Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg

Duke Paul Frederick
Born	19 September 1852 Ludwigslust
Died	17 May 1923 (aged 70) Ludwigslust
Spouse	Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz
House	House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Father	Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Mother	Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz
Religion	Lutheranism, after 1897 Roman Catholicism

Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg (German: Herzog Paul Friedrich zu Mecklenburg; 19 September 1852 – 17 May 1923) was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and general of the Mecklenburg cavalry.^[1]

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 Reuss-Köstritz, the daughter of Prince Henry LXIII Reuss of Köstritz.^[2]

Duke Paul Frederick married in Schwerin on 5 May 1881 his cousin, the Austrian born Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz, the daughter of Prince Hugo of Windisch-Graetz and his wife Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.^[2] The couple who had five children who were all raised Roman Catholic, the religion of Princess Marie,^[3] lived a quiet life in Venice. While in Venice the family befriended Cardinal Sarto (later Pope Pius X) who often visited the family and acted as a spiritual advisor for them.^[4]

On 21 April 1884 Duke Paul Frederick renounced his and his sons rights of succession to Mecklenburg-Schwerin in favour of his younger brothers and their sons, so they would take precedence over him and his.^[2][5] In 1887, Duke Paul Fredrick raised a Lutheran decided to convert to Roman Catholicism the religion of his wife and children.^[6]

In 1906 after upsetting his nephew Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, over the amount of money that he was spending Duke Paul Frederick and his wife were ordered to submit to the controller of the royal household.^[7]

Duke Paul Frederick died in Ludwigslust, where he and his wife are both buried in the Louisenkapelle.

Issue

• HH Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg (1882–1904)
• HH Duchess Maria Luise of Mecklenburg (1883-1883)
• HH Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg (1884–1944)
• HH Duke Henry Borwin of Mecklenburg (1885–1942) married 1. Elizabeth Tibbits Pratt; 2. Natalie Oelrichs and 3. Carola von Chamisso.
• HH Duke Joseph of Mecklenburg (1889-1889)

Title, style and honours

Title & style^[1]

• 19 September 1852 - 17 May 1923: His Highness Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg

Honours^[1]

German Honours

•  Kingdom of Bavaria : Knight of the Order of St. Hubert
•  Kingdom of Prussia : Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle
•  Kingdom of Saxony : Knight of the Order of Crancelin

Foreign Honours

•  Denmark : Knight of the Order of the Elephant (3. August 1904)
•  Russian Empire : Knight of the Order of St. Andrew

Ancestry

Ancestors of Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg

16. Frederick Francis I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg               8. Friedrich Ludwig, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       17. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg               4. Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg                             18. Paul I of Russia               9. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia                       19. Sophie Dorothea of Wurttemberg               2. Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg                                   20. Frederick William II of Prussia               10. Frederick William III of Prussia                       21. Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt               5. Princess Alexandrine of Prussia                             22. Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz               11. Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz                       23. Friederike Caroline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt               1. Duke Paul Fredrick of Mecklenburg                                         24. Count Heinrich IX Reuss of Köstritz               12. Prince Heinrich XLIV Reuss of Köstritz                       25. Countess Amalie Esperance of Wartensleben-Flodroff               6. Prince Heinrich LXIII Reuss of Köstritz                             26. Baron Friedrich Christian of Geuder genannt Rabensteiner               13. Baroness Wilhelmine of Geuder genannt Rabensteiner                       27. Johanna Wilhelmine von Bredow               3. Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz                                   28. Count Christian Friedrich of Stolberg-Wernigerode               14. Count Heinrich of Stolberg-Wernigerode                       29. Countess Auguste Eleonore of Stolberg-Stolberg               7. Countess Eleonore of Stolberg-Wernigerode                             30. Prince Otto Karl Friedrich of Schonburg               15. Princess Jenny of Schonburg-Waldenburg                       31. Countess Henriette Eleonore Elisabeth Reuss of Köstritz

References

1. Almanach de Gotha (160th ed.). Justus Perthes. 1923. p. 75.
2. Huberty, Michel; Alain Giraud; F. B. Magdelaine. L'Allemagne Dynastique, Tome VI : Bade-Mecklembourg. pp. 233, 239. ISBN 978-2-901138-06-8.
3. "The Spirit of Roman Catholicism". The Toronto World. 27 October 1884. p. 2.
4. "The Pope as a Matchmaker". Yukon World. 12 February 1905. p. 4.
5. "News by the Mail". Bruce Herald. 3 June 1884. p. 3.
6. "Catholic News". New Zealand Tablet. 26 August 1887. p. 31.
7. "European Intelligence in News and Comment". New York Times. 8 April 1906. p. SM7.