Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg (german: Herzog Paul Friedrich zu Mecklenburg; 19 September 1852 – 17 May 1923) was a member of the

House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 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 ...

and general of the Mecklenburg

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry in ...

Life

Duke Paul Frederick was born 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 re ...

Castle as the second eldest son of

Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis II (German: ''Friedrich Franz II;'' 28 February 1823 – 15 April 1883) was a Prussian officer and Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883. Biography He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust, th ...

and his first wife

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 ...

, the daughter of Prince Henry LXIII Reuss of Köstritz. Duke Paul Frederick married in

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. It ...

on 5 May 1881 his cousin, the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

born

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 ...

, the daughter of Prince Hugo of

Windisch-Graetz The House of Windisch-Graetz, also spelled Windisch-Grätz, is an Austrian-Slovenian aristocratic family, descending from Windischgraz in Lower Styria (present-day Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia). The noble dynasty serving the House of Habsburg achieved ...

and his wife Duchess Louise 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 Hou ...

. The couple who had five children who were all raised Roman Catholic, the religion of Princess Marie, lived a quiet life in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. While in Venice the family befriended Cardinal Sarto (later

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of ...

) who often visited the family and acted as a spiritual advisor for them. On 21 April 1884 Duke Paul Frederick renounced his and his sons rights of succession to

in favour of his younger brothers and their sons, so they would take precedence over him and his. In 1887, Duke Paul Fredrick raised a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...

decided to convert to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

the religion of his wife and children. In 1906 after upsetting his nephew

Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis IV (Friedrich Franz Michael; 9 April 1882 – 17 November 1945) was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and regent of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He inherited the throne when he was fifteen years old in 1897 and was forced ...

, over the amount of money that he was spending Duke Paul Frederick and his wife were ordered to submit to the controller of the royal household. Duke Paul Frederick died in

, where he and his wife are both buried in the Louisenkapelle.

Issue

* HH Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg (1882–1904) * HH Duchess Maria Luise of Mecklenburg (1883–1883) * HH

Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, also ''Manette'' (Marie Antoinette Margarethe Mathilde; 28 May 1884 – 26 October 1944) was the second daughter of Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg and the Austrian-born Princess Marie of Wind ...

(1884–1944) * HH Duke Henry Borwin of Mecklenburg (1885–1942). Although his father had renounced his dynastic obligations, his right to marry a spouse of his choice (or a commoner) was not recognized and his two first marriages were unlawful (with no right to share his title) 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, Schweri ...

and the last one considered

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 ...

: **1. Elizabeth Tibbits Pratt (1860–1928), widow of Amédée De Gasquet-James of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

; married in

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

, on June 15, 1911 and divorced in April 1913; **2. Natalie Oelrichs (1880–1931), widow of polo player Peter D. Martin of San Francisco, daughter of

Charles May Oelrichs Charles May Oelrichs (August 27, 1858 – January 15, 1932) was an American broker and clubman who was prominent in New York society during the Gilded Age. Early life Oelrichs was born on August 27, 1858, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the son o ...

and sister of

Blanche Oelrichs Blanche Marie Louise Oelrichs (October 1, 1890 – November 5, 1950) was an American poet, playwright and theatre actress. Oelrichs first used the masculine pen name Michael Strange to publish her poetry in order to distance her society reputat ...

; married in 1915 and divorced in 1921. She was also known as ''the Duchess of Stargard''. **3. Carola von Alers (1882–1974), daughter of Wilhelm von Alers and Adelaide von Chamisso de Boncourt; married in 1921. * HH Duke Joseph of Mecklenburg (1889–1889)

Title, style and honours

Title & style

* 19 September 1852 – 17 May 1923: ''His Highness'' Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg

Honours

;German decorations''Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinscher Staatskalendar'', 1908, p
2
/ref> ;Foreign decorations * : Grand Cross of St. Stephen, ''1915'' * :

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 ...

, ''3 August 1904'' * : Grand Cross of the

Order of Prince Danilo I The Order of Prince Danilo I ( cnr, Орден Књаза Данила I, translit=Orden Knjaza Danila I) was an order of the Principality and later Kingdom, of Montenegro. It is currently a dynastic order granted by the head of the House of Pet ...

* : ** Grand Cordon of the

Order of Glory Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

** Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class * : Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword, with Collar * : ** Knight of St. Andrew ** Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky ** Knight of the White Eagle ** Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class ** Knight of St. Stanislaus, 1st Class ** Knight of St. George, 4th Class

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul Frederick Of Mecklenburg, Duke 1852 births 1923 deaths Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism People from Ludwigslust Recipients of the Iron Cross, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia) Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Fourth Degree Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Sons of monarchs