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Adolphus Frederick V
ADF V. Mecklenburg Strelitz
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Reign 30 May 1904 – 11 June 1914
Predecessor Frederick William
Successor Adolf Frederick VI
Born (1848-07-22)22 July 1848
Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany
Died 11 June 1914(1914-06-11) (aged 65)
Berlin, Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany
Burial 16 June 1914
Mirow, Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Spouse Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt (m. 1877)
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
German language: Georg Adolf Friedrich Victor Ernst Adalbert Gustav Wilhelm Wellington
House Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Father Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mother Augusta of Cambridge

Adolphus Frederick V (22 July 1848 – 11 June 1914) was reigning grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1904 to 1914.

Biography[]

Duke George Adolphus Frederick Augustus Victor Ernest Adalbert Gustavus William Wellington of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 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 proclamation of King William I of Prussia as German Emperor at Versailles. He succeeded his father as grand duke on 30 May 1904.[1]

His mother, Grand Duchess Augusta, 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!" [2]

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

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.[5]

Adolphus Frederick died in Berlin and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolphus Frederick VI.[5]

Marriage and children[]

Adolphus Frederick was married on 17 April 1877 in Dessau to 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 enjoy being a Grand Duchess! poor dear, I am glad she does, for I never did."[citation needed]

Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.[1]

  • Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1878–1948) married 22 June 1899 and divorced 31 December 1908 Count George Jametel (1859–1944), married secondly on 11 August 1914 Prince Julius Ernst of Lippe (1873–1952).
  • Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1880–1946) married 27 July 1899 Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro.
  • Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1882–1918).
  • Duke Karl Borwin of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Karl Borwin Christian Alexander Arthur, Herzog von Mecklenburg-Strelitz;[6] 10 October 1888 – 24 August 1908); killed in a duel with his brother-in-law Count George Jametel, defending his sister's honor.[7]

Honours[]

He received the following orders and decorations:[8]

Ancestry[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lines of Succession by Jiri Louda, p.219 Table III
  2. Queen Mary by James Pope-Hennessy, pp.91-92
  3. "German Grand Duke dead". The New York Times. 1914-06-12. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/06/12/100556967.pdf. 
  4. "Will adopt constitution". The New York Times. 1912-12-21. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/12/21/100564814.pdf. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Kaiser richest German". The New York Times. 1914-01-25. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1914/01/25/100081259.pdf. 
  6. The Peerage – Karl Borwin
  7. Erstling, Frank; Frank Saß; Eberhard Schulze (April 2001). "Das Fürstenhaus von Mecklenburg-Strelitz" (in de). Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Beiträge zur Geschichte einer Region. Friedland: Steffen. pp. 184. ISBN 3-9807532-0-4. 
  8. "Großherzogliches Haus" (in German). Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Mecklenburg-Strelitz: 1914. Neustrelitz: Druck und Debit der Buchdruckerei von G. F. Spalding und Sohn. 1914. p. 3. 

Books[]

  • Louda, Jiri; Michael Maclagan (1981). Lines of Succession. London: Orbis Publishing. ISBN 0-85613-276-4. 
  • Finestone, Jeffrey; Robert Massie (introduction) (1981). The Last Courts of Europe. London: J M Dent & Sons Ltd. ISBN 0-460-04519-9. 
  • Pope-Hennessey, James (2000). Queen Mary. London: Phoenix Press. ISBN I 84212 032 8. 
Adolphus Frederick V
House 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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