Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Adolphus Frederick V (22 July 1848 – 11 June 1914) was reigning grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1904 to 1914.

Adolphus Frederick V
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Reign30 May 1904  – 11 June 1914
PredecessorFrederick William
SuccessorAdolphus Frederick VI
Born(1848-07-22)22 July 1848
Neustrelitz, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Died11 June 1914(1914-06-11) (aged 65)
Berlin, German Empire
Burial16 June 1914
Mirow, Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Spouse
IssueMarie, Princess Julius Ernst of Lippe
Militza, Crown Princess of Montenegro
Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duke Karl Borwin
Full name
Georg Adolf Friedrich Victor Ernst Adalbert Gustav Wilhelm Wellington
HouseMecklenburg-Strelitz
FatherFrederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
MotherPrincess Augusta of Cambridge
ReligionLutheranism

Biography

Duke George Adolphus Frederick Augustus Victor Ernest Adalbert Gustavus William Wellington of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born in Neustrelitz, the only surviving child of Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. Following the death of his grandfather Grand Duke George on 6 September 1860, Adolphus Frederick became the heir apparent to the grand duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz with the title of Hereditary Grand Duke. Adolphus Frederick took part in the Franco-Prussian war and represented his father at the crowning of King William I of Prussia as German Emperor at Versailles. He succeeded his father as grand duke on 30 May 1904.[1]

His mother, Grand Duchess Augusta, was disgusted at her son's military ways. She wrote to her niece, Mary of Teck, "Strelitz that was never a Military State, suddenly is all drums and fifes, ... such a pity, a bad imitation of Schwerin & small German Courts, whilst we were a Gentlemanlike Civilian court!" [2]

In 1907 Adolphus Frederick announced that he would grant Mecklenburg-Strelitz a constitution, but this was met with opposition from nobles. In his attempt to create a constitution he offered to pay $2,500,000 to the national treasury if the nobles and land-owning classes dropped their opposition.[3] In 1912 he repeated attempts to create a constitution for Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which along with Mecklenburg-Schwerin were the only European states without one.[4]

In January 1914, Adolphus Frederick was reported to be the second richest person in Germany after the Emperor William II with a fortune of $88,750,000.[5]

Adolphus Frederick died in Berlin and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolphus Frederick VI.[5]

Marriage and children

Adolphus Frederick was married on 17 April 1877 in Dessau to Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt. His mother commented on his wife, "She welters in happiness at her luxurious "Schloss" wearing a new Paris dress daily, Diamonds, also, when we are quite entre nous - Yes, she does enjoy being a Grand Duchess! poor dear, I am glad she does, for I never did."

Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.[1]

Titles, styles and honours

Titles and styles
  • 22 July 1848 – 6 September 1860: His Highness Duke Adolphus Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • 6 September 1860 – 30 May 1904: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
  • 30 May 1904 – 11 June 1914: His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Honours
German honours[8]
Foreign honours[8]

Ancestry
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References
  1. Lines of Succession by Jiri Louda, p.219 Table III
  2. Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy, pp.91-92
  3. "German Grand Duke dead" (PDF). The New York Times. 1914-06-12. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  4. "Will adopt constitution" (PDF). The New York Times. 1912-12-21. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  5. "Kaiser richest German" (PDF). The New York Times. 1914-01-25. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  6. The Peerage – Karl Borwin
  7. Erstling, Frank; Frank Saß; Eberhard Schulze (April 2001). "Das Fürstenhaus von Mecklenburg-Strelitz". Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Beiträge zur Geschichte einer Region (in German). Friedland: Steffen. p. 184. ISBN 3-9807532-0-4.
  8. Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinscher Staatskalendar, 1908, p. 6
  9. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch für des Herzogtum Anhalt (1894), "Herzoglicher Haus-Orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 16
  10. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1896), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 63, 77
  11. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern (1906), "Königliche Orden" p. 8
  12. Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Herzogtums Braunschweig für 1905. Braunschweig 1905. Meyer. p. 11
  13. Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (1884), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" p. 32
  14. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen (1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen" p. 12
  15. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. 29
  16. Jørgen Pedersen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 329. ISBN 978-87-7674-434-2.
  17. Shaw, Wm. A. (1906) The Knights of England, I, London, p. 210
  18. "The London Gazette, Issue: 28505 Page: 4587" (PDF). The London Gazette. Retrieved 7 August 2019.

Books
  • Louda, Jiri; Michael Maclagan (1981). Lines of Succession. London: Orbis Publishing. ISBN 0-85613-276-4.
  • Finestone, Jeffrey; Robert Massie (introduction) (1981). The Last Courts of Europe. London: J M Dent & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0-460-04519-9.
  • Pope-Hennessey, James (2000). Queen Mary. London: Phoenix Press. ISBN I 84212 032 8.
Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Cadet branch of the House of Mecklenburg
Born: 22 July 1848 Died: 11 June 1914
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Frederick William		 Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
1904–1914		 Succeeded by
Adolphus Frederick VI
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