Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg

Duke Paul Frederick was born in Ludwigslust Castle as the second eldest son of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his first wife Princess Augusta Reuss of Köstritz, the daughter of Prince Henry LXIII Reuss of Köstritz.^[2]

Duke Paul Frederick married in Schwerin on 5 May 1881 his cousin, the Austrian born Princess Marie of Windisch-Graetz, the daughter of Prince Hugo of Windisch-Graetz and his wife Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.^[2] The couple who had five children who were all raised Roman Catholic, the religion of Princess Marie,^[3] lived a quiet life in Venice. While in Venice the family befriended Cardinal Sarto (later Pope Pius X) who often visited the family and acted as a spiritual advisor for them.^[4]

On 21 April 1884 Duke Paul Frederick renounced his and his sons rights of succession to Mecklenburg-Schwerin in favour of his younger brothers and their sons, so they would take precedence over him and his.^[2][5] In 1887, Duke Paul Fredrick raised a Lutheran decided to convert to Roman Catholicism the religion of his wife and children.^[6]

In 1906 after upsetting his nephew Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, over the amount of money that he was spending Duke Paul Frederick and his wife were ordered to submit to the controller of the royal household.^[7]

Duke Paul Frederick died in Ludwigslust, where he and his wife are both buried in the Louisenkapelle.

• HH Duke Paul Friedrich of Mecklenburg (1882–1904)
• HH Duchess Maria Luise of Mecklenburg (1883–1883)
• HH Duchess Marie Antoinette of Mecklenburg (1884–1944)married to Pavel Rafailovich Bermondt-Avalov, the marriage is childless.^[8]
• HH Duke Henry Borwin of Mecklenburg (1885–1942). Although his father had renounced his dynastic obligations, his right to marry a spouse of his choice (or a commoner) was not recognized and his two first marriages were unlawful (with no right to share his title) in Mecklenburg and the last one considered morganatic:
  • 1. Elizabeth Tibbits Pratt (1860–1928), widow of Amédée De Gasquet-James of New Orleans; married in Dover, on 15 June 1911^[9] and divorced in April 1913;
  • 2. Natalie Oelrichs (1880–1931), widow of polo player Peter D. Martin of San Francisco,^[10] daughter of Charles May Oelrichs and sister of Blanche Oelrichs; married in 1915 and divorced in 1921.^[11] She was also known as the Duchess of Stargard.^[12]
  • 3. Carola von Alers (1882–1974), daughter of Wilhelm von Alers and Adelaide von Chamisso de Boncourt; married in 1921.
• HH Duke Joseph of Mecklenburg (1889–1889)

Title & style

• 19 September 1852 – 17 May 1923: His Highness Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg^[1]

Honours

German decorations^[13]

• Mecklenburg:
  • Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Collar and Crown in Ore
  • Grand Cross of the Griffon
  • Memorial Medal for Grand Duke Frederick Francis III
  • Military Merit Cross (Schwerin)
  • Cross for Distinction in War (Strelitz)
•  Bavaria: Knight of St. Hubert, 1912^[14]
• Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, with Swords
• Hesse-Darmstadt: Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 12 October 1864^[15]
• Oldenburg: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Collar and Golden Crown
• Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the White Falcon, 1876^[16]
• Prussia:
  • Knight of the Black Eagle, 29 August 1879; with Collar, 1880^[17]
  • Grand Cross of the Red Eagle
  • Iron Cross, 2nd Class
  • Commemorative Medal for 1863
  • German War Memorial Medal for 1870/71
•  Saxony: Knight of the Rue Crown^[1]
• Schaumburg-Lippe: Military Merit Medal

Foreign decorations^[13]

• Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of St. Stephen, 1915^[18]
• Denmark: Knight of the Elephant, 3 August 1904^[19]
• Principality of Montenegro: Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Danilo I
• Ottoman Empire:
  • Grand Cordon of the Order of Glory
  • Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class
• Kingdom of Portugal: Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword, with Collar
• Russian Empire:
  • Knight of St. Andrew
  • Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky
  • Knight of the White Eagle
  • Knight of St. Anna, 1st Class
  • Knight of St. Stanislaus, 1st Class
  • Knight of St. George, 4th Class