Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
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Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (russian: Георгий Георгиевич Мекленбург-Стрелицкий; 6 June 1859 – 5 December 1909) was the eldest of the two surviving sons of
Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , spouse = Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia , house = House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , father = George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , mother = Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel , birth_date = , birth_place = N ...
and of
Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia (russian: Великая Княжна Екатерина Михайловна) (28 August 1827 – 12 May 1894), was the third of five daughters of Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia (youngest son ...
. He was a great-grandson of
Emperor Paul Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he was fathered by her l ...
and a cousin of Emperor Alexander III of Russia. Although he was a German prince of the
House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz The House of Mecklenburg, also known as Nikloting, is a North German dynasty of Slavic origin that ruled until 1918 in the Mecklenburg region, being among the longest-ruling families of Europe. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909–2004), fo ...
, he was raised in Imperial Russia, where he lived all his life. He followed a career as an officer in the Russian army and was Major General, Commander of the Life Guard Dragoon Regiment. Georg Alexander was a music lover, a skillful cellist and composer. In 1896 he formed a private
string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...
called the ''Mecklenburg Quartet''. He contracted a
morganatic marriage Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...
and his rights and inheritance passed to his younger brother
Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg (german: Carl Michael Herzog zu Mecklenburg; russian: Михаил Георгиевич; – 6 December 1934) was an officer in the Imperial Russian Army, heir presumptive to the throne of Mecklenburg-Strel ...
. His four children received the title of Counts of Carlow, but after Duke Georg Alexander's death, his unmarried brother adopted his son Georg, Count of Carlow, who became the heir to the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1934.


Early life

Georg Alexander Michael Friedrich Wilhelm Franz Carl of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was born on at
Remplin Remplin is a village and a former municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Since 7 June 2009, it is part of the municipality Malchin. Palace Complex The town includes the remains of a once lar ...
,Katin-Yartsev & Shumkov, ''Costume Ball at the Winter Palace'', p. 60 a family estate acquired by his parents in
Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...
shortly before his birth.Beéche, ''The Grand Duchesses'', p. 41. His father, Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg (1824–1876), was the second son of Grand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. His mother,
Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia (russian: Великая Княжна Екатерина Михайловна) (28 August 1827 – 12 May 1894), was the third of five daughters of Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia (youngest son ...
, was a granddaughter of Emperor
Paul I of Russia Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III of Russia, Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he w ...
. Although Duke Georg Alexander was, by birth, a German prince of the house of
Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy in northern Germany consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district (the former Lordship of Stargard), ...
, his father had settled in Russia within his wife’s family.Beéche, ''The Grand Duchesses'', p. 40. Georg and his siblings were raised in Russia, but kept the Lutheran religion of his paternal ancestors. He was known in Russia as George Georgievich jr, to distinguish him from his father who had the same name and
patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
.Korneva & Cheboksarova, '' Russia & Europe: Dynastic Ties '', p. 54 He received a military education and followed a career in the Russian service. Raised in the
Mikhailovsky Palace The Mikhailovsky Palace (russian: Михайловский дворец, tr=Mikhailovskiy dvorets) is a grand ducal palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is located on Arts Square and is an example of Empire style neoclassicism. The palace cu ...
, the household of his maternal grandmother Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, he took a great interest in music from an early age under her grandmother's guidance.Korneva & Cheboksarova, '' Russia & Europe: Dynastic Ties '', p. 52 From age 12 his teacher was
Karl Davydov Karl Yulievich Davydov (russian: Карл Юльевич Давидов; ) was a Russian cellist of great renown during his time, and described by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as the "czar of cellists". He was also a composer, mainly for the cello. Hi ...
, a composer, professor of the St Petersburg Conservatory and Russia’s most prominent cellist of the time. Georg-Alexander passion for music made him consider for a time to follow a career as a professional cellist. He was a good pianist, an excellent cello player and was fond of writing musical compositions. From 1879 to 1881 he studied fine arts and philosophy at the Universities of
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
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
.


Marriage

Georg Alexander fell in love with his mother’s lady in waiting Natalia Feodorovna Vanliarskya (
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, 16 May 1858 -
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
, 14 March 1921), the daughter of Feodor Ardalionovich Vanliarsky (23 December 1833 - 2 February 1903), a Russian State Councillor, who served in the
Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance. Lists of current ministries of finance Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Finance and Ec ...
, and wife Maria Feodorovna Uvarova, paternal granddaughter of Ardalion Alexeievich Vanliarsky and wife Anastasia Mikhailovna Simanovskaya (? - 26 March 1891) and maternal granddaughter of Feodor Feodorovich Uvarov and wife Maria Petrovna Joukova. She was a member of the Russian nobility who came from Germany in 17th century whose name was originally von Lahr.Beéche, ''The Grand Duchesses'', p. 42. Vanljarskya was a skillful singer and the couple was brought together by their shared passion for music.Korneva & Cheboksarova, '' Russia & Europe: Dynastic Ties '', p. 55 Grand Duchess Catherine Mikahilovna opposed their union and fired Natalia, hoping that his son would forget the affair and would marry a bride of royal background. However Georg Alexander persisted and in June 1889 he went to Germany to obtain the permission to marry from the head of the family, his uncle, Grand Duke Frederick William (1819-1904). With his uncle's consent, George Georgievich married Natalia Vanliarskya on 14 February 1890 in
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. As Natalia was not of member of reigning royal family their union was treated as
morganatic Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spous ...
and she received from the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz the title of Countess von Carlow (the name Carlow came from the estate Karlivka in Poltava province, that belonged to Georg-Alexander) on 18 March 1890 that would pass to their children. Their marriage was a happy one and Natalia eventually became loved by her husband’s family. The couple initially lived in a western wing of the Mikhailovski palace, where fifteen rooms were given to them. After the death of Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna in 1894, the Mikhailovski palace and the bulk of her inheritance passed to Duke Georg Alexander's younger brother Karl Michael and their sister Helene. The palace was bought by
Emperor Nicholas II Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Polan ...
in 1895 to house the collection of the Russian Museum, named in honor of
Emperor Alexander III Alexander III ( rus, Алекса́ндр III Алекса́ндрович, r=Aleksandr III Aleksandrovich; 10 March 18451 November 1894) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 13 March 1881 until his death in 1894. ...
. Georg Alexander moved with his family to his own residence located at No 46 Fontanka embankment. The house was designed with his own personal plans and immediately became a center for musicians and artist. During the first years of their marriage, Vanljarskya did not take part in court life and only years later she began to accompany her husband at court balls and receptions in the
Winter Palace The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Emperor of all the Russias, Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The p ...
. The couple's four children received the title of Counts of Carlow after the mother: * Countess Catherine von Carlow (25 July 1891 - 9 October 1940, victim of a German air aid on London) having married Prince Vladimir Gurevich Golitsyn (1884-1954) in 1913 . * Countess Maria von Carlow (31 October 1893 - 5 September 1979), who married Prince Boris Dmitrievich Golitsyn (1892-1919) in 1916, became a widow in 1919, and married Count Vladimir Petrovich Kleinmichel (1901-1982). * Countess Natalia von Carlow ( 20 November 1894 - 4 December 1913). *
George, Duke of Mecklenburg George, Duke of Mecklenburg (german: Georg Herzog zu Mecklenburg; – 6 July 1963) was the head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1934 until his death. Through his father, he was a descendant of Emperor Paul I of Russia. Early life He wa ...
(5 Oct 1899 - 6 Jul 1963).


Later life

Georg Alexander was head of the committee for the fiftieth anniversary of the career of
Anton Rubinstein Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sai ...
celebrated in 1889. After Rubinstein’s death in 1894, his family gave his conducting baton to Duke Georg Alexander. In 1896, Georg Alexander organized a string quartet, which bore the name "Mecklenburg Quartet" (after 1917, it became part of the Petrograd Philharmonic). Performances were a great success not only in the Russian capital, but also abroad. It was the first Russian quartet to go on a European tour, receiving favorable reviews at their
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
performance in 1907. Duke Georg Alexander was also an art collector. From his grandfather, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, he inherited a rich collection of French lithographs, paintings,
Meissen porcelain Meissen porcelain or Meissen china was the first European hard-paste porcelain. Early experiments were done in 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. After his death that October, Johann Friedrich Böttger continued von Tschirnhaus's work and ...
and luxury editions of books. He constantly added new works to his collections and participated in exhibitions. Georg Alexander was well respected not only in the music world. Despite his high rank, he was an approachable man devoid of any snobbery. Parallel to his passion for music he continued with his military career. In 1902 he was appointed Major General, Commander of the Life Guard Dragoon Regiment and from 1906 commander of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Guards Cavalry Division. In 1907 he was made chief of the troops at the disposal of the Guard in Saint Petersburg Military District. He was engaged on military reforms on behalf of the minister of war. He was author and translator of military theory and historical works. Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz died suddenly on 5 December 1909, aged fifty. He was buried in the palace of Oranienbaum, the summer residence in the
Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland ( fi, Suomenlahti; et, Soome laht; rus, Фи́нский зали́в, r=Finskiy zaliv, p=ˈfʲinskʲɪj zɐˈlʲif; sv, Finska viken) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and E ...
of his family. Over his grave was erected a black marble cross with a plate that bore the inscription: "Here lies a deeply revered husband and father and a great citizen of Oranienbaum." After the revolution, the grave was destroyed and the inscription disappeared. His daughter Natalia, who died young, was also buried in Oranienbaum. The Duke's widow and their three other children survived the Russian revolution and emigrated to western Europe. Natalia died in Cannes France in 1921. The couple's youngest child and only son, George Alexander, was adopted by his uncle Karl-Michael, and then took the title of Duke of Mecklenburg, Count of Carlow. After the other lines of the house of Mecklenburg died out his descendants became their sole heirs. Georg Alexander's great-grandson, Duke Borwin, is the current head of the House of Mecklenburg.


Orders and decorations

*
Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...
: Grand Cross of the
House Order of the Wendish Crown The House Order of the Wendish Crown (german: Hausorden der Wendischen Krone) was an Order of the House of Mecklenburg, jointly instituted on 12 May 1864 by Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of ...
, with Crown in Ore, ''16 February 1876''
Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Strelitzscher Staatskalendar
', 1907, p. 3

Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Strelitzscher Staatskalendar
', 1907, p. 14
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of the White Falcon Order of the White Falcon (german: Hausorden vom Weißen Falken) is a grand-ducal order of Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, founded by Duke Ernest Augustus on 2 August 1732, and renewed in 1815 by Charles Augustus. Description In the early 2 ...
, ''1881''''Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach'' (1900), "Großherzogliche Hausorden", p
16
/ref> *
Ernestine duchies The Ernestine duchies (), also known as the Saxon duchies (, although the Albertine appanage duchies of Weissenfels, Merseburg and Zeitz were also "Saxon duchies" and adjacent to several Ernestine ones), were a group of small states whose numb ...
: Grand Cross of the
Saxe-Ernestine House Order The Saxe-Ernestine House Order (german: link=yes, Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden)Hausorden
Herz ...
* : ** Knight of the Imperial Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-called ** Knight of the Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir, 3rd and 4th Classes


Ancestry


Notes


Bibliography

*Beéche, Arturo. ''The Grand Duchesses''. Eurohistory, 2004. *Katin-Yartsev, M and Shumkov, A. ''Costume Ball at the Winter Palace''. Russky Antiquariat, 2003, *Korneva, Galina & Cheboksarova, Tatiana. '' Russia & Europe: Dynastic Ties ''. Eurohistory, 2013. {{DEFAULTSORT:Georg Alexander Of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Duke 1859 births 1909 deaths House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Military personnel of the Russian Empire University of Strasbourg alumni category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class category:Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania