Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, c. 1907.
Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
Tenure 13 June 1900 – 11 November 1918
Born (1869-08-10)10 August 1869
Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Died 3 September 1955(1955-09-03) (aged 86)
Schloß Schaumburg, Germany
Burial Ducal (Herzogliches) Mausoleum, Gertrudenfriedhof, Oldenburg
Spouse Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Issue Nikolaus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Duchess Alexandrine of Oldenburg
Ingeborg Alix, Princess Stephan Alexander of Schaumburg-Lippe
Altburg, Hereditary Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont
House Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Father Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Mother Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Religion Lutheranism

Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (10 August 1869 – 3 September 1955) was a daughter of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg by his third wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.[1] By her marriage to Frederick Augustus II, she became the consort of the last reigning Grand Duke of Oldenburg.

Family

Elisabeth was related to many of Europe's royal families. She was the eldest child of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg by his third wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. She was an older sister of Hendrik, Prince consort of the Netherlands, husband of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, making her an aunt of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. She was also a younger half-sister of Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg. Through Frederick Francis, she was an aunt of Alexandrine, Queen of Denmark and Cecilie, the last Crown Princess of Germany. Elisabeth was also a half sister of Marie, Grand Duchess of Russia, who was the mother of Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia, the pretender to the Russian throne.

Her paternal grandparents were Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg and Princess Alexandrine of Prussia. Her maternal grandparents were Prince Adolph of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Princess Mathilde of Schonburg-Waldenburg.

Marriage

On 24 October 1896, Elisabeth married Frederick Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg.[1] His first wife Elisabeth Anna had died the previous year, leaving only one surviving daughter: Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg. Frederick Augustus was thus in need of a male heir. He succeeded as Grand Duke of Oldenburg in 1900, making Elisabeth Grand Duchess consort of Oldenburg.

They had five children:

NameBirthDeathNotes
Nicolas Frederick William, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg 10 August 1897 3 April 1970 married Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Duke Frederick Augustus 25 March 1900 26 March 1900 twin with Alexandrine, died in infancy
Duchess Alexandrine 25 March 1900 26 March 1900 twin with Frederick Augustus, died in infancy
Duchess Ingeborg Alix 20 July 1901 10 January 1996 married Prince Stephan Alexander Victor of Schaumburg-Lippe
Duchess Altburg Marie Mathilde Olga 19 May 1903 16 June 2001 married Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

Frederick was forced to abdicate his throne at the end of World War I, when the former Grand Duchy of the German Empire joined the post-war German Republic.[2] He and his family took up residence at Rastede Castle, where he took up farming and local industrial interests.[3] A year after his abdication, he asked the Oldenburg Diet for a yearly allowance of 150,000 marks, stating that his financial condition was "extremely precarious".[3]

In 1931, Frederick died in Rastede. As a widow, Elisabeth was a guest at the 1937 wedding of Juliana of the Netherlands with Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.[4]

Elisabeth died on 3 September 1955, having been widowed for 24 years.[2]

Titles and styles

Ancestry

References

  1. 1 2 Lundy, Darryl. "The Peerage: Elisabeth Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin". Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Duchess Elisabeth", The New York Times, Oldenburg, 5 September 1955
  3. 1 2 "Former Grand Duke of Oldenburg Dies", The New York Times, Oldenburg, 24 February 1931
  4. ↑ "Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands & Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld -1937". Royal Forums.
Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Cadet branch of the House of Mecklenburg
Born: 29 September 1882 Died: 30 August 1963
German royalty
Vacant
Title last held by
Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg		 Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
13 June 1900 – 11 November 1918 		Monarchy abolished
Titles in pretence
Loss of title
Monarchy abolished
 — TITULAR —
Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
11 November 1918 – 24 February 1931
Reason for succession failure:
Grand Duchy abolished in 1918		 Succeeded by
Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
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