Frederick Francis II (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

: ''Friedrich Franz II;'' 28 February 1823 – 15 April 1883) was a

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n officer and

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...

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 Hous ...

from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883.

Biography

He was born in

Schloss Ludwigslust Ludwigslust Palace (german: Schloss Ludwigslust) is a stately home or ''schloss'' in the town of Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. It was built as a hunting lodge, rebuilt as a luxurious retreat from the ducal capital, Schweri ...

, the eldest son of Hereditary Grand Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his wife Princess Alexandrine of Prussia. He became

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the grand duchy following the death of his great-grandfather

Frederick Francis I Frederick Francis I (10 December 1756 – 1 February 1837) ruled over the German state of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, first as duke (1785–1815), and then as grand duke (1815–1837). Biography He was born in Schwerin, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, t ...

on 1 February 1837. Frederick Francis was privately educated until 1838. He then attended the Blochmann institute in

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...

before going to the

University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine U ...

. Frederick Francis succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 7 March 1842. During the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. T ...

Frederick Francis served on the staff of

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...

Friedrich Graf von Wrangel Friedrich Heinrich Ernst Graf von Wrangel (13 April 1784 – 2 November 1877) was a ''Generalfeldmarschall'' of the Prussian Army. A Baltic German, he was nicknamed "Papa Wrangel" and was a member of the Baltic noble family of Wrangel. Ea ...

, having refused a command in the fight against Denmark since

Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein- ...

was a close friend. During the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...

he commanded the forces that occupied

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

and lay siege to

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

. He also took part in the Franco-Prussian War, during which he was made Governor-General of

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

and commanded the German forces laying siege to

Toul Toul () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, and the river Moselle and Canal de la Marne au Rhin. Climate Toul h ...

. He defended the Prussian forces during the Siege of Paris from attack by the

Army of the Loire An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

. He defeated French forces at the battles of

Beaune-La-Rolande Beaune-la-Rolande () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. History On 28 November 1870 it was the site of a battle during the Franco-Prussian War, in which French impressionist painter Frédéric Bazille was killed. D ...

and

Beaugency Beaugency () is a commune in the Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire, north-central France. It is located on the Loire river, upriver (northeast) from Blois and downriver from Orléans. History 11 March 1152 the council of Beaugency annulled ...

. 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. Frederick Francis died on 15 April 1883 in

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...

. 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 Princess Augusta Reuss, Junior Line (Auguste Mathilde Wilhelmine Reuß; 26 May 1822 – 3 March 1862) was Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin as the first spouse of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Early life Princess A ...

( 26 May 1822 – 3 March 1862) on 3 November 1849 in

Ludwigslust Ludwigslust () is a central castle town of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. Since 2011 it has been part of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. Ludwigslust is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The former royal r ...

. They had six children: *

Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis III (german: Friedrich Franz Paul Nikolaus Ernst Heinrich; 19 March 1851 – 10 April 1897) was the penultimate Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Biography He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust as the son of Frederick Francis II, ...

(19 March 1851 – 10 April 1897) he married

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia (russian: Анастасия Михайловна; 28 July 1860 – 11 March 1922) was by birth member of the House of Romanov and a Grand Duchess of Russia and by marriage Grand Duchess of Meck ...

on 24 January 1879. They had three children. * Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (19 September 1852 – 17 May 1923) he married

Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz (11 December 1856 – 9 August 1929) was an Austrian noblewoman and a noted archaeologist. Early life and ancestry Princess Marie Gabriele Ernestine Alexandra was born in Vienna in 1856 as the daughter of Hug ...

. on 5 May 1881. They had four children. *

Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, later Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna "Miechen" of Russia (Russian: Мари́я Па́вловна; 14 May Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._2_May.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"titl ...

(14 May 1854 – 5 September 1920) she married

Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (russian: Влади́мир Александрович; 22 April 1847 – 17 February 1909) was a son of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, a brother of Emperor Alexander III of Russia and the senior Gra ...

on 28 August 1874. They had five children. *Duke Nikolaus of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (18 August 1855 – 23 January 1856) died at five months old. * Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (8 December 1857 – 16 February 1920) he married

Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (28 February 1854 – 10 July 1908) was the first wife of Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg, Regent of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and of the Duchy of Brunswick. Early life She was the youngest d ...

(28 February 1854 – 10 July 1908) on 6 November 1886. He remarried

Princess Elisabeth of Stolberg-Rossla Princess Elisabeth of Stolberg-Rossla (german: Elisabeth zu Stolberg-Roßla; 23 July 1885, Roßla—16 October 1969, Eutin, Schleswig-Holstein) was the second wife of Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg, Regent of the Duchy of Brunswick. Early lif ...

on 15 December 1909. *Duke Alexander of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (13 August 1859 – 13 August 1859) Frederick Francis married for a second time in

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it th ...

Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine (german: Prinzessin Anna von Hessen und bei Rhein; 25 May 1843 – 16 April 1865) was the consort and second wife of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Early life Anna, third child and ...

(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 Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (german: Prinzessin Marie von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; 29 January 1850 – 22 April 1922) was the consort and third wife of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was mother of Pr ...

on 4 July 1868. They had four children: *

Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (10 August 1869 – 3 September 1955) was a daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg by his third wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. By her marriage to Frederick Augustu ...

(10 August 1869 – 3 September 1955) she married

Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus II (16 November 1852 in Oldenburg – 24 February 1931 in Rastede) was the last ruling Grand Duke of Oldenburg. He married Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau and Prince Freder ...

on 24 October 1896. They had five children. *Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (5 April 1871 – 22 September 1897) died at the age of twenty-six. *

Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duke Adolf Friedrich Albrecht Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (German: ''Adolf Friedrich Albrecht Heinrich, Herzog zu Mecklenburg-Schwerin''; 10 October 1873 – 5 August 1969), was a German explorer in Africa, a colonial politician, the elect ...

(10 October 1873 – 5 August 1969) he married Princess Viktoria Feodora of Reuss zu Schleiz (21 April 1889 – 18 December 1918) on 24 April 1917. They have one daughter Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1918-2019), later Princess Reuß zu Köstritz. After the death of his first wife, Adolf Friedrich remarried

on 15 October 1924. * Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin ( 19 April 1876 – 3 July 1934) he married Queen

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War ...

on 7 February 1901. They had one daughter:

Queen Juliana Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sh ...

Honours

;German decorations''Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinscher Staatskalendar'' (1880) pp
1
2 ;Foreign decorations * : Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, ''1844'' * :

Knight of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional ...

, ''5 April 1842'' *

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label=Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, where ...

: Grand Cross of the Redeemer * : Knight of the Annunciation, ''6 June 1870'' * : Grand Cross of the Gold Lion of Nassau * :

Order of Osmanieh The Order of Osmanieh or Order of Osmaniye ( ota, نشانِ عثمانیہ) was a civil and military decoration of the Ottoman Empire. History The order was created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdülaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nişan-i If ...

, 1st Class * : Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword * : ** Knight of St. Andrew ** Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky ** Knight of the White Eagle ** Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class * : Grand Cross of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

, ''24 September 1865''

Ancestors

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick Francis 02 Of Mecklenburg, Grand Duke 1823 births 1883 deaths Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Protestant monarchs German landowners German Protestants German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War Field marshals of Russia University of Bonn alumni Burials at Schwerin Cathedral Hereditary Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin People from Ludwigslust Colonel generals of Prussia 19th-century Prussian military personnel Grand Crosses of the Military Order of Max Joseph Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania