Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland was the last Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as the wife of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV. Princess Alexandra Luise Marie Olga Elisabeth Therese Vera was born at Schloss Ort in Gmunden, Austria on September 29, 1882, the daughter of Ernst August, Crown Prince of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark.

Alexandra (standing, front-right) with her parents and siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexandra had five siblings:

Alexandra and Franz Friedrich following their wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 7, 1904, at Schloss Cumberland (link in German) in Gmunden, Austria, Alexandra married Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. They went on to have five children:

Because of the death of her daughter Olga at just six weeks old, Grand Duchess Alexandra worked to improve medical care for children in the Grand Duchy. She established the Olga Foundation, which raised money for education and training for nurses and midwives.

Following her husband’s abdication on November 14, 1918, the family was forced to leave the Grand Duchy. They traveled to Denmark at the invitation of Queen Alexandrine, Friedrich Franz’s sister, and stayed for a year at Sorgenfri Palace. The following year, they were permitted to return to Mecklenburg and recovered several of their properties. For the next two years, they lived at the Gelbensande hunting lodge (link in German) before returning to Ludwigslust Palace in 1921. They also began spending their summers at the Alexandrinen Cottage (link in German) in Heiligendamm.

Glücksburg Castle. photo: By Wolfgang Pehlemann – Own work, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21693722

At the end of World War II, with the Red Army approaching Mecklenburg, the family was again forced to flee in 1945. Intending to return to Denmark, they traveled to Glücksburg Castle, in Glücksburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, the home of their youngest daughter. While there, the Grand Duke died. The Dowager Grand Duchess Alexandra also died there, on August 30, 1963, having survived her husband by nearly 18 years. She is buried beside him in the New Cemetery in Glücksburg.

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-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin: 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. Friedrich Franz I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. On November 14, 1918, at the end of World War I, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Today the territory encompassing the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin is in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

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Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV was the last reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He was born in Palermo, Italy on April 9, 1882, the only son of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia. He had two sisters:

He also had a half-brother – Alexis Louis de Wenden – his mother’s illegitimate son, born in 1902.

Friedrich Franz with his mother and sisters, circa 1890; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Franz attended the Vitzthum Gymnasium in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, and then studied law at the University of Bonn. He became Grand Duke upon his father’s death in April 1897. Because he was still a minor, his uncle Duke Johann Albrecht, served as regent until Friedrich Franz came of age in 1901. Once he had taken control of his government, the young Grand Duke attempted to reform the Mecklenburg constitution. However, his efforts failed when the government of Mecklenburg-Strelitz refused to agree to his ideas.

Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland; Credit – Wikipedia

Encouraged to marry young by his mother, Friedrich Franz married Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland in Gmunden, Austria on June 7, 1904. She was the daughter of Ernst August, Crown Prince of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark. The couple had five children:

In February 1918, Friedrich Franz IV began to serve as Regent for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The reigning Grand Duke, Adolf Friedrich VI, had died by suicide, and the heir presumptive was serving with the Russian military and had made it known that he wished to renounce his rights of succession. The regency lasted only nine months because in 1918, after the end of World War I, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, as well as the Regent in Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Forced to leave the grand duchy, Friedrich Franz and his family traveled to Denmark at the invitation of his sister Queen Alexandrine. There, they lived at Sorgenfri Palace for a year, before being permitted to return to Mecklenburg, Germany, and recovering several of the family’s properties. They lived for two years at the Gelbensande hunting lodge (link in German), and then in 1921, took up residence at Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Germany. They also spent their summers at the Alexandrine Cottage (link in German) in Heiligendamm, Germany.

At the end of World War II, with the advance of the Soviet Union’s Red Army, Friedrich Franz, along with his wife and son Christian Ludwig, fled to Glücksburg Castle, in Glücksburg, Germany, the home of his youngest daughter and her husband, with the intention of returning to Denmark. However, the Grand Duke became ill, and while under house arrest at the Castle, he died there on November 17, 1945. He is buried in the New Cemetery in Glücksburg, Germany.

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Mecklenburg-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Royalty and the Olympics

Prince Albert II of Monaco participated in bobsled events in five Winter Olympics and is currently a Member of the International Olympic Committee; Photo Credit – zimbio.com

Many people around the world will be watching the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea over the next couple of weeks.  Did you know that the first royal to win an Olympic medal was killed five years later in World War I?  Check out the royal Olympic connections at our links below.

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Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia was the wife of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was born at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 28, 1860, the second child and only daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia son of Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, and Princess Cecilie Auguste of Baden. Anastasia had six brothers. Her brother Sergei was among the five other Romanovs murdered by the Bolsheviks along with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna on July 18, 1918. Two of her brothers, Nicholas and George, were among the four Grand Dukes murdered by the Bolsheviks on January 28, 1919.

When Anastasia was just two years old, her father was appointed Viceroy of the Caucasus and the family moved to Georgia where she was raised. The favorite of her father, and doted on by her brothers, Anastasia grew to become a very strong-willed and intelligent young woman. Educated privately at home, she developed a love of languages, becoming fluent in French, German, and English at a very young age.

Engagement photo of Anastasia and Friedrich Franz; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 4, 1878, the engagement of Grand Duchess Anastasia and the future Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was announced. The marriage was arranged by Anastasia’s future sister-in-law Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin who had married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia. Anastasia and her fiancé were second cousins, both great-grandchildren of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. They were married at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on January 24, 1879, in both Orthodox and Protestant services. Following their marriage, the couple settled in the Marienpalais in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, and had three children:

Anastasia with her children, circa 1894; Credit – Wikipedia

Due to her husband’s health, Anastasia’s family traveled frequently to warmer climates. They were staying in Palermo, Italy when her husband became Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on April 15, 1883. When they eventually returned to Schwerin, they took up residence at Schwerin Castle. The Grand Duke reached an agreement with the government that he would stay in Schwerin for five months each year but would travel elsewhere the rest of the year due to his health. They spent six months each year at Villa Wenden, their private home in Cannes, France, and preferred to stay at the Gelbensande hunting lodge when in the Grand Duchy.

The Grand Duchess was an avid tennis player and had courts built at Villa Wenden where she played quite often. She was also a frequent visitor to the casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco, often gambling away large amounts of her fortune.

Following her husband’s death in April 1897, Anastasia inherited Villa Wenden and the hunting lodge in Gelbensande, along with most of his personal property. She spent as little time in Schwerin as possible, preferring Gelbensande and Cannes, and traveled often to St. Petersburg, Paris, and London.

A scandal erupted in 1902 when Anastasia became pregnant from an affair with her personal secretary Vladimir Alexandrovitch Paltov. She gave birth to a son Alexis Louis de Wenden in Nice, France on December 23, 1902. The surname ‘de Wenden’ was granted by King Christian IX of Denmark. Anastasia, who first hid the fact that she was pregnant, raised the child herself. When news of the scandal spread through the royal houses of Europe,  Anastasia was shunned by several royal houses, particularly the Prussian court. When her younger daughter Cecilie married the son of the German Emperor, who was particularly outspoken in his disdain for Anastasia, she was only permitted to come to Berlin twice – for Cecilie’s wedding in 1905, and for the birth of  her first child the following year.

World War I saw her family divided. Her son was a reigning German Grand Duke and her daughter was the daughter-in-law of the German Emperor, while her Russian brothers were on the opposing side. As the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Anastasia was unable to remain in France. Because she placed her loyalty with the Russians, she was unable to return to Schwerin. Instead, she settled in Switzerland, living at the Savoy Hotel in Lausanne. The toll of the war was particularly devastating for Anastasia. She saw her son lose his throne and the murders of three of her brothers in Russia.

Following World War I, Anastasia returned to France. Unwelcome as a German, she used her Russian passport to sneak into the country as part of her entourage of her cousin Princess Ekaterina Yourievskaya. She settled at Villa Fantasia in Èze, near Cannes, France, where she returned to her hectic social schedule and frequent trips to the Monte Carlo casinos.

Dowager Grand Duchess Anastasia in her later years: Credit – Wikipedia

Dowager Grand Duchess Anastasia died in Èze, France on March 11, 1922, after suffering a stroke. Her remains were returned to Schwerin where she was buried in the Helena Pavlovna Mausoleum (link in German) on the grounds of Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Her funeral would be the first time her three legitimate children were together since the beginning of World War I.

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Mecklenburg-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Wedding of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

On February 7, 1901, in The Hague, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands married Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. A civil ceremony was held at the Palace of Justice followed by a religious ceremony at the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk in The Hague. At the time of the wedding, Heinrich took the Dutch version of his name, Hendrik, and was given the title Prince of the Netherlands.

Wilhelmina’s Early Life

Queen Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the youngest child of King Willem III of the Netherlands, with his second wife, Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. She became heiress-presumptive to the Dutch throne when the last of her elder half-brothers died in 1884. She became Queen upon her father’s death in 1890, with her mother serving as Regent until Wilhelmina reached the age of 18. She went on to reign for nearly 58 years – the longest reign of any Dutch monarch – before abdicating in favor of her only child, Juliana, in 1948.

For more information about Queen Wilhelmina see:

Unofficial Royalty: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Heinrich’s Early Life

Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born on April 18, 1876, in Schwerin, the youngest son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, with his third wife, Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. His siblings and half-siblings included Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia and Grand Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Oldenburg.

For more information about Prince Hendrik see:
Unofficial Royalty: Prince Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

The Engagement

Wilhelmina and Heinrich first met in October 1892, when both were attending the golden anniversary celebrations of Grand Duke Karl Alexander and Grand Duchess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Sophie was Wilhelmina’s paternal aunt, and Heinrich’s half-brother was married to one of Sophie’s daughters. Wilhelmina and Heinrich were second cousins once removed, through their mutual descent from Tsar Paul I of Russia. They met again in May 1900, when Wilhelmina and her mother traveled to Schloss Schwarzburg in Rudolstadt to meet three prospective grooms for the young Queen. Wilhelmina chose Heinrich, and within a few months, their engagement was announced on October 16, 1900. Plans for the wedding, scheduled for February 7, 1901, in The Hague, were overshadowed by the deaths of Wilhelmina’s uncle, Grand Duke Karl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach on January 5th, and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom on January 22nd.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

Foreign royal guests began to arrive in The Hague several days before the wedding, and the festivities began to take place. Numerous choral societies performed in front of the palace of the bride and groom and their guests, and the couple made several trips around the city to greet the crowds. A state banquet was held on February 5th for all of the foreign guests, followed by a gala performance at the theatre.

Wedding Guests

Royal guests at the wedding included:

  • Queen Emma of the Netherlands
  • Dowager Grand Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Duke Adolf-Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Prince and Princess Heinrich XVIII Reuss of Köstritz
  • Prince Ulrich of Schönburg-Waldenburg
  • Prince Hermann of Schönburg-Waldenburg
  • The Hereditary Count of Erbach
  • Prince Albrecht of Prussia
  • The Prince and Princess of Bentheim-Steinfurt
  • The Prince and Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
  • Princess Tekla of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
  • Prince and Princess Heinrich of Schönburg
  • The Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
  • The Prince and Princess of Wied
  • The Hereditary Prince and Princess of Wied
  • Princess Luise of Wied
  • Duke Paul Friedrich and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • The Prince and Princess of Waldeck-Pyrmont
  • Grand Duke Vladimir and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia
  • Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich of Russia
  • Grand Duchess Helen Vladimirovna of Russia
  • The Duchess of Albany
  • Princess Alice of Albany
  • Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
  • Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg

The Wedding Attire

The Queen wore a gown designed by Mme. Nicaud of Paris. Made of white silk and satin, the gown was embellished with embroidery of “the finest silver tissue” with silver threaded seed pearls and a design of orange blossoms. The embroidery work was done at the School of Needlework in Amsterdam. The low-cut bodice was trimmed with antique lace, and extended out to a train of over seven feet in length, trailed with more embroidery. Her antique lace veil was held in place by the smaller version of the Stuart Tiara, which the bride complemented with a large diamond collet necklace and the large diamond bow brooch at the center of her bodice. Wilhelmina carried a large bouquet of lilies of the valley, adorned with green, red, and long white satin ribbons.

The groom wore the uniform of a Dutch Admiral, adorned with the sash and star of the Dutch Military Order of Willem – the highest order of chivalry in the Netherlands, and the collar and star of the House Order of the Wendish Crown – the highest order of Mecklenburg.

The Civil Ceremony

The wedding day began with the Civil Ceremony. At 11:00 am, Wilhelmina and Heinrich departed Noordeinde Palace in the gilded coach which had been presented to the Queen by the people of Amsterdam. They arrived at the Palace of Justice, where the civil ceremony took place in the White Hall. In attendance were the couple’s mothers and six witnesses – the Speakers of the two houses of Parliament; Adjutant General Van Bergambacht, The Grand Chamberlain, General Count du Monceau; Vice President of the Council of State, Mynheer Van Schorer, and The Chief Justice. After the brief ceremony, conducted by the Minister of Justice, Dr. van der Linden, the couple, their mothers, and the witnesses signed the official marriage document. The couple then made their procession to the church for the religious ceremony.

The Religious Ceremony

As the bride and groom made their procession from the Palace of Justice, guests had already arrived and were seated in the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk. The several hundred guests included members of the Dutch Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, members of the Diplomatic Corps, representatives of nearly every town and city in the Netherlands, members of the court, and other personal friends. The procession into the church began with the foreign royal guests and family members, with the bride and groom the last to arrive. Despite the glitter of jewels and the numerous prominent guests, the service was the very simple and traditional marriage service of the Dutch Reformed Church, described as a service of “puritanical simplicity”, with no bridesmaids or groomsmen. The couple exchanged their vows and rings, followed by an address by the Chaplain. Following a final blessing, they made their way out of the church, to process back to Noordeinde Palace.

The Wedding Banquet and Honeymoon

Upon arriving back at the palace, The Queen and her husband received numerous guests before hosting a luncheon for their families, royal guests, and Ministers of State. At 4:00 that afternoon, they departed for the railway station to make their way to Het Loo Palace, where they spent their honeymoon.

Children

Wilhelmina with her daughter in 1914; Credit – Wikipedia

Wilhelmina and Heinrich had one child:

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Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin: 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. Friedrich Franz I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became the first Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. On November 14, 1918, at the end of World War I, Friedrich Franz IV was forced to abdicate as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Today the territory encompassing the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin is in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

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Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III (Friedrich Franz Paul Nikolaus Ernst Heinrich) was born on March 19, 1851, at Ludwigslust Palace, in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Friedrich Franz was the eldest son of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II and his first wife, Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz. He had ten siblings from his father’s three marriages:

A rather sickly child, Friedrich Franz suffered from severe bronchial asthma and a weak heart that would plague him his entire life. Following several years of private education at home, he attended the Vitzhumsche High School in Dresden. He later studied law at the University of Bonn. Despite his health, Friedrich Franz also undertook a military career. He was first created an officer in Mecklenburg’s Grenadier Guards by his father in 1863, followed by an appointment in the Prussian army. At the onset of the Franco-Prussian War, he served in the headquarters of King Wilhelm I of Prussia and later represented Mecklenburg-Schwerin at the Imperial Proclamation in Versailles in 1871. Due to his health, he was forced to step down from his military role in the beginning of 1877.

Friedrich Franz and his fiancé, Anastasia Mikhailovna, 1878; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 4, 1878, it was announced that Friedrich Franz was engaged to Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, the daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich of Russia and Princess Cecilie of Baden. Friedrich Franz and Anastasia were second cousins, both great-grandchildren of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. They married at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on January 24, 1879, in both Orthodox and Protestant services. The couple settled at the Marienpalais in Schwerin (link in German), and had three children:

Friedrich Franz III’s wife and children, c1895;  Credit – Wikipedia

Friedrich Franz became Grand Duke upon his father’s death on April 15, 1883. At the time, he and his family were living in the south of France, taking advantage of the milder climate. Unable to return to Schwerin for his father’s funeral, he entrusted his ministers with the management of the Grand Duchy. He eventually returned and took up residence at Schwerin Palace, but the climate was not good for his health. An agreement was reached, by which he would reside in Schwerin for five months of the year, and was free to live elsewhere the rest of the year provided that any further children would be born in Schwerin. Friedrich Franz III and his family spent the summers at their home in Gelbensande, a hunting lodge built in 1886 near Rostock and the Baltic Sea. They then moved on to Cannes from November until May, living at Villa Wenden which he had built there. They also spent time in Palermo and in Baden-Baden.

Villa Wenden in Cannes, France; Credit – Wikipedia

With his health rapidly deteriorating in the Spring of 1897, the Grand Duke’s family gathered at Villa Wenden, anticipating the worst. On the evening of April 10, 1897, he was found unconscious at the bottom of the villa’s 25-foot retaining wall. He was taken inside but soon died. Officially, the cause of death was an accident. Likely gasping for air, he had gone out onto the balcony and fell accidentally. However, rumors quickly spread that he had died by suicide.

The Helena Pavlovna Mausoleum following the burial of Friedrich Franz III; Credit – Wikipedia

His remains were brought back to Mecklenburg where he lay in state in the church at Schwerin Castle. Following his wishes, his funeral was held at the church in Ludwigslust, with the funeral procession led by the German Empress, Viktoria Auguste. Following the service, he was buried in the Helena Pavlovna Mausoleum on the grounds of Ludwigslust Palace in Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

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Mecklenburg-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Marie Karoline Auguste of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was the third wife of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was born in Raben Steinfeld, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on January 29, 1850. She was the daughter of Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Princess Mathilde of Schönburg-Waldenburg.

Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 4, 1868, in Rudolstadt, Marie married the widowed Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as his third wife. She was just 18 years old while the Grand Duke was 45. They had four children:

Grand Duchess Marie; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Marie died suddenly on April 22, 1922, at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. She was in The Netherlands for the 46th birthday celebrations of her youngest son. Her body was returned to Schwerin and she was buried in the Schwerin Cathedral.

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Mecklenburg-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty

February 1918: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

  • Tragedy at Sea – Lieutenant The Honorable Hugo William Louis Tyrrell
  • Captain The Honorable Harold Alfred Vyvyan St. George Harmsworth
  • Timeline: February 1, 1918 – February 28, 1918
  • A Note About German Titles
  • February 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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Tragedy at Sea – Lieutenant The Honorable Hugo William Louis Tyrrell

HMS K-17 Submarine; Photo Credit – www.harwichanddovercourt.co.u

On the evening of January 31 – February 1, 1918, twenty-six-year-old Royal Navy Lieutenant The Honorable Hugo William Louis Tyrell of HMS Submarine K-17 died along with 103 other sailors in a tragic series of accidents in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. The accidents were called the Battle of May Island, named after an island in the Firth of Forth. However, it was no battle but rather an entirely accidental tragedy with no enemy forces present.

The Honorable Hugo William Louis Tyrrell was the elder of the two sons and the third of the four children of William George Tyrrell, 1st Baron Tyrrell of Avon and Margaret Ann Urquhart. Hugo had two elder sisters and one younger brother, 2nd Lieutenant The Honorable Francis Chichester Victor Tyrrell, who also died during World War I on February 15, 1915 from wounds received in action. Therefore, when Hugo’s father died in 1947 at the 80, the barony became extinct as both his sons had died.

Around 40 ships left the port of Rosyth on the Firth of Forth, Scotland bound for fleet exercises in the North Sea. On the night of January 31 to February 1, 1918, five collisions occurred between eight ships. Two submarines were lost and three other submarines and a light cruiser were damaged. The accident was kept secret during the war and a memorial was finally dedicated 84 years later, on January 31, 2002, in the harbor of Anstruther, Scotland opposite the Isle of May.

Battle of May Island Memorial; Photo Credit – http://www.maritimequest.com/misc_pages/monuments_memorials/battle_of_may_island_memorial.htm

Hugo was one of the 59 sailors aboard the HMS K-17, a submarine powered by steam and electricity. K-17 was sailing behind the cruiser HMS Courageous when the Courageous changed course to avoid two trawlers ahead. K-17 turned but two other submarines, K-22 and K-14, were involved in a collision. Meanwhile HMS Fearless, another cruiser, was steaming towards the area, oblivious of the accident. The Fearless plowed into K-17. The order to abandon ship was quickly given but within eight minutes K-17 sank. Any survivors were now in the water and the other submarines attempted to pick them up. Sadly, the destroyers were unaware of the location of the accident and plowed through the survivors.

All remains of the deceased sailors remain at the wreck site which is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. Lieutenant The Honorable Hugo William Louis Tyrrell is remembered at the Chatham Naval Memorial in Chatham, Kent, England which records the names of 18,500 Royal Navy officers who died or were buried at sea in World War I and World War II.

Chatham Naval Memorial; Photo Credit – By Clem Rutter, Rochester Kent – Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2748208

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Captain The Honorable Harold Alfred Vyvyan St. George Harmsworth

Photo Credit – https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org

Captain The Honorable Harold Vyvyan Alfred St George Harmsworth, known as Vyvyan, was born in London on August 2, 1894. He was the eldest of the three sons of Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere, the founder of the newspapers The Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror, and Mary Lilian Share. Lord Rothermore’s second son Lieutenant The Honorable Vere Sidney Tudor Harmsworth killed in action November 13, 1916, so he was succeeded by his third son Esmond Cecil Harmsworth as 2nd Viscount Rothermere.

Vyvyan attended Eton College and then enrolled at Christ Church College at the University of Oxford in 1913. At the start of World War I, he joined the 2nd Battalion the Irish Guards and saw action in France. He described the conditions in the trenches in a letter to his father dated January 13, 1915: “Hell is the only word descriptive of the weather out here and the state of the ground. It rains every day! The trenches are mud and water up to one’s neck, rendering some impassable – but where it is up to the waist we have to make our way along cheerfully. I can tell you – it is no fun getting wet up to the waist and right through, as I did last night. Lots of men have been sent off with slight frost-bite – the foot swells up and gets too big for the boot.”

Vyvyan was wounded two times and each time he returned to the trenches. In December 1917, he was wounded at the Battle of Cambrai and was sent back to England to recuperate. In a letter to his father, he was very positive about his recovery, “My wounds are healing very rapidly – in fact I don’t worry about them now. I have been awfully lucky, no vital or difficult spots, such as knees touched.” However, he did not recover. 23-year-old Vyvyan died of those wounds on February 12, 1918 in the Lady Northcliffe Hospital for Officers in London founded by his aunt, Mary Harmsworth, Viscountess Northcliffe, Lady Hudson.  He was buried at Hampstead Cemetery in West Hampstead, London.

Vyvyan’s grave: Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Lord Rothermere endowed The Harold Vyvyan Harmsworth Visiting Professor of American History Chair at the University of Oxford in Vyvyan’s memory which still continues today. History was his favorite subject. One of the conditions is that the occupant of the Chair be a citizen of the United States.

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Timeline: February 1, 1918 – February 28, 1918

Territories occupied by the Central Powers during and after Operation Faustschlag; Credit – By Soerfm – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28806053

  • February 15-16 – Battle of Rarancza near Rarańcza (Ridkivtsi), Bukovina in present-day Ukraine
  • February 18 – March 3 – Operation Faustschlag in Western Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Baltics, last offensive on Eastern Front
  • February 19 – British begin their assault on Jericho, then part of the Ottoman Empire, now in the Palestinian Territories and is located near the Jordan River in the West Bank
  • February 21 – British capture Jericho
  • February 21 – Germans capture Minsk, then part of Russia, now the capital of Belarus, part of Operation Faustschlag
  • February 24 – Germans capture Zhytomyr, then part of Russia, now in Ukraine, part of Operation Faustschlag
  • February 25 – German troops capture Estonia, then part of Russia, now an independent country, part of Operation Faustschlag
  • February 28 – Germans capture Pskov in Russia and Narva in Estonia part of Operation Faustschlag

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A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire.  The constituent states retained their own governments but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army.  German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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February 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website If a person has a Wikipedia page or a website page with biographical information, their name will be linked to that page.

Lieutenant The Honorable Hugo William Louis Tyrrell

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Captain The Honorable Harold Alfred Vyvyan St. George Harmsworth

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Friedrich, Graf von Hohenau

Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Anna of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit -Wikipedia

Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine was the second wife of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was born Princess Maria Anna Wilhelmine Elisabeth Mathilde on May 25, 1843, in Bessungen, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse. She was the only daughter of Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine and Princess Elisabeth of Prussia.

Anna had three brothers:

Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna was considered a possible wife for the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. However, she married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on July 4, 1864, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse. His first wife died two years earlier and Anna became stepmother to his four children.

Anna and Friedrich Franz had one daughter:

  • Duchess Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1865-1882) – unmarried, died in her teens

On April 16, 1865, just a week after giving birth to her daughter, 21-year-old Grand Duchess Anna died of puerperal fever (childbed fever) in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. She is buried in the Schwerin Cathedral.

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-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Augusta Reuss of Köstritz, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Augusta Reuss of Köstritz, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Auguste Mathilde Wilhelmine Reuss of Köstritz was the first wife of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was born in Klipphausen, Kingdom of Saxony, now in Saxony, Germany, on May 26, 1822, the daughter of Heinrich LXIII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz and his first wife, Countess Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode, who died giving birth to her last child.  Auguste’s father married her mother’s sister Countess Caroline of Stolberg-Wernigerode.

(Note: All males of the House of Reuss were named Heinrich plus a number. In the Older Line, the numbering covered all male children and the numbers increased until 100 was reached and then started again at 1. In the Younger Line, the system was similar but the numbers increased until the end of the century before starting again at 1. This tradition was seen as a way of honoring Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich VI (reigned 1191 – 1197) who had benefitted the family. Therefore, the Roman numerals seen after names are NOT regnal numbers.)

Auguste had five siblings:

  • Joanna (1820-1878) – married Prince Ferdinand of Schoenaich-Carolath
  • Heinrich IV, Prince Reuss of Köstritz (1821-1894) – married Princess Luise Reuss of Greiz, had issue
  • Heinrich VI (born and died1823) – died in infancy
  • Heinrich VII (1825-1906) – married Princess Marie Alexandrine of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, had issue
  • Heinrich X (1827- 1847) – unmarried

Auguste had six half-siblings from her father’s second marriage Countess Caroline of Stolberg-Wernigerode:

  • Heinrich XII (1829-1866) – married Anna, Countess of Hochberg, Baroness to Fürstenstein, no issue
  • Heinrich XIII (1830-1897) – Anna, Countess of Hochberg, Baroness to Fürstenstein, no issue
  • Louise (1832-1862) – unmarried
  • Heinrich XV (1834-1869) – married Countess Luitgarde of Stolberg-Wernigerode,
  • Anna (1837-1907) – married Prince Otto of Stolberg-Wernigerode, had issue
  • Heinrich XVII (1839-1870) – unmarried

Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin; Credit – Wikipedia

In Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, on November 3, 1849, Auguste married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II, and the couple had six children:

Memorial to Grand Duchess Auguste, Schwerin Castle. photo: By Ruchhöft-Plau – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6596407

Sadly, three years after giving birth to her youngest child, Grand Duchess Auguste, aged 39, died on March 3, 1862, in Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The cause of Auguste’s death is unclear. At that time, there were mentions of “heart disease associated with a bronchial ailment” and “fever.” It is quite possible that she died from tuberculosis which was widespread at the time. Auguste is buried in the Schwerin Cathedral, and a memorial was built in her honor on the grounds of Schwerin Castle in 1905.

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-Schwerin Resources at Unofficial Royalty