Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The life and death of Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Part one)

Charles II, future Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was the father of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia. Charles was born on 10 October 1741 as the sixth but third surviving child and second son of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Another three siblings would survive to adulthood, including [read more]
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The life and death of Prince Albert of Prussia (Part three)

Read part two here. Following her father’s death, Marianne became determined to make it work with Albert. She wrote to Queen Elisabeth, “I forgive him, as I do everything else, and I do not forgive myself for my weakness and the vanity of considering his love and his pleasure more important than love for God [read more]
Augusta of Saxe-Weimar

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: A “family of democrats” (Part five)

Read part four here. During this time, there was some discussion of a forcible change of ruler, and Augusta was considered a possible regent for her son, who was still underage. Augusta’s thoughts on this plan remain a mystery, as she later destroyed all her letters from those days. In the end, the King promised [read more]
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The birth of a stillborn daughter

On 24 December 1793, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz married the future King Frederick William III of Prussia. By mid-May, Frederick William left for the army, but Louise wrote to him often. By then, she was already pregnant with their first child. Frederick William returned home in September, just in time for Louise’s confinement. Louise wrote happily [read more]
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – The life and death of Prince Albert of Prussia (Part two)

Read part one here. Caroline von Rochow, a lady-in-waiting, commented on Albert’s marriage, “He had consistently displayed a kind of childlike love for his cheerful cousin, and he seized the opportunity of her broken engagement to the Prince of Vasa to ask his father for permission to take his place. The King was fond of [read more]
Augusta of Saxe-Weimar

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: The duty to appear German (Part four)

Read part three here. Augusta did not get along with her sister-in-law, Elisabeth, who was now Queen. Augusta often attended the opera, but if the King and Queen were expected there, she would stay away. Once when Elisabeth unexpectedly appeared, she was told that the Queen wished her to retire. Fortunately, her relationship with the [read more]