Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Adolphus Frederick V
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Reign 30 May 1904  – 11 June 1914
Predecessor Frederick William
Successor Adolphus Frederick VI
Born (1848-07-22)22 July 1848
Neustrelitz
Died 11 June 1914(1914-06-11) (aged 65)
Berlin
Consort Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt
Issue Marie, Princess Julius Ernst of Lippe
Jutta, Crown Princess of Montenegro
Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duke Karl Borwin
Full name
Adolf Friedrich August Viktor Ernst Adalbert Gustav Wilhelm Wellington
House House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Father Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Mother Princess Augusta of Cambridge
Religion Lutheranism

Adolphus Frederick V (22 July 1848 – 11 June 1914) 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 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] He was a first cousin of Princess Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, consort of British King George V.[2]

His mother, the former British Princess Augusta of Cambridge, 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!" [3]

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.[4] In 1912 he repeated attempts to create a constitution for Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which along with Mecklenburg-Schwerin were the only European states without one.[5]

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.[6]

Adolphus Frederick died in Berlin and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolphus Frederick VI.[6]

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 enjoying being a Grand Duchess! poor dear, I am glad she does, for I never did."

Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.[1]

Titles and styles

Ancestry

References

  1. 1 2 Lines of Succession by Jiri Louda, p.219 Table III
  2. ↑ The Last Courts of Europe by Jeffrey Finestone, p.144
  3. ↑ Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy, pp.91-92
  4. ↑ "German Grand Duke dead" (PDF). New York Times. 1914-06-12. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  5. ↑ "Will adopt constitution" (PDF). New York Times. 1912-12-21. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  6. 1 2 "Kaiser richest German" (PDF). New York Times. 1914-01-25. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  7. ↑ The Peerage – Karl Borwin
  8. ↑ 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.

Books

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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