Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

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Charles II in 1800

Charles II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (German: Karl II. von Mecklenburg-Strelitz) (October 10, 1741 - November 6, 1816) was first duke, then grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Born in Mirow, he was the son of Prince Charles I Ludwig Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. At first he served as a Lieutenant General in the Hanoverian army. He later became governor of Hanover under his brother-in-law George III.

After his uncle Adolf Friedrich III died without any male descendants in 1752, Karl's older brother Adolf Friedrich IV became Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. After he died childless in 1794, Karl II inherited the post.

Karl II encouraged new agricultural trends, established a new police force, and implemented compulsory education. In 1806, his duchy joined the Confederation of the Rhine. At the Congress of Vienna in 1816 his title was elevated, making him a grand duke.

Karl married twice: first, to Friederike Caroline Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, daughter of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse-Darmstadt. They had ten children together. Two of them become German queen consorts. Louise would marry Frederick William III of Prussia and Frederica would marry Ernest Augustus I of Hanover. After she died in 1782, he married her sister Charlotte in 1784. She died in the following year, whilst giving birth to their son, Karl Friedrich August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Karl died on November 6, 1816 in Neustrelitz and was succeeded by his son Georg.