Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Frederick Francis II (German: Friedrich Franz II; 28 February 1823 – 15 April 1883) was a Prussian officer and Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883.

Frederick Francis II
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Reign7 March 1842 – 15 April 1883
PredecessorPaul Frederick
SuccessorFrederick Francis III
Born28 February 1823 (1823-02-28)
Ludwigslust
Died15 April 1883 (1883-04-16) (aged 60)
Schwerin
SpousePrincess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz
Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine
Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
IssueFrederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Duke Paul Frederick
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia
Duke Nikolaus
Duke John Albert
Duke Alexander
Duchess Anna
Elisabeth, Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
Duke Friedrich William
Duke Adolf Friedrich
Hendrick, Prince Consort of the Netherlands
HouseMecklenburg-Schwerin
FatherPaul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
MotherPrincess Alexandrine of Prussia
ReligionLutheran

Biography

He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust, the eldest son of Hereditary Grand Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg and his wife Princess Alexandrine of Prussia. He became heir apparent to the grand duchy following the death of his great-grandfather Frederick Francis I on 1 February 1837. Frederick Francis was privately educated until 1838. He then attended the Blochmann institute in Dresden before going to the University of Bonn.[1][2] Frederick Francis succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 7 March 1842.

Frederick Francis served on the general staff of Generalfeldmarschall Friedrich Graf von Wrangel during the Second Schleswig War. During the Austro-Prussian War he commanded the forces that occupied Leipzig and lay siege to Nuremberg. He also took part in the Franco-Prussian War, during which he was made Governor-General of Reims and commanded the German forces laying siege to Toul. He defended the Prussian forces during the Siege of Paris from attack by the Army of the Loire. He defeated French forces at the battles of Beaune-La-Rolande and Beaugency. He was a maternal first cousin of both German Emperor Frederick III and Russian Tsar Alexander II. He held the rank of Prussian general and was also a Russian General Field Marshal.[1]

Frederick Francis died on 15 April 1883 in Schwerin. He was succeeded as Grand Duke by his eldest son Frederick Francis III.

Marriages and children

Frederick Francis was first married to Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz ( 26 May 1822 – 3 March 1862) on 3 November 1849 in Ludwigslust. They had six children:

Frederick Francis married for a second time in Darmstadt to Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine (25 May 1843 – 16 April 1865) on 4 July 1864. They had one daughter:

  • Duchess Anne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (7 April 1865 – 8 February 1882) died at the age of sixteen.

His third wife was Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt on 4 July 1868. They had four children:

Honours
German decorations[3]
Foreign decorations[3]

Ancestors

References
  1. "Obituary - Friedrich Franz II" (PDF). New York Times. 1883-04-16. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  2. Garlington, JC (1852). The Men of the Time, Or, Sketches of Living Notables. Redfield. p. 349.
  3. Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinscher Staatskalendar (1880) pp. 1-2
  4. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt (1867) "Herzoglicher Haus-orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 18
  5. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1880), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 33, 49
  6. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1880), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. 63
  7. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Bayern (1873), "Königliche Orden" p. 8
  8. Adreß-Handbuch des Herzogthums Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha (1843), "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden" p. 6
  9. Staat Hannover (1865). Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1865. Berenberg. pp. 37, 75.
  10. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen (1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen" p. 10
  11. Hessen-Kassel (1866). Kurfürstlich Hessisches Hof- und Staatshandbuch: 1866. Waisenhaus. p. 16.
  12. Staats- und Adreß-Handbuch des Herzogthums Nassau (1866), "Herzogliche Orden" p. 8
  13. Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg0: 1879. Schulze. 1879. p. 31.
  14. Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1843), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 8
  15. Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1880), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 13
  16. Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen: 1865/66. Heinrich. 1866. p. 4.
  17. "Friedrich Franz II. Großherzog von Mecklenburg-Schwerin". the Prussian Machine. Archived from the original on 2017-10-23. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  18. Württemberg (1873). Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Württemberg: 1873. pp. 32, 71.
  19. "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  20. Bille-Hansen, A. C.; Holck, Harald, eds. (1881) [1st pub.:1801]. Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1881 [State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1881] (PDF). Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender (in Danish). Copenhagen: J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri. p. 3. Retrieved 4 July 2020 – via da:DIS Danmark.
  21. "Real y distinguida orden de Carlos III". Guía Oficial de España (in Spanish). 1881. p. 145. Retrieved 4 July 2020.

Media related to Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Wikimedia Commons

Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Cadet branch of the House of Mecklenburg
Born: 28 February 1823 Died: 15 April 1883
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Paul Frederick		 Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
1842–1883		 Succeeded by
Frederick Francis III
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