Princess Friederike Wilhelmine Alexandrine Marie Helene of Prussia (23 February 1803 – 21 April 1892) was
Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin by marriage to
Grand Duke Paul Frederick. She was the daughter of
Frederick William III of Prussia and
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Life
Born on 23 February 1803 in
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 ...
, Alexandrine was the seventh child and fourth daughter of
King Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...
and
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Grand Duchess consort of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
On 25 May 1822, after rejecting a marriage proposal from the future
King of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument ...
,
she married
Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1837, Paul Frederick succeeded his grandfather as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, making Alexandrine the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The marriage was generally considered unhappy;
Paul Frederick was a military man who had little time for or interest in his wife and family. Alexandrine, by contrast, was a devoted mother who tenderly raised her children and actively cultivated their cultural pursuits. Alexandrine herself was very cultured but was also described as a stereotypically-remote German princess. She was not considered an intellectual but attended scholarly lectures and read many books.
Death
On 21 April 1892 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 ...
, Alexandrine died at the age of 89. She was buried at the
Cathedral of Schwerin.
At the time of her death, she was the last surviving grandchild of
King Frederick William II of Prussia. She outlived all three of her children and would die in the reign of her grandson, Grand Duke Frederick Francis III.
Issue
*
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, t ...
(1823–1883)
* Luise (1824–1859) married Hugo, Hereditary Prince 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 had issue (
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 ...
)
*
Wilhelm
Wilhelm may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm"
* Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
Other uses
* Mount ...
(1827–1879) married
Princess Alexandrine of Prussia, daughter of
Prince Albert of Prussia
Ancestry
References
1803 births
1892 deaths
House of Hohenzollern
Burials at Schwerin Cathedral
People from Berlin
House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Prussian princesses
German duchesses
Hereditary Grand Duchesses of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Duchesses of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Grand Duchesses of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Daughters of kings
{{Germany-royal-stub