#duchess alexandrine of mecklenburg-strelitz

[graceofromanovs]

GODPARENTS OF GRAND DUCHESS ELENA VLADIMIROVNA

Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, the youngest child and only daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia and his German-born wife Grand Duchess Maria Pavlova (née Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), was born on 29 January (O.S. 17) 1882 in Saint Petersburg. She was christened on 12 March in the Grand Palace Church of Catherine Palace, Tsarskoe Selo. Her godparents were:

ALEXANDER III, EMPEROR OF RUSSIA - her paternal uncle, who had succeeded the Russian throne just a year prior, was named as one of her godparents. He was highly reactionary in domestic affairs and reversed some of the liberal reforms of his father, Alexander II. He was present at his niece's christening.

FREDERICK FRANCIS II, GRAND DUKE OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN - her maternal grandfather was another of her godparents. A Romanov by descent (being a great-grandson of Tsar Paul), he held the rank of Prussian general and was also a Russian General Field Marshal.

MARIE, GRAND DUCHESS CONSORT OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN - her step-grandmother was also named as her godparent. The third wife of Frederick Francis II, whose marriage produced four children, including Prince Hendrik, consort of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and father of Queen Juliana.

GRAND DUCHESS CATHERINE MIKHAILOVNA OF RUSSIA - A first cousin of her grandfather, Catherine was one of the two godparents present at her christening. She was the wife of Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and a great philanthropist and many of the organisations she supported and helped to create still operate today.

ALEXANDRINE, GRAND DUCHESS OF MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN - her maternal great-grandmother, a Prussian-born princess was also her godparent. She was a sister of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna-consort of Nicholas I-who was Elena's great-grandmother on her father’s side. In 1822, she married Paul Frederick, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (himself, a grandson of Russian Tsar Paul). Their marriage was generally considered unhappy, he was a military man who had little time for or interest in his wife and family. Alexandrine, by contrast, was a devoted mother who tenderly raised her children and actively cultivated their cultural pursuits. 

Source

[die-greifen]

when: royally fun facts

They may not be fun, but some of them are made-up. Made up facts are in italics.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia

(Karolina Augusta's great-great-grandmother)

Is the granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia

Is the mother of Alexandrine, Queen Consort of Denmark

Is the mother of Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Is the mother of Cecilie, Crown Princess of Germany

Following the death of her husband, had a illegitimate son with her personal secretary

Three of her brothers were murdered by the Bolsheviks during the Russian revolution

Princess Karola of Urach

(Karolina Augusta's great-grandmother)

Karola’s father, Wilhelm Karl, 2nd Duke of Urach, was briefly elected as the King of Lithuania in 1918.

Princess Karola of Urach was the first queen consort of Mecklenburg, and also the last Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Karola was the grand-niece of Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi’ of Austria.

Karola was the half-niece of Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians.

Karola half-first cousins include Leopold III of Belgium, and Marie José, the last Queen Consort of Italy.

Karola and Mary of Teck, Queen of the United Kingdom, both descend from morganatic branches of the House of Württemberg. Karola and Mary were third cousins as great-great-granddaughters of Friedrich II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg.

Karola was a Roman Catholic and retained her faith following her marriage to Heinrich Ludwig, though their children were brought up in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg.

Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

(Karolina Augusta's grandmother)

Thyra’s father, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was overthrown by her father-in-law, King Heinrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg

Thyra was the first Crown Princess of Mecklenburg (1939 - 1954)

Thyra was the second Queen of Mecklenburg (1954 - 1980)

Thyra was the niece of Alexandrine, Queen of Denmark (1912 - 1947)

Thyra was the first cousin of Frederik IX of Denmark (1947 - 1972)

Thyra was the niece of Cecilie, Crown Princess of Germany (1905 - 1951)

Thyra was the first cousin of Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia (1951 - 1994)

Thyra was the niece of Marie Louise, Margravine of Baden (1928 - 1929)

Thyra was the first cousin of Berthold, Margrave of Baden (1929 - 1963), who married Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark (the older sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)

Thyra was the niece of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick (1913 - 1918) and head of the House of Hannover (1923 - 1953)

Thyra was the first cousin of Ernst August, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover (1953 - 1987)

Thyra was the first cousin of Frederica, Queen of Greece (1947 - 1964) (the mother of King Constantine II of Greece and Queen Sofia of Spain)

Princess Eleonora of Leiningen

(Karolina Augusta's mother)

Descends from all three children of Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld: Carl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen; Princess Feodora of Leiningen; and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Queen Karolina Augusta I of Mecklenburg

Is the first female ruler in Mecklenburg’s 900 year history.

Will be the final ruler from the House of Mecklenburg which will eventually bring an end to the House’s status as the longest still reigning house in European history.

Is descended from both Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and of King Christian IX of Denmark.

Has been the youngest monarch in the world since 1992.

Has 15 godparents:

HRH Princess Cecilie Auguste, Duchess of Ludwigslust (paternal aunt)

HRH Princess Marie Anastasia, Duchess of Grevesmühlen (paternal aunt)

HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark (paternal second cousin once removed)

HRH Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Princess of Leiningen (maternal aunt-by-marriage)

HSH Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe-Oehringen, Princess of Leiningen (maternal aunt-by-marriage)

HM Silvia, Queen of Sweden (family friend)

HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (paternal and maternal second cousin twice removed)

HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (paternal third cousin once removed)

HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (paternal third cousin once removed and family friend)

HRH Prince Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark (paternal third cousin)

HH Prince Harald of Denmark (paternal first cousin once removed)

HSH Prince Hermann Friedrich of Leiningen (maternal first cousin once removed)

HRH Prince Felipe, Prince of Asturias (paternal third cousin)

HH Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (distant cousin and family friend)

HSH Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein (distant cousin and family friend)

[princessvictoriamelita]

Magazine "Ueber Land und Meer" illustration depicting young German unmarried Princesses in 1895.

Back row: Duchess Elsa of Württemberg, Princess Alexandra of Schaumburg-Lippe and Duchess Olga of Württemberg.

Back row: Duchess Elsa of Württemberg, Princess Alexandra of Schaumburg-Lippe and Duchess Olga of Württemberg.

Middle row: Princess Clara of Bavaria, Duchesses Sophia Adelheid and Elisabeth in Bavaria, and Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Front row: Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria, Princesses Mathilde and Hildegarde of Bavaria and Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Back row: Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen and Princess Alexandra of Anhalt.

Middle row (1) Princess Pauline of Württemberg, German Empress Augusta Victoria with her daughter, Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia and Princess Olga of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

Middle row (2): Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg, Princess Elisabeth of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Adelaide of Schaumburg-Lippe.

Front row: Princess Sybille Marguerite of Hesse, Princesses Adelgunde and Maria Ludwiga of Bavaria, and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women of the House of Romanov, part III

Grand Duchess Yelisaveta Mikhailovna. Daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich and Charlotte von Württemberg.

Grand Duchess Yekaterina Mikhailovna. Daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich and Charlotte von Württemberg. Mother of Helene zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prinzessin von Sachsen-Altenburg

Grand Duchess Olga Konstaninovna. Daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and Alexandra von Sachsen-Altenburg. Mother of Alexandra of Greece and Denmark and Maria of Greece and Denmark.

Grand Duchess Maria Aleksandrovna. Daughter of Tsar Aleksandr II and Marie von Hessen und bei Rhein. Mother of Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania; Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; and Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, infanta de España.

Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna. Daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and Alexandra von Sachsen-Altenburg. Mother of Elsa von Württemberg, Prinzessin zu Schaumburg-Lippe and Olga von Württemberg, Prinzessin zu Schaumburg-Lippe.

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna. Daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich and Cäcilie Auguste von Baden. Mother of Alexandrine zu Mecklenburg, Dronning af Danmark and Cecilie zu Mecklenburg, Kronprinzessin des deutschen Kaiserreichs.

Grand Duchess Kseniya Aleksandrovna. Daughter of Tsar Aleksandr III and Dagmar af Danmark. Mother of Princess Irina Aleksandrovna.

Grand Duchess Yelena Vladimirovna. Daughter of Grand Duke Vladimir Aleksandrovich and Marie zu Mecklenburg. Mother of Olga of Greece and Denmark; Elisávet of Greece and Denmark, Gräfin zu Toerring-Jettenbach; and Marina of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Kent.

Grand Duchess Olga Aleksandrovna. Daughter of Tsar Aleksandr III and Dagmar af Danmark.

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. Daughter of Grand Duke Pavel Aleksandrovich and Alexandra of Greece and Denmark.

[heavyarethecrowns]

People that have marred in to Royal Families since 1800

Luxembourg 

Princess Charlotte Luise Friederike Amalie Alexandrine of Saxe-Hildburghausen 28 January 1794 ��� 6 April 1825

Charlotte was a member of the House of Saxe-Hildburghausen and a Princess of Saxe-Hildburghausen (and later of Saxe-Altenburg) by birth. Through her marriage to William, Duke of Nassau, Louise was also a member of the House of Nassau-Weilburg and Duchess consort of Nassau. Louise was briefly Princess consort of Nassau-Weilburg in 1816.

Louise was the seventh child of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen and his wife Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. One of her godparents were her aunt, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen consort of Kingdom of Prussia. Louise and her sister Therese were considered very beautiful, and were the subject of the Friedrich Rückert poem “Mit drei Moosrosen."

In 1809, Ludwig, Crown Prince of Bavaria visited Schloss Hildburghausen to choose his bride. Ludwig chose between Louise and Therese and finally selected Therese. Louise married William, Duke of Nassau, eldest son of Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and his wife Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg, on 24 June 1813 in Weilburg.

To honor the occasion of their marriage, the Civil Guard of Weilberg and Samuel Luja composed the "Cantate am Feste der Heimführung des Erbprinzen Wilhelm von Nassau mit der Prinzessin Louise von Sachsen-Hildburghausen

The couple went on to have eight children.

The marriage was an unhappy one. Louise's husband was not only autocratic in politics, but also with regard to his family circle and bullied his wife and children. Louise died in 1825 shortly after the birth of her youngest daughter, Marie. Following her death, Louise's husband married her sister Charlotte's daughter Princess Pauline of Württemberg

 The Luisenplatz and Luisenstraße in Wiesbaden are named for Louise.

[phfanfic-diekoenigin]

when: narrative

A brief overview of the history of Mecklenburg, from 1890 to 2006.

Means the person is a sole creation of me.

Means the person is non-fictional and important to the history of the family.

Heinrich Ludwig I, King of Mecklenburg, (born 26 January 1890) only child of Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

Princess Elisabeth Sybille died in 1908 when Heinrich Ludwig was eighteen years old. His mother was first cousin to Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, making Wilhelmina his maternal first cousin once removed. Wilhelmina married Heinrich Ludwig’s paternal half-uncle, Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, making Queen Juliana of the Netherlands his half-paternal first cousin and his maternal second cousin. The events of WWII solidified the bonds between the House of Mecklenburg and the House of Orange.

Heinrich Ludwig’s father remarried in 1909 to Princess Elisabeth of Stolberg-Rossla, they would have no children and Heinrich Ludwig remained an only child.

Heinrich Ludwig’s father had been the regent for his nephew, Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, from 1897 to 1901.

In 1915, aged twenty-five, Heinrich Ludwig, who was fourth in line to inherit the throne, overthrew his cousin, Friedrich Franz IV, along with the support of several family members due to Mecklenburg’s involvement in WWI. Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV abdicated on 3 November 1915 and renounced the succession rights of his two sons. Heinrich Ludwig’s father also renounced his succession rights, this time in favour of his son, who then became the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Heinrich Ludwig recalled his troops and reinforced the border with Prussia. Mecklenburg effectively changed sides and begun supplying Entente troops (with little effect but the gesture was appreciated).

In early 1918, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz committed suicide and Heinrich Ludwig took control of the grand duchy as the current heir was serving in the Russian Army and would later renounce his claim to the throne (the only surviving male-line was of morganatic descent and ineligible to inherit at the time).

When the German Empire and her allies lost the war in November 1918, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz celebrated their victory.

Heinrich Ludwig had fallen for the young Princess Karola of Urach prior to the outbreak of WWI and intended to marry her. She was a member of a morganatic branch of the Royal House of Württemberg, but her mother had been a Duchess in Bavaria and Heinrich Ludwig deemed this royal connection to be strong enough to overcome the fact that her immediate family did not rule over a country.

Princess Karola was born Catholic and remained a Catholic for the rest of her life. Karola and Heinrich Ludwig married on 2 January 1919.

In the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz were joined to create the Kingdom of Mecklenburg. Heinrich Ludwig was now King and Karola his Queen.

The King and Queen now needed an heir, or several. The other men in the family had only daughters and women were not able to inherit.

A son and Crown Prince, Paul Friedrich, was born 10 September 1919, nine months after his parents wedding. A daughter, Marie Elisabeth, was born on 1 November 1921. There would be no further children.

Heinrich Ludwig and his family were popular. They were accommodating to the former Grand Ducal Family, allowing them to remain in their palaces for life, with the intention of inheriting the lands after their deaths. Instead of using Schweriner Schloss or Schloss Ludwigslust as his residence, Heinrich Ludwig had built a grand palace between Bad Doberan and Rostock, having moved the country’s capital to Rostock. He named the palace Euphemiasburg, after his ancestress Euphemia of Sweden.

Mecklenburg flourished in the years between WWI and WWII, they had not been sanctioned as the rest of the former German Empire had been and despite the troubles brought on by the Great Depression, became a minor power in Europe and an important member of central Europe, enjoying close ties with her neighbours and Baltic friends, especially Denmark and Poland.

However, there were groups of people, including governments of foreign countries who were uncomfortable with the existence of the Kingdom of Mecklenburg and her powerful King. Mecklenburg was a constitutional monarchy and had been since 1916, but Heinrich Ludwig I owned half the country as his personal property, had considerable executive powers and used them frequently to intercede with government affairs as an executive monarch and de facto upper house of government.

There were also calls for Mecklenburg to reunite with Germany. This notion became more popular after the rise of the Nazi Party, which attracted a considerable following in Mecklenburg from the early 1930s.

On 1 June 1938, the German Ambassador to Mecklenburg sent word to the King that Germany was mobilising its troops and that Mecklenburg would be occupied by morning on 2 June. The King had his children evacuate to Denmark where the former Grand Duke’s sister was Queen Consort. The former Grand Duke’s eldest daughter, Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, joined her second cousins in Denmark as she and Paul Friedrich were courting and did not want to be parted.

King Heinrich Ludwig I decided to remain in Mecklenburg to dissuade his cousin the former Grand Duke and his cousins’ sons from seeking the throne of Mecklenburg, or from being used as a puppet by Nazi Germany.

The Kingdom would be occupied by Nazi Germany for nearly seven years. The King and Queen were moved from Euphemiasburg to Schweriner Schloss and lived with the former Grand Duke and Duchess during the occupation. The King’s Government was able to function normally until 1940 when Mecklenburg was officially annexed by Nazi Germany. The country’s capital was moved back to Schwerin in 1940 where it remains to this day.

The former Grand Duke’s eldest son had joined the SS in 1931, and would be among those occupying Denmark from 1940 and disowned in 1943. The former Grand Duke’s second son and youngest daughter remained in Mecklenburg for the duration of the war.

When Great Britain declared war on Germany on 1 September 1939, Paul Friedrich, his sister Marie Elisabeth and Duchess Thyra fled to London as they feared that continental Europe was no longer safe. They remained in England for the rest of the war.

Paul Friedrich and Thyra were married at Windsor Castle on 2 October 1939. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were among the guests.

Crown Princess Thyra would give birth to three daughters, also at Windsor Castle, Heinrike Franziska, on 4 June 1940, Elisabeth Mathilde, on 23 January 1942 and Marie Anastasia, on 12 October 1944.

King Heinrich Ludwig and Queen Karola learnt of their ever growing family through weekly BBC broadcasts given by their only son. King Heinrich Ludwig, faced with the possibility that he and his wife would not survive the German occupation, issued a royal decree changing the laws of succession to allow women to inherit the throne by male-preference primogeniture. In addition to this, he granted his children and grandchildren nominal dukedoms in the same way Sweden granted royal dukedoms.

From 1940 to 1945, the line of succession was:

Crown Prince Paul Friedrich, Duke of Rostock, son of King Heinrich Ludwig I

Princess Heinrike Franziska, Duchess of Ratzeburg, first daughter of the Crown Prince

Princess Elisabeth Mathilde, Duchess of Güstrow, second daughter of the Crown Prince

Princess Marie Anastasia, Duchess of Grevesmühlen, third daughter of the Crown Prince

Princess Marie Elisabeth, Duchess of Parchim, daughter of King Heinrich Ludwig I

The strong bond formed between the House of Mecklenburg and the House of Windsor during the War, and the Blitz especially, continues to this day.

After the defeat and surrender of the German forces in early May 1945, Crown Prince Paul Friedrich, Crown Princess Thyra and their children, and Princess Marie Elisabeth returned to Mecklenburg in late May, only days before Heinrike Franziska’s fifth birthday.

The King and Queen were overjoyed to see their children again and meet their grandchildren for the first time. The House of Mecklenburg had survived the war relatively unscathed.

Mecklenburg, however, did not. When the Red Army advanced through central Europe, Mecklenburg grew nervous, worried that they would be left behind by the Allies. However, some of their Baltic ports were deemed important enough to the UK, USA, and France to stand up to Russia and approximately 40% of Mecklenburg was lost to the Soviets in 1945 and the Kingdom would remain split in two until 1990.

The former Grand Duke, Friedrich Franz IV died on 17 November 1945. Heinrich Ludwig and Karola took possession of Schweriner Schloss as their pre-occupation home Euphemiasburg was now only miles from the Eastern German border. The former Grand Duchess took up residence at Schloss Ludwigslust, where she would remain until her death in 1963. She lived to see her son-in-law ascend the throne and for her eldest daughter to become Queen Consort.

Crown Prince Paul Friedrich and Crown Princess Thyra would have several more children.

Another daughter, Cecilie Auguste, Duchess of Ludwigslust, was born on 23 September 1947.

A son, Wilhelm Franz, Duke of Schwerin, was born on 17 July 1949, and was now second in line to inherit the throne after his father.

A fifth daughter, Alexandrine Luise, Duchess of Waren, was born on 18 March 1951.

A second son, Albrecht Gustav, Duke of Bad Doberan, was born on 7 October 1953.

In 1949, the King and Queen’s only daughter, Marie Elisabeth married Prince Gorm of Denmark, a grandson of Christian IX of Denmark, and they would have two children Harald, in 1953 and Feodora in 1955.

The first King of Mecklenburg died on 18 November 1954. His son ascended the throne as Paul Friedrich II of Mecklenburg with Thyra as his Queen Consort.

The new King and Queen would have one final child, Ingrid Sophie, Duchess of Teterow, born on 9 June 1955.

The new King and Queen were coronated at Schwerin Cathedral in 1956.

In 1956, the line of succession was:

Crown Prince Wilhelm Franz, Duke of Schwerin, first son of King Paul Friedrich II

Prince Albrecht Gustav, Duke of Bad Doberan, second son of King Paul Friedrich II

Princess Heinrike Franziska, Duchess of Ratzeburg, first daughter of King Paul Friedrich II

Princess Elisabeth Mathilde, Duchess of Güstrow, second daughter of King Paul Friedrich II

Princess Marie Anastasia, Duchess of Grevesmühlen, third daughter of King Paul Friedrich II

Princess Cecilie Auguste, Duchess of Ludwigslust, fourth daughter of King Paul Friedrich II

Princess Alexandrine Luise, Duchess of Waren, fifth daughter of King Paul Friedrich II

Princess Ingrid Sophie, Duchess of Teterow, sixth daughter of King Paul Friedrich II

Princess Marie Elisabeth, Duchess of Parchim, daughter of late King Heinrich Ludwig I

Prince Harald of Denmark, son of Princess Marie Elisabeth

Princess Feodora of Denmark, daughter of Princess Marie Elisabeth

The line of succession was well secured, and the royal family’s standing within Mecklenburg would be credited with maintaining the stability of the small Kingdom.

The King and Queen enjoyed enormous popularity and a very happy home life. According to the rules of succession, their children were only allowed to marry people from royal or noble families and from the early 1970s, their daughters began marrying foreign born princes and having children of their own.

Queen Karola outlived her husband by several years and was able to see several of her great-grandchildren born before she died in 1980, aged 83.

Unknown to the family at the time, but 1980 was the beginning of several years of loss and difficulty for the family.

Queen Thyra died suddenly on 27 September 1981 following a severe heart attack. The country, still reeling from the death of their beloved Karola, was plunged into mourning once more. King Paul Friedrich II was beside himself with grief and the trouble concerning his youngest son wasn’t doing his health any favours.

In 1981, the Crown Prince, now 32 years old, was still unmarried and his younger brother, Albrecht Gustav, had set his sights on Veronica Doncaster, an American born commoner with Mecklenburgish ancestry. The King disapproved and refused to declare such a marriage dynastic or relax the rules regarding the line of succession. If Albrecht Gustav and Veronica were to marry, the Prince would lose his place in the line of succession for himself and his descendants, and any children would not be able to inherit the many titles used by the Royal House of Mecklenburg.

King Paul Friedrich II of Mecklenburg died 12 January 1982, outliving his wife by only a few months.

His eldest son ascended the throne as King Wilhelm Franz I of Mecklenburg. Albrecht Gustav was now his brother’s heir presumptive.

Wilhelm Franz did not have any problem with members of his family marrying commoners and changed the rules of succession and the house rules to allow unequal marriages. Albrecht Gustav and Veronica were married at Schwerin Cathedral on 29 August 1982. Veronica became a Princess of Mecklenburg and Duchess of Bad Doberan. The public, who had been supportive of their prince marrying a commoner, were thrilled and hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Schwerin to celebrate the wedding.

Albrecht Gustav and Veronica became parents on 27 May 1983, when a son, Paul Ludwig was born. They would have another child, Marie Leopoldine, born 3 February 1985, before moving to Canada in August 1985 to serve as Mecklenburg’s Ambassador to Canada. A further two children would be born while living in Canada, Christian Franz, born 7 March 1987 and Marie Josefine, born 27 January 1989.

In 1981, at the wedding of his cousin Prince Harald of Denmark to Duchess Helene of Oldenburg, King Wilhelm Franz I met the bride’s cousin, Princess Eleonora of Leiningen. Eleonora, born 12 May 1961, was almost thirteen years younger than the King, but they began a relationship in late 1981 and became engaged in 1984. When the couple were married in October 1985, the small Kingdom hosted a celebration like none they had seen in decades.

The new Queen settled into her role, supporting her husband and charitable causes in the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The King and Queen welcomed their first child, Karolina Augusta, Duchess of Elde, on 15 September 1988. From the young princess’s birth there was rumblings of changing the laws of succession to allow the eldest child to inherit regardless of gender.

On 15 September 1989, Karolina Augusta’s first birthday, the King granted his daughter the title Duchess of Rostock (a title previously held by her grandfather, King Paul Friedrich II) and announced his intention to change the laws of succession from 1 January 1990 among his descendants to absolute primogeniture and thus his daughter would become Crown Princess and the heiress apparent.

So, on 1 January 1990, King Wilhelm Franz I issued a royal decree changing the laws of succession and his daughter became the Crown Princess of Mecklenburg and the first heiress apparent in the country’s almost 900 year history.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the former lands of Mecklenburg were reunited and a referendum held on 14 October 1990 led to the incorporation of the lands of Vorpommern, almost doubling the size of the Kingdom of Mecklenburg. On 15 October, King Wilhelm Franz I announced that to honour Vorpommern he had changed his eldest daughter’s surname from von und zu Mecklenburg to von und zu Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Karolina Augusta was now the head and founder of the House of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, designated as a branch of the House of Mecklenburg.

From late 1990, the King and Queen started the long and arduous task of rebuilding their nation and welcoming their new subjects into a thoroughly western nation after decades of Soviet rule.

During an annual ski holiday to Switzerland, the King died following a skiing accident on 20 January 1992. Wilhelm Franz was only forty-two years old and had reigned for just over ten years.

His only child ascended the throne as Queen Karolina Augusta I of Mecklenburg. She was three and a half years old.

Queen Eleonora, who was seven months pregnant, was declared regent on 21 January 1992 by the Council of the Royal House and Family of Mecklenburg. The late King’s younger brother, Albrecht Gustav, who had been serving as the Mecklenburgish Ambassador to Canada, attempted to have himself declared regent, but was unsuccessful. Albrecht Gustav became resentful and refused to return to Mecklenburg once his term as Ambassador to Canada finished in 1993.

Queen Eleonora, now aged thirty-one, gave birth to a son, Klaus Wilhelm, Duke of Havel, on 12 March 1992.

The regency would last over fourteen years, until Karolina Augusta turned eighteen on 15 September 2006.

The rules regarding the line of succession where changed further in late 2006, to overturn the rule only allowing Protestants. This allowed the Catholic children of Princess Feodora into the line of succession.

The line of succession was now:

Prince Klaus Wilhelm, Duke of Havel

Prince Albrecht Gustav, Duke of Bad Doberan

Prince Paul Ludwig of Mecklenburg

Prince Christian Franz of Mecklenburg

Princess Marie Leopoldine of Mecklenburg

Princess Marie Josefine of Mecklenburg

Princess Heinrike Franziska, Duchess of Ratzeburg

Princess Elisabeth Mathilde, Duchess of Güstrow

Prince Ludwig of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Princess Juliana of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Princess Lucinda of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Prince Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Princess Marie Anastasia, Duchess of Grevesmühlen

Prince Karl Viktor of Hesse-Kassel

Prince Otto of Hesse-Kassel

Prince Ernst Albert of Hesse-Kassel

Prince Nikolaus Emmanuel of Hesse-Kassel

Princess Cecilie Auguste, Duchess of Ludwigslust

Prince Friedrich Magnus of Schwarzburg

Princess Anne Therese of Schwarzburg

Princess Alexandrine Luise, Duchess of Waren

Princess Ingeborg of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Princess Sigrid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

Princess Ingrid Sophie, Duchess of Teterow

Princess Marie Elisabeth, Duchess of Parchim

Prince Harald of Denmark

Prince Oskar of Denmark

Prince Axel of Denmark

Princess Louisa of Denmark

Princess Feodora of Liechtenstein

Prince Adam Karl of Liechtenstein

Prince Peter Gregor of Liechtenstein

Princess Bernadette Sophia of Liechtenstein

Princess Johanna Eleonore of Liechtenstein

[die-greifen]

where: official residences

SCHWERINER SCHLOSS

Schweriner Schloss is the official residence of the monarch of Mecklenburg. It is currently the official residence of Karolina Augusta I and her mother, Queen Eleonora.

SCHLOSS NEUSTRELITZ

Formerly the official residence of the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the building burnt down in 1945 and was later demolished by the Soviets. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, King Wilhelm Franz I bought the land and surrounding estate and began plans to rebuild the Schloss. After some delays, rebuilding was completed in 2008. Since 2012, it has been the official residence of the Queen’s younger brother, Prince Klaus Wilhelm, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Havel.

ALTE BURG NEUSTADT-GLEWE

One of the oldest castles in the country, the Alte Burg (Old Castle) has been the official residence of Princess Feodora of Denmark, a granddaughter of King Heinrich Ludwig I, since 1980. The castle is also used by her husband, Prince Karl Emmeran of Liechtenstein and their four children.

ALTE BURG PENZLIN

Also one of the oldest castles in the country, the Alte Burg and the surrounding land was purchased by King Wilhelm Franz I in 1991. Restoration was completed in 1999. Since then, it has been the official residence of the daughter of King Heinrich Ludwig I: Princess Marie Elisabeth, Duchess of Parchim, and her son, Prince Harald of Denmark. The residence is also used by Harald’s wife, Helene, and their three children.

SCHLOSS BÜLOW

The Schloss and its surrounding land was purchased by Queen Eleonora in 2004 when the estate was put up for sale. The property was restored and served as a museum and function centre from 2007 to 2012, when it became the official residence of Karolina Augusta’s cousin, Prince Paul Ludwig of Mecklenburg and his wife, Evelyn.

SCHLOSS GRIEBENOW

The Schloss and the surrounding estate was purchased by Queen Eleonora in 1993. Restoration was completed in 1999 and since then has been shared between Prince Albrecht Gustav and his wife Princess Veronica, Duke and Duchess of Bad Doberan, and his older sister, Princess Alexandrine Luise, Duchess of Waren and her husband Prince Alexander of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Duke of Waren. The children of the Duke and Duchess of Bad Doberan and the Duchess and Duke of Waren also make use of the residence.

SCHLOSS IVENACK

Another Schloss that fell into disrepair during the Soviet occupation of eastern Mecklenburg, the building and the land surrounding it where purchased by King Wilhelm Franz I in 1991. Restoration of the building was completed in 1998 and since then has been the official residence of Princess Marie Anastasia, Duchess of Grevesmühlen and her children, and Princess Marie Anastasia’s youngest sister, Princess Ingrid Sophie, Duchess of Teterow.

SCHLOSS KUMMEROW

After falling into disrepair during the Soviet occupation, Queen Eleonora purchased the Schloss in 1993 and restoration was completed in 2000. Since then it has been the official residence of Princess Elisabeth Mathilde, Duchess of Güstrow. The Schloss is also used by her two sons.

SCHLOSS NEETZOW

Unlike most other palaces, mansions and castles in Soviet occupied Mecklenburg, Schloss Neetzow remained in constant use and in good condition. King Wilhelm Franz I purchased the estate in 1991 and after light restoration became the official residence of his elder sister, Princess Cecilie Auguste, Duchess of Ludwigslust, and her husband, Prince Michael, Hereditary Prince of Schwarzburg and their two children.

SCHLOSS GÜSTROW

Located in the town of Güstrow, south of Rostock, Schloss Güstrow was also lucky to escape harm during the Soviet occupation. After the fall of the Soviets, the Schloss returned to the ownership of King Wilhelm Franz I and after light restoration became the official residence of his eldest sister, Princess Heinrike Franziska, Duchess of Ratzeburg. The Duchess has been on diplomatic postings throughout the world for much of her adult life and only uses a small portion of the Schloss. The remainder of the building is open to the public as a museum of the House of Mecklenburg.

Photos taken from Wikipedia and Google Images.

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Royal women plagued by scandals...

1. Sophia Dorothea of Celle.

2. Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst

3. Princess Carolina Matilda of Great Britain.

4. Princess Caroline of Brunswick.

5. Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

6. Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma.

7. Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies.

8. Queen Isabella II of Spain.

9. Princess Louise of Belgium.

10. Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna.

11. Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

12. Archduchess Louise of Austria.

13. Princess Marie of Edinburgh.

14. Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

15. Princess Marie Adelheid of Lippe.

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