Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Infobox Monarch
name =Frederick Francis III
title =Grand Duke of Mecklenburg [-Schwerin]


reign =15 April 1883 - 10 April 1897
predecessor =Frederick Francis II
successor =Frederick Francis IV
consort =Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia
royal house =Mecklenburg
father =Frederick Francis II
mother =Auguste of Reuss
date of birth =Birth date|1851|3|19
place of birth =Ludwigslust
date of death =Death date and age|1897|4|10|1851|3|19
place of death =Cannes|

Friedrich Franz III (19 March 1851 – 10 April 1897) was the penultimate Grand Duke of Mecklenburg [-Schwerin] .

Biography

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

From an early age Friedrich Franz sufferd from asthma and severe breathing difficulties. He could not live in the North of Europe and lived on the banks of the Mediterranian sea where the mild climate agreed with him. His homosexuality was an open secret. [ Bernd-Ulrich Hergemöller, "Mann für Mann", pages 253 ]

Friedrich Franz death on 10 April 1897 is shrouded in uncertainty as he was originally reported to have committed suicide by throwing himself off a parapet of a bridge. [cite news | title =The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Shown to Have Committed Suicide| publisher =New York Times| date =1897-04-13| url =http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E01E6DD143DE633A25750C1A9629C94669ED7CF| accessdate = 2007-10-23 ] However according to the official account of his death he was in his garden when he experienced breathing difficulties and staggered around before falling over a low wall. [cite news | title =The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin Did Not Commit Suicide| publisher =New York Times| date =1897-04-15| url =http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B00E6DF123CE433A25756C1A9629C94669ED7CF| accessdate = 2007-10-23 ] He was succeeded by his son Friedrich Franz IV who would be the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin although Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg would act as regent until Friedrich Franz IV came of age.

The death through suicide would have been a scandal, barring Friedrich Franz from a christian burial and limiting the chances of a marriage for members of his dynasty. His death may have been an accident but a suicide would have been hushed up by the Mecklenburg court.

Marriage and children

Friedrich Franz married Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia (1860-1922) in St.Petersburg on the 24 January 1879 and they had three children:

*Alexandrine (1879-1952) married King Christian X of Denmark.
*Friedrich Franz IV (1882-1945)
*Cecile (1886-1954) married Wilhelm, German Crown Prince

Literature

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

References

External links