Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Encyclopedia
Adolphus Frederick V was grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
from 1904 to 1914.
the only surviving child of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick William of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 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. He was a first cousin of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck
, later Queen Mary, consort of British King George V
.
His mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the former British Princess Augusta of Cambridge, was disgusted at her son's military ways. She wrote to her niece, the future British Queen Mary, "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!"
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. In 1912 he repeated attempts to create a constitution for Mecklenburg-Strelitz which along with Mecklenburg-Schwerin
were the only European states without a constitution.
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.
Adolphus Frederick died in Berlin
, and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolphus Frederick VI.
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 enjoying being a Grand Duchess! poor dear, I am glad she does, for I never did."
Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.
Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district , and the western exclave of the former Bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern...
from 1904 to 1914.
Biography
Adolphus Frederick Augustus Victor Ernest Adalbert Gustavus William Wellington of Mecklenburg was born in NeustrelitzNeustrelitz
Neustrelitz is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 until 1918 it was the capital of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
the only surviving child of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick William of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. Following the death of his grandfather Grand Duke George on 6 September 1860 Adolphus Frederick became the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz with the title of Hereditary Grand Duke. Adolphus Frederick took part in the Franco-Prussian war
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
and represented his father at the crowning of King William I
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
of Prussia as German Emperor
German Emperor
This article is about the emperors of the German Empire. For full list of German monarchs before 1871, see List of German monarchs.The German Emperor was the official title of the Head of State and ruler of the German Empire, beginning with the proclamation of Wilhelm I as emperor during the...
at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
. He succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 30 May 1904. He was a first cousin of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, later Queen Mary, consort of British King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
His mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the former British Princess Augusta of Cambridge, was disgusted at her son's military ways. She wrote to her niece, the future British Queen Mary, "Strelitz that was never a Military State, suddenly is all drums and fifes, ... such a pity, a bad imitation of Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
& small German Courts, whilst we were a Gentlemanlike Civilian court!"
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. In 1912 he repeated attempts to create a constitution for Mecklenburg-Strelitz which along with Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
were the only European states without a constitution.
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.
Adolphus Frederick died in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolphus Frederick VI.
Marriage and children
Adolphus Frederick was married on 17 April 1877 in DessauDessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
to Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt
Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt
Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt was the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1904 to 1914 as the spouse of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.-Family:...
. 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 enjoying being a Grand Duchess! poor dear, I am glad she does, for I never did."
Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.
- Duchess Marie of MecklenburgDuchess Marie of MecklenburgDuchess Marie of Mecklenburg was the eldest daughter of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt....
(1878–1948) married 22 June 1899 and divorced 31 December 1908 Count George Jametel (1859–1944), married 11 August 1914 Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe (1873–1952) - Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg (1880–1946) married Danilo, Crown Prince of MontenegroDanilo, Crown Prince of MontenegroDanilo Aleksandar Petrović-Njegoš was the Crown Prince of Montenegro. He was eldest of the son of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and Queen Milena Vukotić. During the Balkan Wars and World War I he led the Montenegrin Army with his father, King Nicholas I of Montenegro, Janko Vukotić,...
- Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg (1882–1918)
- Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg (Karl Borwin Christian Alexander Arthur, Herzog von Mecklenburg-Strelitz; 10 October 1888 – 24 August 1908); killed in a duel with his brother-in-law Count George Jametel, defending his sister's honor.
Titles and styles
- 22 July 1848 – 6 September 1860: His Highness The Hereditary Prince 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