by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz: The Duchy of Mecklenburg was divided and partitioned a number of times over the centuries.  In 1701, the last division created the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duchies. Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

On, February 23, 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI of Mecklenburg-Schwerin died by suicide. The heir presumptive was serving with the Russian military and had made it known that he wished to renounce his rights of succession. Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, served as Regent for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The regency lasted only nine months, as on November 14, 1918, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as well as the Regent of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Today the territory encompassing the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

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Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Georg was born in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, on August 12, 1779, to the future Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and his first wife, Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Georg had nine siblings. His mother three days after giving birth to her last child from childbirth complications:

• Charlotte Georgine (1769-1818) – married Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, had issue
• Caroline Auguste (1771-1773) – died in childhood
• Georg Carl (1772-1773) – died in infancy
• Therese (1773-1839) – married Karl Alexander, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, had issue
• Friedrich Georg (born and died 1774) – died in infancy
• Luise (1776-1810) – married King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, had issue
• Friederike (1778-1841) – married(1) Prince Ludwig Carl of Prussia, had issue; (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Solms-Braunfels, had issue; (3) King Ernst August I of Hanover, had issue
• Friedrich Karl (1781-1783) – died in childhood
• Auguste Albertine (1782-1782) – died in infancy

Georg had one half-sibling from his father’s second marriage to his mother’s sister Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt who, like her sister also died from childbirth complications.

• Karl (1785-1837) – unmarried

Georg’s early years were spent in Hanover, where his father served as Governor-General. Following the death of his stepmother Charlotte, the family moved to Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in the German state of Hesse, where Georg and his siblings were raised primarily by their maternal grandmother. As second in line for the ducal throne, Georg was educated with the expectation of one day assuming the throne. In 1794, his childless uncle, Duke Adolf Friedrich IV, died. Georg’s father became the reigning Duke, while Georg took on the title of Hereditary Prince. Georg began studying at the University of Rostock, in Rostock, the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, before moving to Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, to continue his education. He later spent two years traveling before returning to become involved in the running of the government.

In 1807, Georg represented his father in Paris to negotiate the duchy’s entry into the Confederation of the Rhine. He again represented his father seven years later at the Congress of Vienna. Through his efforts, Mecklenburg-Strelitz was raised to a Grand Duchy, with Georg becoming the Hereditary Grand Duke. He became Grand Duke on November 6, 1816, upon his father’s death.

Marie of Hesse-Kassel; Credit – Wikipedia

The following year, on August 12, 1817, Georg married Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel. She was the daughter of Landgrave Freidrich of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen. Georg and Marie had four children:

• Princess Luise (1818-1842) – unmarried
• Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1819-1904) – married Princess Augusta of Cambridge, had issue
• Princess Caroline Mariane (1821-1876) – married the future King Frederik VII of Denmark, no issue, divorced
• Prince Georg August (1824-1876) – married Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna of Russia, had issue

Coming to the grand ducal throne, Georg found Mecklenburg-Strelitz in great debt and in need of much rebuilding. To eliminate much of the debt, he sold several towns to Prussia that had been given to the Grand Duchy at the Congress of Vienna. He abolished serfdom in 1820 and worked to raise the education standards, building schools and instituting compulsory education. He made vast improvements to the infrastructure which would help to energize the grand duchy’s economy.

After a reign of nearly 54 years, Grand Duke Georg died in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, on September 6, 1860, at the age of 81. He is buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. He was succeeded by his son, Friedrich Wilhelm.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Grand Duchy of Meckelnburg-Strelitz Index
• Profiles: Grand Dukes and Consorts of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Burial Sites
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Dates

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz: The Duchy of Mecklenburg was divided and partitioned a number of times over the centuries.  In 1701, the last division created the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duchies. Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

On, February 23, 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI of Mecklenburg-Schwerin died by suicide. The heir presumptive was serving with the Russian military and had made it known that he wished to renounce his rights of succession. Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, served as Regent for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The regency lasted only nine months, as on November 14, 1918, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as well as the Regent of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Today the territory encompassing the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

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Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Source – Wikipedia

Carl II, the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born Duke Carl Ludwig Friedrich Of Mecklenburg on October 10, 1741, at Mirow Castle in Mirow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. He was the sixth of ten children of Duke Karl Ludwig of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. His siblings were:

• Christiane (1735-1794) – unmarried
• Caroline (born and died 1736) – died in infancy
• Adolf Friedrich IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1738-1794) – unmarried
• Elisabeth Christine (1739-1741) – died in early childhood
• Sophie Luise (1740-1742) – died in early childhood
• Ernst Gottlob Albert (1742-1814) – unmarried
• Charlotte (1744-1818) – married King George III of the United Kingdom, had issue
• Gotthelf (born and died 1745) – died in infancy
• Georg August (1748-1785) – unmarried

Carl was raised in Mirow and received his education under the direction of Reverend Gottlob Burchard Genzmer. As the second son of the heir-presumptive to the Dukedom of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, there was little expectation that Carl would one day take the throne. However, his father died in June 1752, and several months later, his uncle, the reigning Duke, died in December. Carl’s elder brother became Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and Carl was now the heir-presumptive.

In 1755, Carl left home and began serving in the Hanoverian army, in which he received a commission at just four years old. He served several years before taking a year off to study in Switzerland. His ties to Hanover strengthened in 1761 when his sister married King George III of Great Britain, who was also the Elector of Hanover. Carl traveled to Portugal in 1762  to help reorganize the Portuguese Army. Upon his return in 1763, Carl was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Hanoverian Army, and in 1776, he was appointed Governor-General of Hanover by his brother-in-law.

Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

On September 18, 1768, in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in the German state of Hesse, Carl married Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt, the daughter of Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt and Maria Luise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg. Carl and Friederike had ten children:

• Charlotte Georgine (1769-1818) – married Friedrich, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, had issue
• Caroline Auguste (1771-1773) – died in early childhood
• Georg Carl (1772-1773) – died in infancy
• Therese (1773-1839) – married Karl Alexander, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, had issue
• Friedrich Georg (born and died 1774) – died in infancy
• Luise (1776-1810) – married King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, had issue
• Friederike (1778-1841) – married(1) Prince Ludwig Carl of Prussia, had issue; (2) Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Solms-Braunfels, had issue; (3) King Ernst August I of Hanover, had issue
• Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1779-1860) – married Marie of Hesse-Kassel, had issue
• Friedrich Karl (1781-1783) – died in early childhood
• Auguste Albertine (born and died 1782) – died in infancy

Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt; Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

Friederike died due to childbirth complications shortly after giving birth to their tenth child in May 1782. Two years later, Carl married Friederike’s younger sister Charlotte on September 28, 1784, in Darmstadt. Charlotte also died due to childbirth complications shortly after giving birth to their only child:

• Karl (1785-1837) – unmarried

In 1785, Carl retired from military service, and stepped down as Governor-General of Hanover, receiving a generous pension and a promotion to the rank of Field Marshal. He took his family to Darmstadt to be near his wives’ family, and spent several years traveling to visit his family both in Neustrelitz, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Great Britain. In 1794, he was appointed President of the Imperial Credit Commission, tasked with avoiding the pending bankruptcy in the Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen. This role would be short-lived, as his brother died in June 1794, and Carl returned to Neustrelitz to take up his role as the new Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

As Duke, Carl established a police force, promoted agriculture, reduced the number of districts within the duchy, and introduced compulsory education. The peaceful duchy was thrown into turmoil when Napoleon’s forces occupied the duchy in 1806. While many other German rulers were forced into exile, Carl’s position as the brother of the British Queen, and father of the Prussian Queen allowed him to remain in Strelitz during the occupation. He was later forced to join Napoleon’s Confederation of the Rhine and fight with the French forces. However, Carl later began to rally the people of Mecklenburg-Strelitz to fight against the French Emperor and helped to bring about his defeat. In recognition of Carl’s efforts, the Duchy received several territorial gains at the Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815. In June 1815, thanks primarily to the efforts of Carl’s son and heir, Mecklenburg-Strelitz was raised to a Grand Duchy with Carl becoming the first Grand Duke.

The Johanniterkirche in Mirow. photo: by Thomas Kohler – originally posted to Flickr as Kirche Mirow, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12084832

At the same time he became Grand Duke, Carl handed over most of his powers to his son, while remaining head of state. The following summer, he traveled to visit and spend time with his family throughout the German monarchies, where he developed an inflammation of the lungs. Despite appearing to recover, he fell ill again that autumn and died in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on November 6, 1816. His funeral was held eight days later in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where he was buried in the New Crypt of the Johanniterkirche (link in German).

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Grand Duchy of Meckelnburg-Strelitz Index
• Profiles: Grand Dukes and Consorts of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Burial Sites
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Dates

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz: The Duchy of Mecklenburg was divided and partitioned a number of times over the centuries.  In 1701, the last division created the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duchies. Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

On, February 23, 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI of Mecklenburg-Schwerin died by suicide. The heir presumptive was serving with the Russian military and had made it known that he wished to renounce his rights of succession. Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, served as Regent for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The regency lasted only nine months, as on November 14, 1918, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as well as the Regent of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Today the territory encompassing the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

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Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – source: Wikipedia

Adolf Friedrich VI was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He was born on June 17, 1882 in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, the elder son of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt.

Adolf Friedrich had three siblings:

• Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1878-1948) – married (1) Count Georges Jamatel, had issue, divorced; (2) Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe, had issue
• Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1880-1946) – married Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro, no issue
• Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1888-1908) – unmarried, killed in a duel with his brother-in-law Count George Jametel, defending his sister’s honor

At his christening on July 19, 1882, he was given the names Adolf Friedrich Georg Ernst Albert Eduard. He had twelve godparents:

• Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – his paternal grandfather
• Duke Friedrich I of Anhalt – his maternal grandfather
• Prince Eduard of Anhalt – his paternal uncle
• Duchess Ekaterina of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – his paternal great-aunt
• Princess Maria Anna of Prussia – his maternal great-aunt
• Duchess Agnes of Saxe-Altenburg – his maternal great-aunt
• The Duke of Cambridge – his paternal great-uncle
• Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Altenburg – his maternal great-uncle
• The Prince of Wales
• Princess Helena of Schleswig-Holstein
• Crown Prince Friedrich of Prussia
• Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Adolf Friedrich was educated privately at home, and tutored for several years by the Protestant theologian Carl Horn.  He then attended the Vitzthum-Gymnasium in Dresden along with his relative, and close friend, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and in 1902, moved to Munich to study law.

During this time, he was made a Lieutenant in the Prussian Army’s Grand Ducal Mecklenburg Grenadier Regiment No. 89.  However, his active military career did not begin until after he had finished his studies when he joined the Prussian Army’s 1st Uhlan Guards Regiment in Potsdam.  Just two years later, he became Hereditary Grand Duke upon his grandfather’s death and his father’s accession to the grand ducal throne.

Hereditary Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich, c1909. source: Wikipedia

In 1911, Adolf Friedrich resigned his army commission and returned to Neustrelitz to prepare for his future role.  He also spent several summers living in the United Kingdom, having developed a strong love for the country, likely influenced by his grandmother, who was born Princess Augusta of Cambridge, and was a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom.  Adolf Friedrich took every opportunity to visit the United Kingdom. He often represented his father and grandfather at official functions, such as the funerals of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, and the coronations of King Edward VII and King George V.

Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI, c1912. source: Wikipedia

Upon his father’s death in June 1914, he became the reigning Grand Duke as Adolf Friedrich VI. He had little time to adjust to his role as World War I was breaking out in Europe.  He was given a commission as a colonel on the staff of the German 17th Division and served on the Western front through much of the war.  In 1917, he was promoted to Major General.

After years of being linked to various princesses throughout Europe including Viktoria Luise of Prussia, Patricia of Connaught, and Mary, Princess Royal, Adolf Friedrich’s close friend, Princess Daisy of Pless, set out to find him a bride.  Soon it was settled that he would marry Princess Beninga Reuss of Köstritz, and negotiations began.  However, a scandal brewing that needed to be dealt with first.  Years earlier, when based in Potsdam, Adolf Friedrich had a relationship with a woman named Margit Höllrigl.  Allegedly, he had proposed to her so that he could renounce his succession rights in favor of his younger brother.  But his brother had since died, and he attempted to pay off Höllrigl to release him from any obligation of marriage. Höllrigl, however, had other plans.  She claimed to have correspondence that linked Adolf Friedrich to “certain homosexual circles” and threatened to release them to the public unless he gave in to her demands for more money.

With World War I still raging, and the possibility of these letters being made public, Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI left his home in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, on the evening of February 23, 1918, to take his dog for a walk. The following morning, his body was found in a nearby canal with a gunshot wound to his head. He left behind a suicide note which suggested that a woman was attempting to smear his name. However, his close friend Princess Daisy of Pless suggested that he had developed severe depression over the war and the loss of his beloved grandmother.

In his will, he had requested that Duke Christian Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the son of his good friend Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV, become the new Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The heir presumptive Duke Carl Michael of Mecklenburg lived in Russia and had previously indicated that he wished to renounce his rights to the grand ducal throne. However, before the matter could be resolved, Germany became a republic and the various German sovereigns lost their thrones.

The Tomb of Adolf Friedrich VI Von Niteshift (talk) – Eigenes Werk (photo), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9970644

Following his funeral, Adolf Friedrich VI was buried on Love Island, a small island off Castle Island in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.  Castle Island is the site of the Grand Ducal Palace and the Johanniterkirche, the traditional burial place of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz grand ducal family.

Below are some suicide prevention resources.

In the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. Anyone in the United States can text or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to reach trained counselors who can help them cope with a mental health emergency. National Institute of Mental Health: Suicide Prevention is also a United States resource.

Other countries also have similar resources. Please check the resources below.

• International Association for Suicide Prevention
• Wikipedia: List of international suicide crisis lines

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Grand Duchy of Meckelnburg-Strelitz Index
• Profiles: Grand Dukes and Consorts of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Burial Sites
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Dates

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz: The Duchy of Mecklenburg was divided and partitioned a number of times over the centuries.  In 1701, the last division created the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognized both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duchies. Carl II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

On, February 23, 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI of Mecklenburg-Schwerin died by suicide. The heir presumptive was serving with the Russian military and had made it known that he wished to renounce his rights of succession. Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, served as Regent for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The regency lasted only nine months, as on November 14, 1918, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as well as the Regent of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Today the territory encompassing the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

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Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was born on July 22, 1848, in Neustrelitz,  Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, the son of the future Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. At the time of his birth, he was 14th in line to the British throne, as his mother was a granddaughter of King George III of the United Kingdom. Adolf Friedrich was the highest-ranking person in the British succession who did not hold any British titles.

His christening took place at Schloss Neustrelitz on August 12, 1848. Given the names Adolf Friedrich August Viktor Ernst Adalbert Gustav Wilhelm Wellington, he had twelve godparents:

• Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom – his mother’s first cousin
• Dowager Queen Adelaide of the United Kingdom – his mother’s aunt
• King Ernst August of Hanover – his mother’s uncle
• Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – his paternal grandfather
• Grand Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – his paternal grandmother
• Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• The Duke of Cambridge – his maternal grandfather
• The Duchess of Cambridge – his maternal grandmother
• The Duchess of Gloucester – his mother’s aunt
• Duke Gustav of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• Landgrave Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel – both his mother’s and father’s uncle
• Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

At the age of 12, Adolf Friedrich became the Hereditary Grand Duke upon his father’s accession to the grand ducal throne. Initially educated privately at home, he later attended school in Dresden and then studied law at the University of Göttingen. After finishing his studies, he began a military career in the Prussian Army, where he fought during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and served on the General Staff of King Wilhelm I of Prussia. The following year, he represented his father at the proclamation of King Wilhelm I as German Emperor at the Palace of Versailles.

Adolf Friedrich’s wife Elisabeth of Anhalt; Credit – Wikipedia

While traveling through the various German monarchies in 1876, Adolf Freidrich met his future bride, Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt. She was the daughter of Friedrich I, Duke of Anhalt, and Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. The two met again later that year while Adolf Friedrich was visiting some mutual relatives, and became engaged on December 29, 1876. The couple was second cousins once removed, through their mutual descent from Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Adolf Friedrich and Elisabeth married at Schloss Dessau in the Duchy of Anhalt, now in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, on April 17, 1877. After a honeymoon at Lake Geneva in Switzerland, they took up residence at the Hereditary Grand Ducal Palace in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

They had four children:

• Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1878-1948) – married (1) Count Georges Jamatel, had issue; (2) Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe, had issue
• Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1880-1946) – married Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro, no issue
• Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1882-1918) – unmarried
• Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1888-1908) – unmarried, killed in a duel

Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit –  Wikipedia

After being the heir apparent for 43 years, Adolf Friedrich succeeded to the Grand Ducal throne on May 30, 1904, following his father’s death. He made efforts to soothe the rocky relationship with Prussia and brought a more militaristic atmosphere to the Grand Ducal court. Much more liberal than his father, he modernized the system of government, in keeping with the rest of the German Empire. Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Mecklenburg-Schwerin were the only German monarchies that did not have an elected assembly at the time.

In 1908, Adolf Friedrich introduced a ministerial form of government. However, he continued to meet resistance from the nobility when trying to make further reforms, such as introducing a new constitution. In 1912, after being thwarted at every attempt, Adolf Friedrich offered to donate $2.5 million of his own funds to the national treasury and forfeit some of his sovereign rights, in exchange for a new constitution. Again, he was denied by the nobility. This was just a small example of his vast personal wealth. In January 1914, just months before his death, he was reported to be the second richest German sovereign, with a personal fortune of $88.75 million (over $2 billion today).

In March 1914, Adolf Friedrich fell ill and underwent an operation in a private hospital in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. He never fully recovered and died at the hospital on June 11, 1914. He is buried in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Grand Duchy of Meckelnburg-Strelitz Index
• Profiles: Grand Dukes and Consorts of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Burial Sites
• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royal Dates