Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Encyclopedia
Frederick Francis IV was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
-Schwerin
and regent
of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
.
the son of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
. He succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 10 April 1897 but due to his minority the Grand Duchy was governed by his uncle Duke Johann Albrecht as regent
until Friedrich Franz came of age on 9 April 1901.
. She was the second eldest daughter of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover and his wife Princess Thyra of Denmark
, a daughter of Christian IX of Denmark
.
They had five children:
's defeat in World War I
; the regency ended at the same time.
Frederick Francis died on 17 November 1945 in Flensburg
, having been arrested by No6 RAF Security section on 9 November 1945. He was succeeded as head of the Grand Ducal house by his son Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Franz
.
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
-Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district , and the western exclave of the former Bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern...
.
Early life
He was born in PalermoPalermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
the son of Friedrich Franz III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia was a daughter of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia; she married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
. He succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 10 April 1897 but due to his minority the Grand Duchy was governed by his uncle Duke Johann Albrecht as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
until Friedrich Franz came of age on 9 April 1901.
Marriage and issue
On 7 June 1904, Frederick Francis married Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland (1882–1963) in GmundenGmunden
Gmunden is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,202 inhabitants . It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of goat, lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc...
. She was the second eldest daughter of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover and his wife Princess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark was the youngest daughter of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.-Early life:Thyra was the sister of Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, George I of Greece and...
, a daughter of Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
.
They had five children:
- Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich FranzFriedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-SchwerinFriedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the heir apparent to the throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and a member of the SS...
(22 April 1910 – 31 July 2001) - Duke Christian LudwigDuke Christian Louis of MecklenburgDuke Christian Louis of Mecklenburg was the second son of the last reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick Francis IV.-Early life:...
(29 September 1912 – 18 July 1996) married Princess Barbara of PrussiaPrincess Barbara of PrussiaPrincess Barbara of Prussia was the only daughter of Prince Sigismund of Prussia and Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Altenburg.She was a great-granddaughter of Frederick III, German Emperor and a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.-Marriage and family:...
, daughter of Prince Sigismund of PrussiaPrince Sigismund of Prussia (1896-1978)Prince Sigismund of Prussia , was the second son of Prince Heinrich of Prussia and his wife, Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine... - Duchess Olga (1916–1917)
- Duchess Thyra (18 June 1919 - 27 September 1981)
- Duchess AnastasiaDuchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-SchwerinDuchess Anastasia Alexandrine Cecile Marie Luise Wilhelmine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin ,...
(11 November 1922 – 25 January 1979) married Prince Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-GlücksburgPrince Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-GlücksburgPrince Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg ,...
Abdication
Following the 1918 suicide of Grand Duke Adolphus Frederick VI of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Frederick Francis took up the regency of Strelitz; this was because the heir presumptive Duke Charles Michael was serving in the Russian Army at the time, and had indicated that he wished to renounce his succession rights. Friedrich Franz abdicated the Grand Ducal throne on 14 November 1918 following the German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
's defeat in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; the regency ended at the same time.
Frederick Francis died on 17 November 1945 in Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
, having been arrested by No6 RAF Security section on 9 November 1945. He was succeeded as head of the Grand Ducal house by his son Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Franz
Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the heir apparent to the throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and a member of the SS...
.