Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg

Duke Paul Frederick
Spouse Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz
House House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Father Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Mother Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz
Born 19 September 1852(1852-09-19)
Ludwigslust
Died 17 May 1923(1923-05-17) (aged 70)
Ludwigslust
Religion Lutheranism after 1897 Roman Catholicism

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 and general of the Mecklenburg cavalry.[1]

Contents

Life

Duke Paul Frederick was born in Ludwigslust Castle as the second eldest son of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg and his first wife Princess Augusta of Reuss-Köstritz, the daughter of Prince Henry LXIII Reuss of Köstritz.[2]

Duke Paul Frederick married in Schwerin on 5 May 1881 his cousin, the Austrian born Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz, the daughter of Prince Hugo of Windisch-Graetz and his wife Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.[2] The couple who had five children who were all raised Roman Catholic, the religion of Princess Marie,[3] lived a quiet life in Venice. While in Venice the family befriended Cardinal Sarto (later Pope Pius X) who often visited the family and acted as a spiritual advisor for them.[4]

On 21 April 1884 Duke Paul Frederick renounced his and his sons rights of succession to Mecklenburg-Schwerin in favour of his younger brothers and their sons, so they would take precedence over him and his.[2][5] In 1887, Duke Paul Fredrick raised a Lutheran decided to convert to Roman Catholicism the religion of his wife and children.[6]

In 1906 after upsetting his nephew Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, 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.[7]

Duke Paul Frederick died in Ludwigslust.

Issue

Title, style and honours

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ a b Almanach de Gotha (160th ed.). Justus Perthes. 1923. p. 75. 
  2. ^ a b c Huberty, Michel; Alain Giraud, F. B. Magdelaine. L'Allemagne Dynastique, Tome VI : Bade-Mecklembourg. pp. 233, 239. ISBN 9782901138068. 
  3. ^ "The Spirit of Roman Catholicism". The Toronto World: p. 2. 27 October 1884. 
  4. ^ "The Pope as a Matchmaker". Yukon World: p. 4. 12 February 1905. 
  5. ^ "News by the Mail". Bruce Herald: p. 3. 3 June 1884. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=BH18840603.2.16. 
  6. ^ "Catholic News". New Zealand Tablet: p. 31. 26 August 1887. 
  7. ^ "European Intelligence in News and Comment". New York Times. 8 April 1906. p. SM7.