Figure 1.--Family portraits show Friedrich Franz wearing tunic suits with knee pants. The suit had a simple pointed collar. Note the toy horse. He looks to be about 5 years old which means the portrait was taken about 1915.

Friedrich Franz V was born in 1910, the son of Friedrich Franz IV and Alexandra, née Princess of Hanover (1882- ). She was Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland (Alexandra Louise Marie Olga Elisabeth Therese Vera Prinzessin von Hannover und Cumberland), Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Friedrich had three siblings: Christian Ludwig, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1912- ), Thyra, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1919- ), and Anastasia, Princess Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1922- ). Family portraits show him wearing tunic suits with kneepants as a younger boy. After the World War I defeat of the German Empire, I his father abdicated (November 14, 1918). Friedrich thus Franz did not succeed to the throne as the Empire was replaced with the Weimar Republic. Friedrich Franz joined the NAZI SS against the will of his father (1931). He was promoted to the rank of Hauptsturmführer (Captain) (1936). After the German World War II invasion of Denmark, he was posted to Copenhagen where he was assigned tyo the the German embassy as a personal aide to Werner Best. He fought with a Waffen-SS tank unit (September 1944). Friedrich Franz married unequally during World War II to Karin Elisabeth, née von Schaper (1920- ) at Wiligrad (1941). He forfeited his rights of succession as a result of his unequal marriage. At a Grand Ducal family council, Friedrich Franz was passed over as heir in favour of his younger brother Duke Christian Louis (May 1943). He would thus inherit the family property. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin when his father, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV, died (November 1945). The Grand Duke lives in Hamburg. His brother, Christian Ludwig, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1912-1996), succeeded as head of the dynasty on the death of his father, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV (1945). Christian Ludwig died (1996). Members of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin still living in 1999 are: the Heriditary Grandduke Frederic Franz, the Heriditary Grandduchess Karin Elisabeth, the Duchess Donata, the Duchess Edwina.

Parents

Friedrich Franz was the son of Friedrich Franz IV and Alexandra, née Princess of Hanover (1882- ). She was Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland (Alexandra Louise Marie Olga Elisabeth Therese Vera Prinzessin von Hannover und Cumberland), Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Childhood

Friedrich Franz was born in 1910. We have no information on his childhood at this time. we notice that Friedrich Franz and his little brother Christian spent time with his Hannovarian cousins, nephews of their mother. We note the Mecklenburg princes at the beach together after the War. We notice the boys wearing a variety of clothes, including tunics, sailor suits, and Lederhosen. The princes were commonly dressed in identical outfits. Family portraits show him wearing tunic suits with kneepants as a younger boy (figure 1). The boys were still quite young when as a result of World War I, the Mecklenburg ducal dynasty fell from power. with the creation of the Weimar Republic.

Siblings

Friedrich had three siblings: Christian Ludwig, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1912- ), Thyra, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1919- ), and Anastasia, Princess Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1922- ).

Clothing

We have only limited information on how Friedrich was dressed as a boy. A few portraits provide some basic information. We notice Friedrich and his siblings dressed in many of the same outfits that were popular with German royal families. We notice a variety of identical or coordinated outfits. We see the boys wearing a variety of tunic suits with broad-brimmed sailor hats. As school-age boys they commonly wore sailor suits. Sailor outfits were especially popular with German royals both before and after World War I. We also noltice the boys wearing Lederhosen.

World War I (1914-18)

After the World War I defeat of the German Empire, the German royal family was forced to abdicate. His father abdicated (November 14, 1918). Friedrich thus Franz did not succeed to the throne as the Empire was replaced with the Weimar Republic.

Inter-War Era

From the beginning, there was condiderable resistance to the Weimar Republic formed after World War I. This opposition took many forms, bith from the right and left. Many of the princely families of the Empire supported monarchists seeking to restore the German Empire and the royal families. Hitler seeking respectability courted many nobel families, giving them the hope that their royal perogatives might be restored. This was often the case of the younger royals. Friedrich Franz was one of several German royals that not only supported, but joined the NAZIs. He joined the NAZI SS against the will of his father (1931). He was promoted to the rank of Hauptsturmführer (Captain) (1936). We do not know whst if any his assignments were as an SS officer.

World War II

Friedrich Franz, after the German World War II invasion of Denmark (1940), was posted to Copenhagen where he was assigned to the the German embassy as a personal aide to Werner Best. Best was a German Nazi, jurist, police chief, SS-Obergruppenführer, and Nazi Party leader from Darmstadt. He supervised civilian affairs in occupied Denmark (1942-45). He was sent by Hitlker to takea stiffer lines with the Danes, in part because of a birtday snub by King Christian. We have no information at this time on Friedrich Franz's activities or his relationship with Best during the occupation. The family had ties to Denmark because his wife was a Hannovarian princess related to the British and Danish royal family. Nor do we have details on the role of his wife. We would be interested in any information readers may have. He fought with a Waffen-SS tank unit at the end of the War (September 1944). [Petropoulos, p. 99.] Again we do not have details about his military service. SS men and other NAZIs with cushy jobs during the War were often pressed to proved their mettle with actual military service. The occupation was hated by the Danish people, although more moderate than the occupation in other countries in part for racial reasons. Best after the War was indited for war crimes and sentenced to death.

Family

Friedrich Franz married unequally during World War II to Karin Elisabeth, née von Schaper (1920- ) at Wiligrad (1941). They had no children. And as his brother had only two daughters and no male heirs, following his death in Hamburg (2001) the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became extinct in the male line.

Sucession

Friedrich Franz forfeited his rights of succession as a result of his unequal marriage. At a Grand Ducal family council, Friedrich Franz was passed over as heir in favour of his younger brother Duke Christian Louis (May 1943). He would thus inherit the family property. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin when his father, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV, died (November 1945). The Grand Duke lives in Hamburg. His brother, Christian Ludwig, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1912-1996), succeeded as head of the dynasty on the death of his father, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV (1945). Christian Ludwig died (1996). Members of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin still living in 1999 are: the Heriditary Grandduke Frederic Franz, the Heriditary Grandduchess Karin Elisabeth, the Duchess Donata, the Duchess Edwina.

Sources

Petropoulos, Jonathan. Royals and the Reich: The Princes Von Hessen in Nazi Germany.

Created: February 27, 2003
Last updated: 7:29 AM 9/27/2011