| Charles Michael | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke of Mecklenburg | |||||
 | |||||
| Head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | |||||
| Period | 23 February 1918 – 6 December 1934 | ||||
| Predecessor | Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich VI | ||||
| Successor | Duke Georg | ||||
| Born | 17 June [O.S. 5 June] 1863 Oranienbaum,Russian Empire | ||||
| Died | 6 December 1934(1934-12-06) (aged 71) Remplin,Nazi Germany | ||||
| |||||
| House | House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | ||||
| Father | Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | ||||
| Mother | Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia | ||||
| Religion | Lutheranism | ||||
Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg (German:Carl MichaelHerzog zu Mecklenburg;Russian:Михаил Георгиевич; 17 June [O.S. 5 June] 1863 – 6 December 1934) was an officer in theImperial Russian Army,heir presumptive to the throne ofMecklenburg-Strelitz and from 1918 head of theGrand Ducal House.
He was born inOranienbaum, Russia, a grandson ofGrand Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz via his second son Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg (1824–1876) and his wifeGrand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna of Russia, a granddaughter of EmperorPaul I of Russia. Charles Michael studied at theUniversity of Strasbourg and gained aPhD.[1] As he was born into the Russian branch of the Grand Ducal house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Charles Michael and his older brother Duke George Alexander, both served in the Russian Imperial Army with Charles Michael achieving the rank ofLieutenant General.[2] When his brother died in 1909 Charles Michael was appointed the guardian of his children Katharina, Marie, Natalia andGeorg by Adolf Friedrich V.[3] From 1908 to 1910, he served as the head of artillery in the1st Army Corps of the Russian Imperial Army.[4]
On 24 June 1914 two weeks after the death of his cousinGrand Duke Adolf Friedrich V, Charles Michael wrote to the new Grand DukeAdolf Friedrich VI informing him that he wished to renounce his rights to the throne ofMecklenburg-Strelitz.[5] On 7 August shortly after the outbreak ofWorld War I he became anaturalised Russian citizen.[5]
In March 1917 Charles Michael was arrested and made to appear before the RussianDuma.[6] He later fled to theCaucasus region.[7]
The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin,Friedrich Franz IV wrote to Charles Michael informing him that his cousin Adolf Friedrich VI of Mecklenburg-Strelitz had died on 23 February 1918 and that as he was first in the line of succession he was being called to the throne.[7] A petition to accept the throne was also sent to Charles Michael by the citizens of Mecklenburg-Strelitz as they wanted to maintain their independence and not be united withMecklenburg-Schwerin.[7] However Charles Michael never received it so he wrote a private letter confirming his desire to renounce his rights to reign in Mecklenburg-Strelitz although the letter did not reach Friedrich Franz IV, who was acting as regent for Mecklenburg-Strelitz, until January 1919[7] after the fall of the German monarchies. As a result, the succession issue could not be resolved in time and the two Mecklenburg grand duchies became separatefree states in theWeimar Republic.
Charles Michael eventually left Russia with his family arriving first inFrance before going into exile inDenmark.[7] While there he served as Chairman of the Mutual Charitable Society for Russian Officers in Denmark.[8] In 1921 he was paid five millionmarks by the Mecklenburg government in return for renouncing his claim to the Strelitz throne.[9] In April, 1930 he returned to Germany and took up residence at his estate,Remplin castle.[10]
Charles Michael adopted his nephewGeorg, Count of Carlow who was themorganatic son of his older brotherDuke George Alexander of Mecklenburg (1859–1909) on 11 September 1928 and confirmed in the courts ofMalchin on 5 October 1928.[11] Charles Michael died unmarried inRemplin,Germany and was succeeded as head of the Grand Ducal house by his nephew and adopted son the former Count of Carlow,Duke Georg of Mecklenburg.[12]
He received the following awards:[13][14]
Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of theHouse Order of the Wendish Crown, with Crown in Ore,17 June 1880[15]
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of theOrder of the White Falcon,1884[16]
Russian Empire:
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order....Herzog Carl Michael verstarb am 6. Dezember 1934 in Remplin. Neues Oberhaupt des Strelitzer Fürstenhaus wurde sein neffe Herzog Georg....
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg Cadet branch of theHouse of Mecklenburg Born: 17 June 1863 Died: 6 December 1934 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
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| Preceded by | — TITULAR — Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 23 February 1918 – 6 December 1934 Reason for succession failure: Succession issue unresolved, Grand Duchy abolished in 1918 | Succeeded by |
Heads of theHouse of Mecklenburg since1918 | ||
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Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
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Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
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See alsoList of rulers of Mecklenburg | ||
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