Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
(23 February 1708 ? 4 June 1752) was a member of the Strelitz branch of the
House of Mecklenburg
. He was the father to
Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom and Hanover
and
Duke Adolphus Frederick IV of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
.
He was styled as the Prince of
Mirow
(
Prinz von Mirow
). He was not a reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, unlike his father and his son.
Life
[
edit
]
Charles was born in
Strelitz
, the second son and youngest child of
Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
. His mother, Princess Christiane Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, was the third wife of his father. Charles had one half-brother and one surviving half-sister, the children of his father's first marriage. He also had one full sister at the time of his birth, but she died as an infant when Charles was less than one year old.
Charles's father died when he was only three months old. His half-brother succeeded their father as
Adolphus Frederick III
, whereas Charles, as the younger son, inherited the
commanderies
of
Mirow
and Nemerow.
[1]
Charles's mother retired to the estate of Mirow upon the death of her husband, and Charles was raised there.
[2]
He later attended the
University of Greifswald
in
Pomerania
.
[1]
In keeping with the custom of the times, Charles set out on a
Grand tour
of Europe in 1726, aged 18. He played the
transverse flute
well, and made it one of the aims of the tour to improve his knowledge and skill in music.
[3]
After visiting
Geneva
, Italy and France, he went to
Vienna
and briefly entered the service of the
Holy Roman Emperor
as a
Lieutenant Colonel
before returning to Mirow.
[2]
After leaving the Army, Charles lived with his family in the castle of Mirow, managing his estates and attending to the education of his children.
[1]
He lived at Mirow until his death there at the age of 44.
When his older half-brother, Adolphus Frederick III, died in December 1752 without a male heir, Charles's son Adolf Friedrich succeeded as the next Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, reigning as Adolphus Frederick IV.
Family
[
edit
]
Charles was married on 5 February 1735 in
Eisfeld
to
Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen
, daughter of
Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen
.
[
citation needed
]
She was regent to her son in 1752 and played a major part in the struggle for the throne at that time.
They had ten children, six of whom survived into adulthood:
Through his daughter Charlotte, Charles Louis Frederick is the ancestor of every British monarch beginning with
George IV
, who ascended the throne of the
United Kingdom
in 1820.
Ancestry
[
edit
]
Ancestors of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg
|
---|
|
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
|
1st generation
| | |
---|
2nd generation
| |
---|
3rd generation
| |
---|
4th generation
| |
---|
5th generation
| |
---|
6th generation
| |
---|
7th generation
| |
---|
8th generation
| |
---|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
People
| |
---|