Category Archives: Mecklenburg-Strelitz Royals

Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

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

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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Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born in Neustrelitz,  Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, on October 17, 1819. He was the eldest son of Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel, and had three siblings:

Friedrich Wilhelm was christened on November 2, 1819, and given the names Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Georg Ernst Adolf Gustav. Among his 19 godparents was his namesake – and cousin – the future King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia.

Along with his brother, Friedrich Wilhelm was educated privately at home. Shortly before turning 18, he left Neustrelitz to study law and history at the University of Bonn. After leaving Bonn in 1839, he spent some time at the Prussian court of his uncle, King Friedrich Wilhelm III, before traveling through Europe the following summer. On this trip, he spent time in Italy with his aunt and uncle, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their daughter Augusta, who would be his wife. Returning to Neustrelitz, he attended his sister’s wedding to the future King Frederik VII of Denmark and accompanied her to her new country. He then traveled to Potsdam, joining the Prussian Army in September 1841.

The following year, Friedrich Wilhelm traveled to London and became engaged to his cousin, Princess Augusta of Cambridge. She was the daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (a son of King George III of the United Kingdom) and Friedrich Wilhelm’s maternal aunt Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. Friedrich Wilhelm and his finacée were first cousins through their mothers and second cousins through their fathers. After receiving Queen Victoria’s consent to marry, Friedrich Wilhelm returned to Prussia where he requested and received a discharge from active service in the Prussian Army.

The marriage of Friedrich Wilhelm and Augusta, source: Wikipedia

The marriage of Friedrich Wilhelm and Augusta, source: Wikipedia

Friedrich Wilhelm and Augusta married on June 28, 1843, in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace in London, England. Following the wedding, Friedrich Wilhelm brought his new bride home to Neustrelitz where they received a warm welcome. They later returned to the United Kingdom, where Friedrich Wilhelm continued his education, earning his Law degree from the University of Oxford. Following the birth of a stillborn son in 1843, the couple went on to have two children:

While continuing to visit his wife’s family often in Britain, Friedrich Wilhelm began to spend more time living in Neustrelitz, preparing himself for his future role as Grand Duke. In 1851, he suffered an injury to his left eye which left him partially blind. Within a few years, the injury also took the sight in his right eye, leaving him completely blind. Because of this, he developed a close friendship with his cousin, King Georg V of Hanover, who was also blind.

In the summer of 1860, while visiting his wife’s family, Friedrich Wilhelm learned that his father was gravely ill. He and Augusta returned to Neustrelitz, where his father died on September 6, 1860. Friedrich Wilhelm succeeded his father as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. His reign saw great changes in what would later become the German Empire. Initially, during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Mecklenburg-Strelitz remained neutral. The Prussian king guaranteed Friedrich Wilhelm that neutrality would be respected. However, the Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck disagreed. He threatened to invade the Grand Duchy if Friedrich Wilhelm did not agree to mobilize his troops to fight alongside Prussia. Having no choice, the Grand Duke acceded to the demands and joined the war against Austria. While going against what Friedrich Wilhelm had wanted, the move likely extended his reign. While other states were annexed by Prussia and their rulers deposed, the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz remained intact. Despite his animosity toward Prussia, Mecklenburg-Strelitz joined the North German Confederation later that year.

In 1870, Friedrich Wilhelm was again coerced into joining Prussia in its war against the French Empire. After Prussia’s overwhelming victory, the German Empire was established and the Prussian king was named Emperor (Kaiser) in 1871. The unification brought about great advancements in the Grand Duchy, and the Grand Duke took a particular interest in restoring and building churches. He also focused much of his time on improving the education systems and building and refurbishing schools throughout the Grand Duchy. Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm is credited with restoring the Grand Duchy’s financial resources, taking a country riddled with debt after the war, and amassing a great fortune in its treasury. In addition, his personal wealth made him the wealthiest of the German sovereigns at the time.

Schloss Neustrelitz, c1910. source: Wikipedia

Schloss Neustrelitz, c1910. source: Wikipedia

In early 1904, Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm fell ill and died at Schloss Neustrelitz in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, on May 30, 1904. His funeral was held the following week at the Schloss Church and was attended by Wilhelm II, German Emperor. In keeping with tradition, his remains were placed in the New Crypt at the Johanniterkirche in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

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Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Hanover, Duchess of Cumberland

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Hanover, Duchess of Cumberland; Credit – Wikipedia

Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the wife of her first cousin King Ernst August I of Hanover. Through her two previous marriages, she was also a Princess of Prussia and a Princess of Solms-Braunfels. She was born on March 3, 1778, at the Altes Palais in Hanover,  Electorate of Hanover, now in the German state of Lower Saxony, where her father – the future Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – was serving as Governor of Hanover for his brother-in-law, King George III of the United Kingdom who was also the Elector of Hanover. Her mother was Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Friederike was christened on March 15, 1778, and given the names Friederike Caroline Sophie Alexandrine. She had nine siblings:

Friederike’s mother died in May 1782, just days after giving birth to her last child. The family left the Altes Palais and moved to Schloss Herrenhausen, also in Hanover, Friederike and her siblings were raised by a governess Frau von Wolzogen. In 1784, her father married again to Princess Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, his first wife’s younger sister. From this marriage, Friederike had one additional half-sibling:

In 1785, Friederike lost three of the people closest to her. In September, her elder sister, Charlotte married the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and moved away, taking Frau von Wolzogen with her. In December, her stepmother (and aunt) died a few weeks after giving birth to her only child. Her father gave up his position in Hanover and the family moved to Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, now in the German state of Hesse, where the children were raised by their maternal grandmother Princess Maria Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt.  Friederike’s grandmother took charge of their education, ensuring that her grandchildren learned French and received a strong religious education. She also ensured that they traveled extensively to other royal courts, and they attended the coronations of the Holy Roman Emperors Leopold II in 1790 and Franz II in 1792.

painted by Johann Friedrich August Tischbein. source: Wikipedia

Having left Darmstadt in 1792 to avoid the advancing French army, Friederike and her sister Luise returned to Darmstadt in March 1793. On the way back, they received an invitation to visit their mother’s cousin, the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, in Frankfurt, so that he could introduce them to King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, and more specifically, to his two sons. The sisters attended the theater in Frankfurt and were presented to the King, who found them quite charming. The following day, they were introduced to the King’s sons, Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Prince Ludwig. Relationships quickly developed, and just a month later, on April 24, 1793, the official engagements were announced. Luise was to marry the Crown Prince, while Friederike would marry Prince Ludwig. Always very close, Friederike and Luise were overjoyed that they would remain near to each other after their marriages.

Prince Ludwig of Prussia, painted by Edward Francis Cunningham. source: Wikipedia

After making their grand entrance into Berlin, the two marriages took place at the City Palace in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg. Friederike and Ludwig were married on December 26, 1793, just two days after her sister’s marriage. They took up residence at a townhouse in Berlin – just opposite the Crown Prince’s Palace – and had three children:

By Johann Gottfried Schadow – Till Niermann, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4359214

In 1795, sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow began work on a statue of Friederike and her sister Luise. The statue, known as the Prinzessinnengruppe, is displayed in the Friedrichswerder Church in Berlin.

The marriage between Friederike and Ludwig was not very happy, with both of them allegedly having affairs. Rumors spread that Friederike was having an affair with her husband’s cousin, Prince Ludwig Ferdinand. And the marriage was not to be long-lasting. Prince Ludwig died of diphtheria on December 28, 1796, just two days after their third wedding anniversary. Just 18 years old, and widowed with three small children, Friederike was given an income and a residence, Schönhausen Palace, by her father-in-law.

Two years later, In 1798, Friederike accepted a marriageproposal from Prince Adolphus of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cambridge, her first cousin. He was the seventh son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Friederike’s maternal aunt. However, King George III refused to consent to the marriage until the end of the war with the French revolutionaries. The couple continued their correspondence, both hoping that the war would soon end and they could marry.

However, Friederike was not very lonely. Despite her unofficial engagement to Adolphus, she soon found herself pregnant with the child of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels. He was the son of Ferdinand, 2nd Prince of Solms-Braunfels and Countess Sophie of Solms-Laubach. Friederike and Friedrich were quietly married in Berlin on December 10, 1798. The scandal caused a rift with her sister Luise, and enraged her aunt – and intended mother-in-law – Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. Friederike and Friedrich left the court in Berlin and moved to Ansbach, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Bavaria, where their first child was born two months later. Together they had six children:

  • Princess Caroline of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1799)
  • Prince Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels (1801–1868), married Countess Maria Anna Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, had nine children
  • Princess Sophie of Solms-Braunfels (born and died 1803)
  • Princess Auguste Luise of Solms-Braunfels (1804–1865), married Prince Albert of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, had four children
  • Prince Friedrich of Solms-Braunfels (1807–1867), married Baroness Louise of Landsberg-Velen, had one child
  • Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels (1812–1875), married (1) morganatically Louise Beyrich, had three children  (2) Princess Sophie of Loewenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had five children

Within a few years of the marriage, the couple had drifted very far apart. Friedrich resigned from his military posts, and Friederike had to support their family with her own resources. The marriage was so broken that her brother-in-law, the reigning Prince of Solms-Braunfels, advised Friederike, and gave his blessing, to divorce her husband. However, the couple remained married.

Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, painting by George Dawe, c1828. source: Wikipedia

It was in 1813 that Friederike met the man who would become her third husband, Prince Ernest Augustus of the United Kingdom, Duke of Cumberland. Another first cousin, he was also the son of King George III of the United Kingdom and Friederike’s aunt Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Finding herself in love with her British cousin, Friederike asked for, and received, permission from the Prussian king to divorce her husband. Before proceedings could move forward, Prince Friedrich died suddenly on April 13, 1814. Many believed that Friederike had poisoned her husband, to avoid the public scandal of a divorce.

The Duke of Cumberland proposed, and Friederike accepted on the condition that her aunt, Queen Charlotte, gave her approval. The Queen did consent to the marriage, and the couple married on May 29, 1815, at the parish church in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

After the wedding, her husband returned to London to try – unsuccessfully – to get an increase in his appanage from the British Parliament. Despite being turned down, he returned to Germany and brought Friederike back to London, where they were married in a Church of England ceremony at Carlton House on August 29, 1815. One very notable absentee at the wedding was Queen Charlotte. Despite having given her consent the previous year, the Queen issued a statement explaining why she should not receive her new daughter-in-law. She stated that she had received “information from many respectable quarters which induced her to accept the painful resolution upon which she has since acted”, and that her feelings toward the marriage had been “conveyed to her son, The Prince Regent, not only long before the marriage of the Duke of Cumberland was solemnized in Germany, but also before the formal sanction of the Crown was given.”

Despite this, the couple settled in London, taking up residence at St. James’s Palace, as well as a home in Kew. After several years, with the Duke still unable to get an increase in his appanage, the couple returned to Prussia, living primarily in Berlin. After two stillborn daughters, the couple had one son:

Following their son’s birth, the British Parliament finally increased the Duke’s allowance, to provide him with a suitable education. The family spent the next ten years living in Germany, not returning to Britain until August 1829.

By then, Queen Charlotte had died, and Friederike’s brother-in-law was on the throne as King George IV. For the first time, she was welcomed as a full member of the British Royal Family and returned to her homes at St. James’s Palace and Kew. The following year, upon the death of King George IV and the accession of King William IV, her husband became the heir-presumptive to the throne of Hanover, and second in line to the British throne. After an accident left their son blind, in October 1833 Friederike and her husband took their son to Germany to meet with doctors, hoping to be able to restore their son’s sight. She was still in Germany when King William IV died on June 20, 1837. He was succeeded by his niece Victoria, as Queen of the United Kingdom. But because Hanover did not allow for female succession, Friederike’s husband succeeded him as King Ernst August I of Hanover, and Friederike became Queen.

Sadly, Friederike was only Queen of Hanover for a little less than three years. In April 1841, she fell ill, and after several months, passed away at the Altes Palais in Hanover on June 29, 1841. Following her funeral, the Queen’s remains were placed in the vault of the Royal Chapel. After her husband’s death 10 years later, both of their coffins were placed in a mausoleum on the grounds of Schloss Herrenhausen, now Herrenhausen Gardens).

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Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom; Credit – Wikipedia

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born at the Untere Schloss (Lower Castle) (scroll down) in Mirow, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,  on May 19, 1744. Charlotte was the youngest daughter and the eighth of ten children of Duke Carl Ludwig Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  Charlotte’s father died when she was eight-years-old and her mother died when she was 17, shortly before Charlotte married.

Charlotte had nine siblings:

At the time of Charlotte’s birth, Great Britain was ruled by King George II and his heir was his eldest son, Frederick, Prince of Wales.  Frederick predeceased his father in 1751 and his eldest son George became heir to the throne. When King George II died in 1760, his 22-year-old grandson succeeded him as King George III.  Before George became king, two attempts to marry him had failed and now that he had succeeded to the throne, the search for a wife intensified. The choice fell upon Charlotte and George’s mother Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales probably played a major role in the decision.

Charlotte’s journey to London took ten days and included a very stormy crossing of the British Channel. While most of her attendants were seasick, Charlotte practiced playing “God Save the King” on the harpsichord. On September 8, 1761, at 10 PM, George and Charlotte married in the Chapel Royal of St. James’ Palace in London, England. On September 22, 1761, their coronation was held at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Coronation Portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte by Allan Ramsey; Credit -http://www.royalcollection.org.uk

George and Charlotte’s marriage was a very happy one, and George remained faithful to Charlotte. Between 1762 – 1783, Charlotte gave birth to 15 children, and all survived childbirth. Only two of the children did not survive childhood. It is remarkable that in 1817 at the time of the death in childbirth of Princess Charlotte of Wales, who was second in line to the throne after her father the Prince of Wales, Princess Charlotte was the only legitimate grandchild of King George III, despite the fact that eleven of his fifteen children were still living.

The 15 children of King George III and Queen Charlotte:

In the same year as his marriage, King George III purchased Buckingham House, originally built for John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby in 1703. Originally purchased as a get-away for Charlotte who gave birth to 14 of her 15 children there, the house became known as the Queen’s House and was the architectural core of the present Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham House around 1710; Credit – Wikipedia

George and Charlotte led a simple life with their children, residing at the Queen’s House, Windsor Castle, and Kew Palace.  The family took summer holidays at Weymouth in Dorset, England making Weymouth one of the first seaside resorts in England. The simplicity of the royal family’s life dismayed some of the courtiers. Upon hearing that the King, Queen, and the Queen’s brother went for a walk by themselves in Richmond, Lady Mary Coke said, “I am not satisfied in my mind about the propriety of a Queen walking in town unattended.”

Charlotte played no part in politics and was content in dealing with family affairs. She had some charities including the silk weavers of Spitalfields, but she spent most of her time dealing with her growing family. George and Charlotte were possessive parents and often made unwise decisions regarding their family. Charlotte thought the Prince of Wales could do no wrong and encouraged him in the cruel treatment of his wife Caroline.  Charlotte and George’s six daughters were well brought up, kind and considerate, but all attempts by young, eligible men to marry them were stymied.

Queen Charlotte by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1789; Credit – Wikipedia

The only disruption in the family’s domestic lives was George’s attacks of illness. We now know that King George possibly suffered from porphyria and his attacks severely worried Charlotte. The stress caused by her husband’s illness caused Charlotte’s personality to change. She became bad-tempered and depressed and her relationships with her children were strained. In 1810, George became so ill that Parliament needed to pass the Regency Act of 1811.  The Prince of Wales acted as Regent until his father died in 1820. Charlotte was her husband’s legal guardian, but could not bring herself to visit him due to his violent outbursts and erratic behavior.

Charlotte was extremely upset at the death of her granddaughter and namesake Princess Charlotte of Wales in 1817. She had been in Bath at the time of her granddaughter’s death and was criticized for not being present. During the last year of her life, Charlotte presided over the weddings of her aging sons who were marrying to provide heirs to the throne after the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales.

Queen Charlotte died on November 17, 1818, at Kew Palace seated in a small armchair holding the hand of her eldest son. She was buried in the Royal Tomb House at St. George’s Chapel Windsor. Charlotte is the second longest-serving consort in British history. Only her descendant, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, served as a consort longer. King George III was unaware of his wife’s death. He died at Windsor Castle on January 29, 1820, six days after the death of his fourth son, Edward, Duke of Kent. The Duke of Kent’s only child, a daughter, was only eight months old when her father died, but 17 years later she succeeded to the throne as Queen Victoria.

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Princess Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; By Alfred Ellis: 51 Baker Street, London – RCIN 2109487, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88769843

On December 5, 1916, Her Royal Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz died at the age of 94.  She had been born a British Princess on July 19, 1822, and was the longest-lived grandchild of King George III of the United Kingdom and the last link to the British branch of the House of Hanover.

Her Royal Highness Princess Augusta Caroline Charlotte Elizabeth Mary Sophia Louisa of Cambridge was the elder daughter and the second of three children of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (the seventh son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel.  At the time of her death, Augusta was 94 years, 4 months, and 16 days old which made her, at that time, the longest-lived British Princess of the Blood Royal.  Princess Alice of Albany, Countess of Athlone, the daughter of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold, became the longest-lived British Princess of the Blood Royal in 1977 and died four years later at the age of at age 97 years and 313 days.

Princess Augusta was born at the Palace of Montbrillant in the Kingdom of Hanover, where her father was serving as Governor-General and later Viceroy of the Kingdom of Hanover for his brothers King George IV and King William IV.  She was christened Augusta Caroline Charlotte Elizabeth Mary Sophia Louisa on August 16, 1822, at the Palace of Montbrillant in the Kingdom of Hanover.  Her godparents were:

When Augusta’s first cousin Queen Victoria succeeded their uncle King William IV in 1837, their uncle Ernest became King of Hanover because the Salic Law did not allow female succession in Hanover.  Augusta’s family then returned to England and lived at Cambridge House in Piccadilly, London.

Augusta had two siblings:

Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 28, 1843, Augusta married Friedrich Wilhelm, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace in London, England.  The bride and groom were first cousins through their mothers and second cousins through their fathers.  This marriage meant that Augusta would live in Neustrlitz, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. However, the couple visited London frequently, staying with the Duchess of Cambridge at Kensington Palace, and Augusta retained close ties with the British Royal Family.

The couple had two sons, but only one survived to adulthood:

In 1860, Friedrich Wilhelm succeeded his father as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Augusta became Grand Duchess.  Because she had no daughter of her own, Augusta became very close with her niece Mary (May) of Teck, later the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom, and the two corresponded regularly until Augusta’s death.  In 1887, Augusta participated in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of her first cousin Queen Victoria.  When Augusta’s mother died in 1889, Augusta purchased a home near Buckingham Palace and stayed there for a portion of each year until her infirmity made it difficult to travel.  Augusta also attended Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897 and was heard to say in a loud voice, “Why is she thanking God in the street?” as Queen Victoria sat in her carriage in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral for a blessing because she was too infirm to enter the cathedral.

Before the coronation of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and his wife Queen Alexandra in 1902, Augusta was consulted on matters of ceremony and attire as she was almost the only person alive who could remember the coronation of King William IV and Queen Adelaide.  Her recollection of Queen Victoria’s coronation also proved invaluable.

Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, Credit – Wikipedia

1904 was not a good year for Augusta as both her brother and husband died.  Augusta had been on a visit to England when her husband died.  Their son succeeded his father as Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  Unfortunately, due to old age, Augusta was unable to attend the coronation of her niece May (Queen Mary) and her husband King George V of the United Kingdom in 1911.

In August 1914, Augusta was 92 when World War I started.  Her only child had died two months earlier and now her grandson Adolf Friedrich VI was the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.   Adolf Friedrich was devoted to his grandmother, and the war was stressful for both.  Because Augusta was living in an enemy country, the British government suspended paying her pension.  Sadly, two years after Augusta’s death, her grandson Adolf Friedrich VI died by suicide. During the war, Augusta was able to keep up her correspondence with her niece May through Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, born Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

In the autumn of 1916, Augusta’s health began to fail. She lay in her bed for a month, sleeping most of the time.  When she was awake, she was lucid and listened to letters or newspapers read aloud to her.  Augusta sent a message to King George V: “Tell the king that it is a stout old English heart which is ceasing to beat.”  She died in Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, on the morning of December 5, 1916.  Her last word was “May,” the name of her beloved niece.  Augusta was interred in the New Crypt at Johanniterkirche (link in German) in Mirow, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now a small town in northeastern Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.  The church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, has two crypts that have been the burial place for the Mecklenburg-Strelitz family for the past 300 years.

Johanniterkirche in Mirow; Credit – Von Niteshift (talk) – Selbst fotografiert, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9970572

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Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia

by Emily McMahon and Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

Duchess Luise of Mecklenburg, Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie) was born in Hanover, Electorate of Hanover now in Lower Saxony, Germany on March 10, 1776.  She was third of the five daughters and the sixth of the ten children of Carl II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and his first wife Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Luise had nine siblings:

The family was connected to the British royal family as Carl’s sister Charlotte was the wife of King George III. During her childhood, Luise spent part of her early childhood at Leineschloss, the home of the Hanoverian kings. At the time, her father was the Governor-General of Hanover.  King George III was king and never visited Hanover so the residence was made available to the family.

Following her mother’s death in childbirth in 1782, Luise and her siblings were raised mostly by their maternal grandmother, Marie Louise Albertine of Leiningen-Falkenburg-Dagsburg who married  Prince George William of Hesse-Darmstadt, the brother of the reigning Landgrave Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt. Maria Louise Albertine made a comfortable home for the family in Darmstadt, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt now in Hesse, Germany, and her grandchildren grew quite fond of her. In her grandmother’s care, Luise was given her lessons and religious instruction primarily in French, but she later grew very fond of German literature. She was also encouraged to devote herself to acts of charity.

Luise and her sister Frederica attracted the attention of two Prussian princes. Luise was betrothed to the future King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, while Frederica was engaged to his brother Ludwig Karl.  Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm married on December 24, 1793, and her sister married Ludwig Karl two days later. It was hoped that the double marriage would improve the bond between the two German states.

Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm in 1794; Credit – Wikipedia

Luise was very popular in Prussia from the start, and descriptions of her from this time speak of her grace, goodness, and beauty. The marriage was happy and the couple raised their family quietly at Paretz Palace west of Berlin.

Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm had nine children:

Luise with her husband and children, circa 1806; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Wilhelm became King of Prussia in 1797. As queen, Luise traveled around Prussia with her husband, becoming more well-known and well-liked. Luise took it upon herself to stay well-versed in the country’s affairs, earning her the respect of her husband’s advisers. Friedrich Wilhelm similarly trusted his wife’s intelligence and good judgment, treating her as an unofficial adviser.

Prussia declared war on France in 1806. Following a resounding defeat by Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Friedrich Wilhelm and Luise fled with their family to Königsberg in eastern Prussia. When Napoleon requested a meeting with Friedrich Wilhelm to discuss peace terms, Friedrich Wilhelm brought the pregnant Luise along to garner sympathy from the French emperor. Napoleon was charmed when the pregnant queen begged him for mercy for Prussia. Napoleon did not budge in his terms for peace, but Luise was even more beloved in Prussia.  Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm were absent from Berlin for three years following the war with the French.

Luise and Friedrich Wilhelm meeting with Napoleon; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 19, 1810, while visiting her father at Schloss Hohenzieritz in Hohenzieritz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 34-year-old Luise died in her husband’s arms from an unidentified illness. The harshness of the French occupation may have hastened her death, as she often suffered from long bouts of ill health. Her grieving husband later instituted the Order of Louise in her name and her family mourned her death each year on July 19.  Luise was buried in the garden of Charlottenburg Palace, in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in Brandenburg, Germany where a mausoleum was built over her grave.  Friedrich Wilhelm  III survived his wife by thirty years and was buried by her side.

Sarcophagus of Luise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia; Credit – Wikipedia

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