Frederick Francis II (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

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

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

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. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

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 ...

from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883.

Biography

He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust, the eldest son of Hereditary Grand Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Alexandrine of Prussia. He became

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

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 from 1785 to 1815, and then as Grand Duke from 1815 until his death in 1837. Early life Frederick Francis I was born in ...

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

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

before going to the

University of Bonn The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...

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

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War (; or German Danish War), 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. The war began on 1 Februar ...

, Frederick Francis served on the staff of

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...

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. Earl ...

, 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 15 November 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 Schlesw ...

was a close friend. During the

Austro-Prussian War The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...

he commanded the forces that occupied

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

and lay siege to

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

. He also took part in the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

, during which he was made Governor-General of

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

and commanded the German forces laying siege to

Toul Toul () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, Fra ...

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

Army of the Loire An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...

. He defeated French forces at the battles of Beaune-La-Rolande and

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

. He was the 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-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 ...

and 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 ...

(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 re ...

. They had six children: *

Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis III (; 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, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his first ...

(19 March 1851 – 10 April 1897) he married Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia 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 on 5 May 1881. They had five children. *

Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, later Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess Vladimir "Miechen" of Russia ( Russian: Мари́я Па́вловна; 14 May Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Styl ...

(14 May 1854 – 5 September 1920) she married

Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia (; 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 Grand Duke of the House of Romanov during the reign of hi ...

on 28 August 1874. They had five children. *Duke Nikolaus of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (18 August 1855 – 23 January 1856) died at 5 months old. *

Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg (; given names ''John Albert Ernest Constantine Frederick Henry''; 8 December 1857 – 16 February 1920) was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin who served as the regent of two states of the German Empire ...

(8 December 1857 – 16 February 1920) he married Princess Elisabeth Sybille of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (28 February 1854 – 10 July 1908) on 6 November 1886. He remarried

Princess Elisabeth of Stolberg-Rossla Princess Elisabeth of 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 life and ancestry Born into an ancient ...

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 the ...

to Princess Anna of Hesse and by Rhine (25 May 1843 – 16 April 1865) on 4 July 1864. They had one daughter: *Duchess Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (7 April 1865 – 8 February 1882) died at the age of 16. His third wife was Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 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. Frederick Augustus was the eldest son of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg. He grew up with an interest in the ...

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 26. * Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (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 had 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 List of monarchs of the Netherlands, Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, making her the longest- ...

on 7 February 1901. They had one daughter:

Queen Juliana Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was List of monarchs of the Netherlands, Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Duke ...

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, ''5 April 1842'' *

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece (, Romanization, romanized: ''Vasíleion tis Elládos'', pronounced ) was the Greece, Greek Nation state, nation-state established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally ...

: 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 (, Modern ) 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 Iftikhar, this became the second highest order ...

, 1st Class * : Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword * : **

Knight of St. Andrew The Order of Barbados is a national Order of honours and decorations for Barbados. History The first Order of Barbados was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II by letters patent dated 25 July 1980. With Barbados becoming a republic on 30 November 20 ...

** 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 (, originally ; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OC3) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bes ...

, ''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 19th-century German landowners German Protestants German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War Field marshals of the Russian Empire 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