Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg

Albrecht VII
Duke of Mecklenburg
Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
Spouse(s)	Anna of Brandenburg
Issue Magnus of Mecklenburg John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Ulrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow George of Mecklenburg Anna, Duchess of Courland Louis of Mecklenburg John of Mecklenburg Christopher, Duke of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch Sophie of Mecklenburg Charles I, Duke of Mecklenburg
Noble family	Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Father	Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
Mother	Sophie of Pomerania-Wolgast
Born	25 July 1486
Died	5 January 1547 (aged 60)

Albrecht VII, the Handsome, Duke of Mecklenburg in Güstrow (25 July 1486 – 5 January 1547), was a minor ruler in North Germany of the 16th century. He also asserted claims to Scandinavian thrones based on the royal lineage of the House of Mecklenburg.

In the course of the so-called Count's Feud, the Free City of Lübeck involved Duke Albrecht in its alliance with various parties and offered him the Danish crown. King Christian III of Denmark, however, managed to keep his kingdom: Christopher, Count of Oldenburg, and Duke Albert were besieged in Copenhagen in 1535–1536 until they capitulated.

Marriage and children

On 17 January 1524 he married Anna of Brandenburg, a daughter of Joachim I, Elector of Brandenburg. They had the following children:

• Magnus of Mecklenburg (19 November 1524 – ?)
• John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (23 December 1525 – 12 February 1576)
• Ulrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Schwerin (21 April 1528 – 14 March 1603)
• George of Mecklenburg (22 February 1529 – 20 July 1587)
• Anna of Mecklenburg (14 October 1533 – 4 July 1602); married Gotthard Kettler, Duke of Courland, and had issue.
• Louis of Mecklenburg (1535–1535)
• John of Mecklenburg (1536–1536)
• Christopher, Duke of Mecklenburg-Gadebusch (30 June 1537 – 4 March 1592); married on 1573 to Dorothea (1528 – 11 November 1575), daughter of Frederick I of Denmark and on 14 May 1581 to Princess Elizabeth of Sweden (5 April 1549 – 20 November 1597)
• Sophie of Mecklenburg (10 April 1538 – 1538)
• Charles I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Schwerin (28 September 1540 – 22 July 1610)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg

16. Magnus I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               8. John IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       17. Elizabeth of Pomerania-Wolgast               4. Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                             18. Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg (=26)               9. Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg                       19. Sophie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (=27)               2. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow                                   20. Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg               10. Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg                       21. Elisabeth of Meissen               5. Dorothea of Brandenburg                             22. Frederick, Duke of Bavaria-Landshut               11. Elisabeth of Bavaria                       23. Maddalena Visconti               1. Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow                                         24. Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast               12. Wartislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast                       25. Veronika of Hohenzollern               6. Eric II, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast                             26. Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg (=18)               13. Sophie of Saxe-Lauenburg-Ratzeburg                       27. Sophie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (=19)               3. Sophie of Pomerania-Wolgast                                   28. Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania-Stargard               14. Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania-Stargard                       29. Sophia of Holstein-Rendsburg               7. Sophia of Pomerania-Stargard                             30. Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia               15. Maria of Masovia                       31. Alexandra of Lithuania