Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Encyclopedia
Frederick Francis II was a Prussian officer and the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
, reigning from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883.
, the eldest son of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Paul Friedrich and his wife Princess Alexandrine of Prussia
. He became the heir apparent to the Grand Duchy following the death of his great-grandfather Frederick Francis I on 1 February 1837. Frederick Francis was privately educated until 1838. He then attended the Blochmann institute in Dresden
before going to the University of Bonn
. Frederick Francis succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 7 March 1842.
Frederick Francis served on the general staff of Generalfeldmarschall
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
during the Second Schleswig War. During the Austro-Prussian War
he commanded the forces that occupied Leipzig
and lay siege to Nuremberg
. He also took part in the Franco-Prussian War
, during which he was made Governor-General of Reims
and commanded the German forces laying siege to Toul
. He defended the Prussian forces during the Siege of Paris
from attack by the Army of the Loire. He defeated French forces at the battles of Beaune-La-Rolande
and Beaugency
. He held the rank of Prussian general and was also a Russian General Field Marshal.
Frederick Francis died on 15 April 1883 in Schwerin
. He was succeeded as Grand Duke by his eldest son Frederick Francis III
.
. They had six children:
Frederick Francis married secondly in Darmstadt
4 July 1864 to Princess Anne of Hesse and by Rhine (1843–1865) they had one daughter:
His third wife was Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
(1850–1922) with whom he had four children:
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...
, reigning from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883.
Biography
He was born in Schloss LudwigslustSchloss Ludwigslust
Schloss Ludwigslust is a castle in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. It was built as a hunting lodge, rebuilt as a luxurious retreat from the ducal capital, Schwerin, then became for a time the center of government...
, the eldest son of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Paul Friedrich and his wife Princess Alexandrine of Prussia
Princess Alexandrine of Prussia
Alexandrine, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the wife and consort to Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as well as the daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.-Family:Alexandrine was the seventh child and fourth daughter of Frederick...
. He became the heir apparent to the Grand Duchy following the death of his great-grandfather Frederick Francis I on 1 February 1837. Frederick Francis was privately educated until 1838. He then attended the Blochmann institute in 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....
before going to the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. Frederick Francis succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 7 March 1842.
Frederick Francis served on the general staff of Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
Friedrich Heinrich Ernst Graf von Wrangel was a Generalfeldmarschall of the Prussian Army. He was nicknamed Papa Wrangel....
during the Second Schleswig War. During the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
he commanded the forces that occupied Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and lay siege to Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
. He also 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...
, during which he was made Governor-General of Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
and commanded the German forces laying siege to Toul
Toul
Toul is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Toul is located between Commercy and Nancy, and situated between the Moselle River and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin....
. He defended the Prussian forces during the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
from attack by the Army of the Loire. He defeated French forces at the battles of Beaune-La-Rolande
Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande
The Battle of Beaune-la-Rolande on 28 November 1870 was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War, won by Prussia. In an attempt to relieve the Siege of Paris, French General Crouzat's XX Corps launched an attack against three Prussian brigades resting in Beaune-la-Rolande...
and Beaugency
Battle of Beaugency (1870)
The Battle of Beaugency was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War contested between the army group of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, and the French Armée de la Loire, won by the Prussians. It lasted from 8 to 10 December 1870 and occurred on the left bank of the Loire River to the northwest of the...
. He held the rank of Prussian general and was also a Russian General Field Marshal.
Frederick Francis died on 15 April 1883 in Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
. He was succeeded as Grand Duke by his eldest son Frederick Francis III
Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Friedrich Franz III was the penultimate Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Biography:He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust the son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his first wife Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
.
Marriages and children
Frederick Francis was married firstly to Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz (1822–1862) on 3 November 1849 in LudwigslustLudwigslust
Ludwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:...
. They had six children:
- Frederick Francis IIIFrederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-SchwerinFriedrich Franz III was the penultimate Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.-Biography:He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust the son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his first wife Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
(1851–1897) father of Alexandrine, Queen of DenmarkAlexandrine of Mecklenburg-SchwerinAlexandrine Auguste of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the queen consort of King Christian X of Denmark.-Family:She was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in the city of Schwerin...
and Cecile, last Crown Princess of PrussiaDuchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-SchwerinCecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a Crown Princess of Germany and Prussia as the wife of German Crown Prince William, the son of German Emperor William II...
. - Paul FriedrichPaul Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-SchwerinDuke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and general of the Mecklenburg cavalry.-Life:Duke Paul Frederick was born in Ludwigslust Castle as the second eldest son of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg and his first wife Princess Augusta of...
(1852–1923) married Princess Marie of Windisch-GraetzPrincess Marie of Windisch-GraetzPrincess Marie of Windisch-Graetz .Marie married in Schwerin on 5 May 1881 her cousin, the German born Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg,the second son of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg. The couple had five children who were all raised Roman Catholic, the religion of Princess... - MarieMarie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Maria Pavlovna of Russia)Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born Marie Alexandrine Elisabeth Eleonore of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz...
(1854–1920) married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of RussiaGrand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of RussiaGrand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia ) was a son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia...
. Their son Cyril became pretender to the Russian throne after the assassination of his cousin Nicholas II of RussiaNicholas II of RussiaNicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
. - Nikolaus (1855–1856)
- Johann Albrecht (1857–1920) Imperial regent of the Duchy of BrunswickDuchy of BrunswickBrunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...
- Alexander (1859-1859)
Frederick Francis married secondly in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
4 July 1864 to Princess Anne of Hesse and by Rhine (1843–1865) they had one daughter:
- Anne (1865–1882)
His third wife was Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was the consort and third wife of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was mother of Prince Hendrik, consort of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and father of Queen Juliana.-Early life:...
(1850–1922) with whom he had four children:
- ElizabethDuchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-SchwerinDuchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg by his third wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt...
(1869–1955) married Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of OldenburgFrederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of OldenburgFrederick Augustus II was the last ruling grand duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia...
(1852–1931) - Friedrich William (1871–1897)
- Adolf FriedrichDuke Adolf Friedrich of MecklenburgDuke Adolf Friedrich Albrecht Heinrich of Mecklenburg was a German explorer in Africa, a colonial politician, the elected Duke of the United Baltic Duchy from 5 November to 28 November, 1918, and the first president of the National Olympic Committee of Germany .- Biography :Born in Schwerin, Adolf...
(1873–1969) - Heinrich (1876–1934) married Queen Wilhelmina of the NetherlandsWilhelmina of the NetherlandsWilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
, father of Juliana of the NetherlandsJuliana of the NetherlandsJuliana was the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands between 1948 and 1980. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry...
.