Frederick Francis I (10 December 1756 – 1 February 1837) ruled over the German state of

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick II divided ...

, first as Duke from 1785 to 1815, and then as Grand Duke from 1815 until his death in 1837.

Early life

Frederick Francis I was born in

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Low German: ''Swerin''; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Zwierzyn''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germ ...

Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting H ...

, on 10 December 1756. He was the son of Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. His paternal grandparents were Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (son of Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Grabow) and Duchess Gustave Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (daughter of Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz). His maternal grandparents were Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Career

In 1785, Friedrich Franz succeeded his uncle Frederick II as Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Following the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, Friedrich Franz was raised to the dignity of

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

at the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

. Along with his cousin in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, he was known as one of the most reactionary German rulers.

Personal life

On 1 June 1775 in

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

, Friedrich Franz married Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, the fourth and youngest child of Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Countess Louise Reuss of Schleiz. Together, they had eight children, including: * Frederick Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1778–1819), who married Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia, a daughter of

Paul I of Russia Paul I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination in 1801. Paul remained overshadowed by his mother, Catherine the Great, for most of his life. He adopted the Pauline Laws, laws of succession to the Russian throne—rules ...

and Duchess Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg. * Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1779–1801), who married Emil Leopold August, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, the second son of Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen. * Duke Gustav Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1781–1851), who never married. * Duke Karl of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1782–1833). * Duchess Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1784–1840), who married

Christian VIII of Denmark Christian VIII (18 September 1786 – 20 January 1848) was King of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, King of Norway in 1814. Christian Frederick was the eldest son of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, Hereditary Prin ...

. They were parents to

Frederick VII of Denmark Frederick VII (Frederik Carl Christian; 6 October 1808 – 15 November 1863) was King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and the last monarch, king of Denmark to r ...

. * Duke Adolf of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1785–1821). On his death in 1837 he was succeeded by his grandson, Grand Duke Paul Friedrich.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick Francis 01 Of Mecklenburg, Grand Duke 1756 births 1837 deaths People from Schwerin Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 18th-century German landowners 19th-century German landowners