Adolphus Frederick V
| Adolphus Frederick V | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Grand Duke of Mecklenburg (-Strelitz) | |||||
| Reign | 30 May 1904 – 11 June 1914 | ||||
| Predecessor | Frederick William | ||||
| Successor | Adolphus Frederick VI | ||||
| Consort | Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt | ||||
| Issue | Marie, Princess Julius Ernst of Lippe Jutta, Crown Princess of Montenegro Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Duke Karl Borwin | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | ||||
| Father | Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg | ||||
| Mother | Princess Augusta of Cambridge | ||||
Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg (22 July 1848 – 11 June 1914) was the penultimate sovereign of the state of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
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 Mecklenburg-Strelitz 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 Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, consort of British King George V.[2]
His mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the former British Princess Augusta of Cambridge, was disgusted at her son's military ways. She wrote to her niece, the future British Queen Mary, "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 a constitution.[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." [7]
Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.[1]
- Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg (1878–1948) married 22 June 1899 and divorced 31 December 1908 Count George Jametel (1859–1944), married 11 August 1914 Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe (1873–1952)
- Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg (1880–1946) married Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
- Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg (1882–1918)
- Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg (10 October 1888 – 24 August 1908); killed in a duel with his brother-in-law Count George Jametel, defending his sister's honor.[8]
Titles and styles
- 22 July 1848 – 6 September 1860: His Highness The Hereditary Prince of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- 6 September 1860 – 30 May 1904: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- 30 May 1904 – 11 June 1914: His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Ancestry
References
 | Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (July 2010) |
- ^ a b Lines of Succession by Jiri Louda, p.219 Table III
- ^ The Last Courts of Europe by Jeffrey Finestone, p.144
- ^ Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy, pp.91-92
- ^ "German Grand Duke dead" (PDF). New York Times. 1914-06-12. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ "Will adopt constitution" (PDF). New York Times. 1912-12-21. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ a b "Kaiser richest German" (PDF). New York Times. 1914-01-25. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
- ^ ibid, p.101
- ^ Erstling, Frank (2001). "Das Fürstenhaus von Mecklenburg-Strelitz". Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Beiträge zur Geschichte einer Region (in German). Friedland: Steffen. p. 184. ISBN 3980753204.
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Books
- Louda, Jiri (1981). Lines of Succession. London: Orbis Publishing. ISBN 0 85613-276-4.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Finestone, Jeffrey (1981). The Last Courts of Europe. London: J M Dent & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0 460 04519 9.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Pope-Hennessey, James (2000). Queen Mary. London: Phoenix Press. ISBN I 84212 032 8.
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- Articles with ibid from July 2010
- 1848 births
- 1914 deaths
- Protestant monarchs
- Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- People from Neustrelitz
- Recipients of the House Order of the Wendish Crown
- Knights of the Garter
- Hereditary Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz