Georg Alexander, Duke of Mecklenburg (; 27 August 1921 – 26 January 1996) was the head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1963 until his death.
Early life
Georg Alexander was born in
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionCount George of Carlow and his first wife Irina Mikhailovna Raievskya (1892–1955). His father assumed the title Duke of Mecklenburg with the style
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness (abbreviation: HSH, second person address: Your Serene Highness) is a style (manner of address), style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein, Monaco and Thailand. Until 1918, it was also associated with the p ...
following his adoption by the head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and his uncle Duke Charles Michael. The adoption of the title was confirmed by the head of the
Imperial House of Russia
The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russia. Nich ...
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 ...
. The grand ducal family lived at Remplin Castle in Mecklenburg until it was destroyed in a fire in April 1940. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
both Georg Alexander and his father were interned by the
Gestapo
The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...
for a time.
Post World War II
Duke Georg Alexander studied law in
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
before completing his studies in
banking
A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...
. On 18 December 1950 his father's title was confirmed by the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and he then assumed the style of
Highness
Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjec ...
, while his status as head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was also confirmed. At the same time the Count of Carlow title was abolished. Georg Alexander lived for a time in Ireland where he managed a number of properties. On returning to Germany he spent twenty years working for an advertising company.
On 6 July 1963 he succeeded his father as head of the Grand Ducal house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1990 he moved to Mecklenburg and was given an apartment in the former grand ducal residence of
Mirow
Mirow () is a town in the district of Mecklenburgische Seenplatte in southern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Name (Etymology)
"Mir" in Slavonic languages means "peace" or "glory". The name "Mirow" was derived from "villa mirowe", translating ...
Castle by the local government and he was involved in its reconstruction. Georg Alexander died in Mirow and was succeeded as head of the Grand Ducal house by his son Duke Borwin.
Marriage and children
Duke Georg Alexander was married in
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen ( Swabian: ''Semmerenga'') is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district.
Sigmaringen is renowned for its castle, Schloss Sigmaringen, ...
to
Archduchess Ilona of Austria
Archduchess Ilona of Austria (; 20 April 1927 – 12 January 2011) was a member of the Palatine (Kingdom of Hungary), Hungarian Palatine branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. She was married and later divorced from the late head of the House of ...
(20 April 1927 – 12 January 2011) civilly on 20 February 1946 followed by a religious ceremony on 30 April. Archduchess Ilona belonged to the Hungarian Palatine branch of the
House of Habsburg-Lorraine
The House of Habsburg-Lorraine () originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Habsburg monarchy, Austria, later successively List of Bohemian monarchs, Queen ...
and was a granddaughter of
Archduke Joseph August of Austria
Archduke Joseph August Viktor Klemens Maria of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia (9 August 1872 – 6 July 1962) was a '' Feldmarschall'' (field marshal) of the Austro-Hungarian Army and for a short period head of state of Hungary. He w ...
. Georg Alexander and Ilona had four children before divorcing on 12 December 1974.