Castle, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany | ||||
| Spouse | Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | ||||
| Issue | Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duke Christian Ludwig Duchess Olga Duchess Thyra Anastasia, Princess Frederick Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg | ||||
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| House | Hanover | ||||
| Father | Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover | ||||
| Mother | Princess Thyra of Denmark | ||||
Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland (German: Alexandra Louise Marie Olga Elisabeth Therese Vera Prinzessin von Hannover und Cumberland), Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (29 September 1882, Schloss Ort, Gmunden, Upper Austria, Austria-Hungary – 30 August 1963, Glücksburg Castle, Glücksburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany).
Family
Alexandra was the second eldest daughter of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover (1845–1923) and Princess Thyra of Denmark (1853–1933), the youngest daughter of Christian IX of Denmark (1818–1906) and Louise of Hesse-Kassel (1817–1898). Alexandra was a great-great-granddaughter of George III of the United Kingdom (1738–1820) and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744–1818).
Marriage and issue
Alexandra married on 7 June 1904 in Gmunden, Austria-Hungary to Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1882–1945), son of Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his wife Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia. Alexandra and Frederick Francis had five children:
- Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (22 April 1910 – 31 July 2001). Married Karin Elisabeth von Schaper, daughter of Walter von Schaper and his wife Baroness Louise von Münchhausen. The couple had no issue.
- Duke Christian Louis of Mecklenburg (29 September 1912– 18 July 1996). Married Princess Barbara of Prussia, daughter of Prince Sigismund of Prussia and Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg. The couple had issue.
- Duchess Olga of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1916–1917).
- Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (18 June 1919 – 27 September 1981).
- Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (11 November 1923 – 25 January 1979). Married Prince Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, son of Prince Albrecht of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and Countess Ortrud of Ysenburg and Büdingen. The couple had issue.
In 1913, a fire broke out at Schwerin Castle while the Duke, Duchess, and guests were dining there.[1] Everyone was able to make it out safely, although the Duke and Duchess had to apparently rush through flying sparks when making their escape. There were a reported $750,000 in damages, in which countless works of art, as well as important rooms were utterly destroyed. Certain reports blamed the fire on a vengeful servant, although an official court announcement stated it was merely an electrical issue.[1]
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 29 September 1882 – 7 June 1904: Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland
- 7 June 1904 – 17 November 1945: Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- 17 November 1945 – 30 August 1963: Her Royal Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Ancestry
References
- ^ a b Transatlantic, Marconi (16 December 1913), "Schwerin Treasures Burn", The New York Times, Berlin