Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, c. 1907.
Reign	13 June 1900 – 11 November 1918
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
Full name
Elisabeth Alexandrine
House	House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin House of Holstein-Gottorp
Father	Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Mother	Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Born	10 August 1869(1869-08-10) Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Died	3 September 1955(1955-09-03) (aged 86) Schaumburg, West Germany
Burial	Ducal (Herzogliches) Mausoleum, Gertrudenfriedhof, Oldenburg
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 four children:

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
Nicolas Frederick William, Hereditary Grand Duke of Oldenburg	10 August 1897	3 April 1970	married Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Duchess Alexandrine	25 March 1900	26 March 1900
Duchess Ingeborg Alix	1901	1996	married Prince Stephan Alexander Victor of Schaumburg-Lippe
Duchess Altburg Marie Mathilde Olga	1903	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. Elisabeth died on 3 September 1955, having been widowed for 24 years.^[2]

Titles and styles

• 10 August 1869 – 24 October 1896: Her Highness Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
• 24 October 1896 – 13 June 1900: Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
• 13 June 1900 – 24 February 1931: Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Oldenburg
• 24 February 1931 – 3 September 1955: Her Royal Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Oldenburg

Ancestry

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Lundy, Darryl. "The Peerage: Elisabeth Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin". http://thepeerage.com/p11045.htm#i110446. Retrieved 26 December 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Duchess Elisabeth", The New York Times (Oldenburg), 5 September 1955 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Former Grand Duke of Oldenburg Dies", The New York Times (Oldenburg), 24 February 1931 

Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin House 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 German revolution
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

Persondata
Name	Elisabeth Alexandrine Of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	10 August 1869
Place of birth	Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Date of death	3 September 1955
Place of death	Schaumburg, West Germany