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Frederick Francis III

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Frederick Francis III (German: Friedrich Franz Paul Nikolaus Ernst Heinrich; 19 March 1851 – 10 April 1897) was the penultimate Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Frederick Francis III
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Reign15 April 1883 – 10 April 1897
PredecessorFrederick Francis II
SuccessorFrederick Francis IV
Born19 March 1851 (1851-03-19)
Ludwigslust Palace, Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Confederation
Died10 April 1897 (1897-04-11) (aged 46)
Cannes, France
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1879)​
IssueAlexandrine, Queen of Denmark
Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Cecilie, German Crown Princess
HouseMecklenburg-Schwerin
FatherFrederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
MotherPrincess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz
ReligionLutheranism

Biography

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He was born in Schloss Ludwigslust as the son of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his first wife Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz. He succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 15 April 1883.

From an early age Frederick Francis suffered from asthma and severe breathing difficulties. He could not live in the north of Europe and lived instead on the shores of the Mediterranean, where the mild climate agreed with him. His homosexuality was an open secret.[1]

Frederick Francis' death in Cannes on 10 April 1897 is shrouded in mystery, as he was originally reported to have committed suicide by throwing himself off a parapet of a bridge.[2] According to the official account of his death, however, he was in his garden when he experienced breathing difficulties and staggered around before falling over a low wall.[3] Barones Louise von Reibnitz-Maltzan, a lady-in-waiting who was in Cannes with the family at the time of his death, described the incident as "the Grand Duke's suicide".[4]

He was succeeded by his son Frederick Francis IV, who would be the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Marriage and children

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Frederick Francis married Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia in Saint Petersburg on 24 January 1879. They had three children:

Legacy

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He was described by his daughter Cecilie in her 1952 memoirs:

"His whole soul was bound up with his country of Mecklenburg, and it was infinitely painful for him, as its ruling prince, to have to spend several months each year away from his country on account of his health. [...] When I call to mind what my father looked like, I see before me the most lovvable and kindly being that has ever existed. He was tall and slim in build, with beautiful gleaming eyes whom which his warm heart shone forth- that is my unforgettable impression of my father. Nothing could bring me greater pleasure later on than when people who had known him well have told me that I look like him. He had to suffer infinitely much, but never did a word of complaint pass his lips."[5]

Honours

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He received the following orders and decorations:[6][7]

German honours
Foreign honours

Ancestry

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Literature

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  • Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller, Mann für Mann, pages 253
  • Hans von Tresckow, Von Fürsten und anderen Sterblichen, Erinnerungen eines Kriminalkommisars, 1922, Berlin, page 89

References

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  1. ^ Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller, Mann für Mann, pages 253
  2. ^ "The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Shown to Have Committed Suicide" (PDF). New York Times. 1897-04-13. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  3. ^ "The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin Did Not Commit Suicide" (PDF). New York Times. 1897-04-15. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  4. ^ Kasten, Bernd (2009). Prinz Schnaps. Rostock. p. 23.
  5. ^ of the German Empire and Prussia, Crown Princess Cecilie (1952). Remembrances. London: Gollancz, Ltd. pp. 28–29.
  6. ^ Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinscher Staatskalendar, 1895 p. 1
  7. ^ Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerinscher Staatskalendar, 1897 pp. 1-2
  8. ^ Daniel Corston. "Unofficial website dedicated to the Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz". mecklenburg-strelitz.org.
  9. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1888), "Großherzogliche Orden" pp. 61, 73
  10. ^ Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: 1879. Schulze. 1879. p. 34.
  11. ^ a b "Königlich Preussische Ordensliste", Preussische Ordens-Liste (in German), 1, Berlin: 7, 1003, 1886
  12. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Hessen (1879), "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen" p. 11
  13. ^ Staatshandbuch für das Großherzogtum Sachsen / Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1896), "Großherzogliche Hausorden" p. 14[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1896), "Königliche Orden" p. 28
  15. ^ "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Jørgen Pedersen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 466. ISBN 978-87-7674-434-2.
  17. ^ Italia : Ministero dell'interno (1898). Calendario generale del Regno d'Italia. Unione tipografico-editrice. p. 54.
  18. ^ 刑部芳則 (2017). 明治時代の勲章外交儀礼 (PDF) (in Japanese). 明治聖徳記念学会紀要. p. 144.
  19. ^ Sveriges statskalender (PDF) (in Swedish), 1897, p. 413, retrieved 10 March 2021 – via gupea.ub.gu.se
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  Media related to Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at Wikimedia Commons

Frederick Francis III
Cadet branch of the House of Mecklenburg
Born: 19 March 1851 Died: 10 April 1897
Regnal titles
Preceded by Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
1883–1897 		Succeeded by
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