Adolf Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Adolf Friedrich V (22 July 1848 - 11 June 1914) was the penultimate Grand Duke of Mecklenburg [-Strelitz].

Biography

He was born in Neustrelitz the only surviving child of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. Following the death of his grandfather Georg on 6 September 1860 he became the heir apparent to the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz with the title Hereditary Grand Duke. Adolf Friedrich 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 the 30 May 1904. He was a first cousin of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, consort of British King George V.

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!"

In 1907 Adolf Friedrich 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 there opposition. 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.

In January 1914 Adolf Friedrich was reported to be the second richest person in Germany after the Emperor William II with a fortune of $88,750,000.

He died in Berlin, and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolf Friedrich VI.

Marriage and children

He was married on the 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."

Adolf Friedrich V and Grand Duchess Elisabeth had four children.

• Duchess Marie (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 (1880-1946) married Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
• Duke Adolf Friedrich (1882-1918)
• Duke Karl Borwin (10 October 1888-24 August 1908); killed in a duel with his brother in law Count George Jametel, defending his sister's honor.

References

Books

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