Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Friederike, Duchess of Mecklenburg [- Strelitz ] (* March 2, 1778 in the Old Palace in Hannover, † June 29, 1841 ibid; Complete name: Friederike Luise Karoline Sophie Charlotte Alexandrine, Duchess of Mecklenburg ) was by birth Princess of Mecklenburg -Strelitz, by marriage Princess of Prussia, Princess of Solms- Braunfels and Queen of Hanover.
Origin
She was the youngest daughter of Duke Charles II of Mecklenburg (1741-1816) and his first wife Friederike Caroline Luise of Hesse- Darmstadt (1752-1782), daughter of Count Georg Wilhelm and his wife Mary Louise of Leiningen- Falkenburg - Dabo. Friederike was also the youngest sister of the famous Prussian Queen Luise and the niece of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III.
Youth
After the death of his first wife Charles II married his second wife (1784 ) Charlotte, the younger sister of his deceased wife. This marriage ended in December 1785 the death of Charlotte's after the birth of her only child Charles. Since he was unable in his situation as a widower, to let his daughters bestowed the necessary education and care, her father, the grandmother of the children, his mother decided to ask for help. As a widow of Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hesse- Darmstadt (1722-1782), the Princess Maria Luise lived (1729-1818), called "Princess George " in Darmstadt. Your familiar Karl his daughters Charlotte, Therese, Luise and Friederike. Life in the care of the grandmother and the set of her governess Salomé de Gélieu should prove a godsend.
Married life
On March 14, 1793, they met in Frankfurt " by chance" in the theater the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II ( 1744-1797 ). This was charmed at first by the grace and charm of the two Princesses Luise and Friederike. A few weeks later negotiated the bride's father to the king of the marriage contracts for the wedding with his sons. The engagement of the two pairs was celebrated on April 24, 1793 in Darmstadt. In December, they began their journey to Berlin, where on December 24, the marriage of the elder sister Louise with the Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm ( 1770-1840 ) and two days later by Friederike with the younger brother of the pretender to the throne, Prince Friedrich Ludwig ( 1773-1796), called Louis, was held. The marriage was initially unhappy because Ludwig is more interested in his mistresses than for his young wife. In return, his uncle Louis Ferdinand a relationship with Friederike boasted.
In 1795 the king appointed Prince Louis Chief of the Dragoon Regiment No. 1, whose staff was stationed in Schwedt. But in 1796 her husband became ill with diphtheria, he died shortly afterwards. Friederike moved with her three small children in the Schönhausen Palace in Berlin. 1797 promoted her English cousin Duke Adolph Friedrich of Cambridge ( 1774-1850 ), seventh son of King George III. of Great Britain and his wife Charlotte to Friederike's hand and they became engaged unofficially. Adolph Friedrich asked his father for permission to marry; it was him but at the pressure of his mother, the aunt Friederikes denied. For Friederike thus ending - informally at heart - betrothal.
1798 Friederike became pregnant and confided to Prince Frederick William of Solms- Braunfels ( 1770-1814 ) on. He acknowledged paternity and asked for her hand, which was granted to him - so an otherwise inevitable scandal was avoided. The marriage took place on 10 December 1798. The couple left Berlin in 1799 and was forced to move to Ansbach. Born in February 1799 daughter survived only a few months. Prince Solms, disappointed and bitter about the outcome of the matter, again led his previous life as an officer and gave himself up to the alcohol. In 1805 he resigned from the military service "health reasons " and lost its income. Friederike had to support her family from their own resources deny the annuity from the hand of her brother King Frederick William III. Her husband William Christian Carl of Solms- Braunfels (1759-1837) brother advised her to divorce, he wanted nothing to counter. But you refused.
In May 1813 came Duke Ernst August of Cumberland ( 1771-1851 ), fifth son of the King of Great Britain and older brother of former admirer Friederike Adolph Friedrich, to Neustrelitz to pay his uncle Charles a visit. There she eventually met with his cousin Friederike. Duke Charles II ordered his daughter to know unequivocally that it was her divorce from Prince Solms quite right and that he really would like to see a marriage with the English prince for her. The next few months gave Friederike time to rethink the intentions of Ernst August and the potential impact on their own situation alone. When he came to the Allied victory in the Battle of Leipzig for a few days after Neustrelitz, he was greeted warmly. Some time later, Friederike asked the Prussian king for permission to divorce her marriage to Solms. All parties agreed, also Prince of Solms- Braunfels. The sudden death of the prince by a stroke ended on April 13, 1814, the precarious situation. In August, the engagement was officially announced. After the British Parliament had given its consent to the marriage of the royal princes, the wedding took place on 29 May 1815.
Queen of Hanover
On June 20, her brother died in 1837, King William IV, since he - as before his brother George IV - had no descendants, followed him his niece Victoria, the only child of the deceased brother Eduard August, Duke of Kent and Strathearn the third son of George III. to the throne of the United Kingdom. Due to the different Succession Law in Hanover ( there was the Salic law ) that a female heir to the throne only be allowed if there was no male heir more, Victoria could not be Queen of Hanover. In their place was so Friederike's husband, the Duke of Cumberland, as Ernst August I. King of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick- Lüneburg.
After a short illness Queen Frederica died on 29 June 1841 in Hannover.
The king commissioned the court architect Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves with the construction of a mausoleum for his wife and himself - the later Welfenmausoleum in the mountain garden of Mr. Hausen. He also granted royal order to transform a central square near the line buckle and its renaming as Friederike place. Located near and named after her Friederike castle was demolished in 1966. After Queen Friederike also the hospital " Friederikenstift " founded by Ida Arenhold was named.
Descent
Progeny
From the first marriage to Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Prussia, called Louis:
- Friedrich Ludwig (1794-1863) ∞ 1817 Princess Luise of Anhalt- Bernburg
- Carl Georg (1795-1798)
- Friederike Wilhelmine Luise Amalie (1796-1850) ∞ 1818 Duke Leopold Friedrich of Anhalt -Dessau
From the second marriage to Prince Frederick William of Solms- Braunfels:
- Daughter (1799-1799)
- Untitled child ( † * 1800)
- Untitled child ( † * 1800)
- Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich (1801-1868) ∞ 1831 Countess Maria Anna Kinsky
- Sophie (1803-1803)
- Auguste Luise (1804-1865) ∞ 1827 Prince Albert of Schwarzburg- Rudolstadt ( 1867 Prince )
- Alexander Friedrich Ludwig (1807-1867) ∞ 1863 Luise Baroness von Landsberg - Velen
- Friedrich Wilhelm Karl (1812-1875) ∞ ( I) 1834-1841 morg. Married Louise Beyrich ∞ ( II ) 1845 Princess Sophie of Löwenstein -Wertheim -Rosenberg
From the third marriage with Duke Ernst August of Cumberland, King of Hanover:
- Unnamed Daughter ( † * 1817)
- King George V of Hanover (1819-1878) ∞ 1843 Princess Marie of Saxe- Altenburg