| Frederick Francis I | |
|---|---|
 Frederick Francis I, as Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in swedish uniform with the Royal Order of the Seraphim. Painted by Wilhelm August Christian Abel 1803. | |
| Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | |
| Reign | 21 April 1785 – 1 February 1837 |
| Predecessor | Frederick II |
| Successor | Paul Frederick |
| Born | 10 December 1756 Schwerin, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Died | 1 February 1837 (aged 80) Ludwigslust, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg |
| Issue Among others | Frederick Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Louise Charlotte, Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Charlotte Frederica, Hereditary Princess of Denmark |
| House | Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Father | Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Mother | Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Frederick Francis I (10 December 1756 – 1 February 1837) ruled over the German state of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, first as duke (1785–1815), and then as grand duke (1815–1837).
Biography
He was born in Schwerin, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, to Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Friedrich Franz succeeded his uncle Friedrich as duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1785.
Following the Napoleonic Wars, Friedrich Franz was raised to the dignity of grand duke at the Congress of Vienna.[1] Along with his cousin in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, he was known as one of the most reactionary German rulers. On his death in 1837 he was succeeded by his grandson, Grand Duke Paul Friedrich.
Marriage and children
On 1 June 1775 in Gotha, Friedrich Franz married Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. They had eight children:
- Daughter (stillborn 7 May 1776), buried in the Schelfkirche St. Nikolai of Schwerin.[2]
- Son (stillborn 11 May 1777), buried in the Schelfkirche St. Nikolai of Schwerin.[2]
- Friedrich Ludwig (13 June 1778 – 29 November 1819). He married Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia, a daughter of Paul I of Russia and Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg
- Louise Charlotte (19 November 1779 – 4 January 1801). Married Emil Leopold August, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
- Gustav Wilhelm (31 January 1781 – 10 January 1851).
- Karl (2 July 1782 – 22 May 1833).
- Charlotte Frederica (4 December 1784 – 13 July 1840). Married Christian VIII of Denmark. They were parents to Frederick VII of Denmark.
- Adolf (18 December 1785 – 8 May 1821).
References
- ↑ Haydn, Joseph (1855). History of the Wars of the French Revolution. Bangs. p. 555.
- 1 2 Schelfkirche St. Nikolai zu Schwerin in: worldhistory.de [retrieved 2 March 2017].