Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg
Encyclopedia
Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg (baptised Victoria Marie Augustine Louise Antoinette Caroline Leopoldine; 8 May 1878 – 14 October 1948) was the eldest daughter of Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
and Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt
.
and William II, German Emperor
, thought that Marie had been "hypnotised", while Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
thought that Marie had been "drugged". Hecht was dismissed from service on the charge of stealing; his subsequent law-suit against the grand ducal family made the details of the story public. The story made radical newspaper headlines in its day.
A daughter was born to Marie in 1898; she was raised under the protection of Marie's grandmother, Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born Princess Augusta of Cambridge
).
in 1886. Marie and George were married on 22 June 1899, at the Catholic Chapel of St. Elizabeth in Richmond Park
, near White Lodge, the home of Marie's great-aunt, the Duchess of Teck (born Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
). There was a second Anglican wedding ceremony the same day at the Parish Church of Kew
. In spite of the fact that the marriage was morganatic
, many members of Marie's family attended the wedding, including her grandparents, parents, and three siblings. The wedding breakfast was given by her great-uncle the Duke of Cambridge
at Cambridge Cottage, Kew.
Marie and George received a large financial settlement ($200,000) from Marie's father. They lived in the Faubourg St. Germain in Paris
. They had two children:
Marie's husband George had several affairs, most notoriously with the married Infanta Eulalia of Spain
. In January 1908, Marie applied for a divorce from George. The Count was found to have married Marie for her money, and to have continued his affair with Eulalia. In August her nineteen-year-younger brother, Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg, decided to defend her honour and challenged George to a duel in which Karl Borwin was killed. Marie and George were divorced 31 December 1908. Having lost her fortune due to the divorce, Marie resumed the use of her Mecklenburg title and lived in the Blasewitz
section of Dresden
.
, Marie married Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe (1873–1952), third son of Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld
and uncle of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. After their marriage Marie and Julius lived in Blasewitz. They had two children:
Marie died at the age of seventy in Oberkassel
near Bonn
. She is buried with her second husband in the Lippe family mausoleum at Heisterbach Abbey
.
Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Adolphus Frederick V was grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1904 to 1914.-Biography:Adolphus Frederick Augustus Victor Ernest Adalbert Gustavus William Wellington of Mecklenburg was born in Neustrelitz the only surviving child of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick William of...
and 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:...
.
Early life
As a young woman Marie became pregnant by a palace servant. The servant, a married man named Hecht, was responsible for turning off the gas-lights in the bedrooms of the grand ducal children. Several of Marie's cousins, including the future King George V of the United KingdomGeorge 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....
and William II, German Emperor
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
, thought that Marie had been "hypnotised", while Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
thought that Marie had been "drugged". Hecht was dismissed from service on the charge of stealing; his subsequent law-suit against the grand ducal family made the details of the story public. The story made radical newspaper headlines in its day.
A daughter was born to Marie in 1898; she was raised under the protection of Marie's grandmother, Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (born Princess Augusta of Cambridge
Augusta of Cambridge
Princess Augusta of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III. She married into the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and became the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
).
First marriage
Marie went to France where she met Count George Jametel (1859–1944), the son of a patent medicine manufacturer; he had received the title of Papal Count from Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
in 1886. Marie and George were married on 22 June 1899, at the Catholic Chapel of St. Elizabeth in Richmond Park
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, near White Lodge, the home of Marie's great-aunt, the Duchess of Teck (born Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III, and great-grandmother of Elizabeth II. She held the title of Duchess of Teck through marriage.Mary Adelaide is remembered as the mother of Queen Mary, the consort of...
). There was a second Anglican wedding ceremony the same day at the Parish Church of Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
. In spite of the fact that the marriage was morganatic
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
, many members of Marie's family attended the wedding, including her grandparents, parents, and three siblings. The wedding breakfast was given by her great-uncle the Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
at Cambridge Cottage, Kew.
Marie and George received a large financial settlement ($200,000) from Marie's father. They lived in the Faubourg St. Germain in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. They had two children:
- Count George Jametel (3 February 1904 - 1982)
- Countess Marie Auguste Jametel (11 September 1905 – 24 September 1969)
Marie's husband George had several affairs, most notoriously with the married Infanta Eulalia of Spain
Infanta Eulalia of Spain
Infanta Eulalia of Spain was a Spanish infanta known for her controversial books.-Early life:Eulalia was born in the Royal Palace of Madrid, the youngest child of Queen Isabella II of Spain and of her husband, Francis of Spain...
. In January 1908, Marie applied for a divorce from George. The Count was found to have married Marie for her money, and to have continued his affair with Eulalia. In August her nineteen-year-younger brother, Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg, decided to defend her honour and challenged George to a duel in which Karl Borwin was killed. Marie and George were divorced 31 December 1908. Having lost her fortune due to the divorce, Marie resumed the use of her Mecklenburg title and lived in the Blasewitz
Blasewitz
Besides being an urban and often preferred multiple dwelling villa quarter with appealing architecture situated on the Elbe river Blasewitz is also a larger borough of Dresden, Germany in the eastern centre of the city...
section of Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.
Second marriage
On 11 August 1914, at 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...
, Marie married Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe (1873–1952), third son of Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Count Ernst of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Ernst II, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld was the head of the Lippe-Biesterfeld line of the House of Lippe...
and uncle of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. After their marriage Marie and Julius lived in Blasewitz. They had two children:
- Princess Elisabeth of Lippe (born 23 January 1916), married Prince Ernst-August of Solms-BraunfelsSolms-BraunfelsSolms-Braunfels was a County in what is today the federal Land of Hesse in Germany.Solms-Braunfels was a partition of Solms, and was raised to a Principality in 1742. Solms-Braunfels was partitioned between: itself and Solms-Ottenstein in 1325; itself and Solms-Lich in 1409; and itself,...
- Prince Ernst August of LippePrince Ernst August of Lippe-Early life:Prince Ernst August was born at Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, the second child and first son of Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe , and his wife, Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , -Early life:Prince Ernst August was born at Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, the second child and first son of...
(1 April 1917 – 15 June 1990) a claimant to the headship of the House of LippeHouse of LippeThe House of Lippe is a German Royal House. The House of Lippe descends from Count Jobst Hermann of Lippe whose son Bernhard I was the founder of the state of Lippe in 1123....
.
Marie died at the age of seventy in Oberkassel
Oberkassel (Bonn)
Oberkassel is a suburb in the Bonn municipal district of Beuel and lies on the right bank of the Rhine on the edge of the Siebengebirge mountains. Oberkassel has about 7,200 inhabitants.-History :...
near Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
. She is buried with her second husband in the Lippe family mausoleum at Heisterbach Abbey
Heisterbach Abbey
Heisterbach Abbey was a Cistercian monastery in the Siebengebirge near Oberdollendorf in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Petersberg:...
.