Adolf Friedrich VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Adolf Friedrich VI (17 June 1882 - 23 February 1918) was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg [-Strelitz].

Early life

He was born in Neustrelitz the third child and eldest son of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and his wife Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt (1857-1933). He attended a gymnasium school in Dresden, and later studied jurisprudence in Munich along with serving in the Army. He became heir apparent and Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on the death of his grandfather Friedrich Wilhelm on 30 May 1904.

Adolf Friedrich and his brother Duke Karl Borwin are said to have agreed that Adolf Friedrich could devote his life to his painting while Karl Borwin would marry and continue the dynasty. Ultimately this could never be realised as Karl Borwin died in 1908 and Adolf Friedrich was subsequently reported to be engaged to various European princesses with Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia the only daughter of the German Emperor William II and Princess Patricia of Connaught both mentioned.

He succeeded his father as Grand Duke on his death on the 11 June 1914, a few months before the outbreak of the first world war. Adolf Friedrich was reported to have married morganatically with attempts made to force him to divorce his wife and conduct an equal marriage but he refused.

Death

On the 23 February 1918 at Neustrelitz Adolf Friedrich committed suicide which left Mecklenburg-Strelitz facing a succession crisis, as the only surviving member of the Strelitz line, Duke Charles Michael of Mecklenburg was serving in Russia and had indicated that he wished to renounce his rights to Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1914. Although at Adolf Friedrich's request he later agreed to defer any renunciation until the matter arose. There was also a morganatic male-line relative in Duke Charles Michael's nephew George, Count of Carlow (1899-1963), but as Charles Michael was in Russia Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became regent and remained such until the end of the German monarchies when the government in Strelitz declared the end of the regency. Friedrich Franz IV received conformation from Charles Michael that he wished to renounce his succession rights although this only arrived in 1919 after the abolition of the monarchies and the establishment of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

In his will Adolf Friedrich left his whole fortune which had been amassed by his grandfather and was estimated at 30 million Marks to Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's second son Duke Christian Ludwig (1912-96). He did this on the condition that he become Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and take up residence in Neustrelitz; otherwise the inheritance would be reduced to 3 million Marks.

Ancestors

References

Books

* |}