Feodora Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin| Princess Victoria Feodora of Reuss-Schleiz|Bridal Crown Wedding in 1917|Royal Imperial Jewelry

Feodora Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin| Princess Victoria Feodora of Reuss-Schleiz|Bridal Crown Wedding in 1917|Royal Imperial Jewelry

Spring 1917 Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg The last princely wedding in the ruling House of Mecklenburg

This spring, Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg decided to get married. He was a younger son of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II and was already over 40 years old. Before the war, he had made a name for himself as the leader of research expeditions in Africa and had been governor of Togo from 1912 to 1914.

The engagement to Feodora, princess from the younger line of the House of Reuss in Gera, was announced on February 15th. She was not a radiant presence, but according to the Geraer Zeitung, she was “distinguished by all the virtues of beautiful humanity.” During the war, she voluntarily cared for wounded soldiers in an exemplary manner as an assistant nurse in a hospital in Gera. A letter from a Schwerin district judge preserved in the Schwerin city archives shows that the enthusiasm among the people was limited. They had other worries: "It's just a good thing that we have the turnips. They make it easier for us to hold on. Nothing of importance is happening here. I only saw something of the entry of the Reussians with Adolf Friedrich's bride from afar. Mother saw "I took a closer look at them and found them completely insignificant" (letter dated February 28, 1917, excerpt).

The wedding followed in April. On the 21st, a Saturday, Feodora celebrated her 28th birthday with her family, and on Sunday the first guests arrived at Osterstein Castle in Gera. The Mecklenburgische Zeitung reported on the celebrations with special correspondents, which were deliberately kept on a small scale because of the war.

The event began on Sunday afternoon with the presentation of congratulations and gifts by representatives of the country's cities, the clergy, authorities, associations and clubs. Gifts made of silver, crystal and porcelain are mentioned, paintings and art objects, flowers and of course greeting addresses. Cash gifts amounting to 5,000 marks were combined into a “Feodora donation”, which was intended to benefit infant and small child care in Gera.

On Monday - the cold and changeable April weather had calmed down somewhat - the Mecklenburg family arrived by train: Johann Albrecht with his wife, brother Heinrich (without his wife, the Queen of the Netherlands), the Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV. In the evening there was a charity concert in the court theater, the program of which was designed according to the bride's wishes: Mozart's Haffner Serenade was performed, Beethoven's 8th Symphony and arias from Wagner operas. After the final applause, there were spontaneous expressions of applause and shouts of “high” from the concert audience for the bride and groom taking part in the royal box.

On the morning of the wedding day - Tuesday, April 24th - a plane circled over the city of Gera in which the nephew of a local manufacturer was sitting and dropping a large bouquet of flowers into the castle courtyard. The civil marriage was celebrated at 11:30 a.m. The wedding ceremony in the castle chapel, accompanied by music from the Gera women's choir, began at 12 noon. After a solemn, patriotic speech by church councilor Auerbach, the rings were put on. This was followed by a congratulatory ceremony in the picture hall from the relatives and guests invited to the wedding ceremony. In the immediate family circle, we would fortify ourselves with a meal that, strangely enough, was called a “breakfast table” – perhaps today we would call it brunch. The table speeches by the bride's father and the Grand Duke could be given here. Later in the afternoon, the newlywed couple left for their honeymoon, which was to be spent in Lermoos (Tyrol).

On the occasion of the prince's wedding, a marriage contract was drawn up, which externally has the traditional forms of ceremonial princely contracts: decorated writing on parchment, bound in red velvet, the seals in metal capsules on blue-gold-red or black-gold-red Hanging on sealing cords. It is the last of its kind in the state main archives.

The contract, signed on April 24th in Gera by the bride and groom, the bride's father and the Grand Duke, contains 15 paragraphs, primarily relating to property and inheritance law. Separation of property is agreed upon and it is made clear that the spouses are not responsible for each other's debts. This point was important for the Rerussian side because Adolf Friedrich was in debt. As a dowry, Feodora should receive the usual equipment as well as the sum of 30,000 marks in cash. In addition, the prince promises his "much-loved daughter" an annual pension of 100,000 marks for life, while the Grand Duke promises an increased allowance of 75,000 marks per year for Adolf Friedrich. Adolf Friedrich promises his wife “pocket and needle money” of 24,000 marks a year, which she will use to cover expenses for her wardrobe and personal wishes. The costs for a proper household, including servants, are the sole responsibility of the Duke. Regulations are made for mutual inheritance and the obligation to raise the children appropriately is laid down. But it's not just about money. In § 1, the spouses commit themselves to marital fidelity for life, "as is appropriate for Christian spouses according to the instructions of Holy Scripture."

The young couple moved into the Grand Ducal Palace in Rostock. There, in 1918, Adolf Friedrich experienced the end of the long rule of the Mecklenburg Princely House as well as the tragic end of his short marriage: Feodora died one day after the birth of her daughter Duchess Woizlawa Feodora on December 18, 1918 and was buried in Doberan.

The bride wore the bridal crown of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, made of gold and silver set with 157 diamonds and on her neck the large diamond fringe tiara, the diamond kokoshnik as a necklace, still complete, later owned by Queen Alexandrine of Dä nemark, a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, to this day in the Danish Royal House with reduced intermediate parts.

The royal wedding guests>>

Soures:Archive Ursula Butschal;Mecklenburgisches Landesmuseum,Schwerin Germany

Feodora Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin| Princess Victoria Feodora of Reuss-Schleiz|Bridal Crown Wedding in 1917|Royal Imperial Jewelry

Viktoria Feodora Herzogin zu Mecklenburg-Schwerin| Prinzessin Viktoria Feodora zu Reuss-Schleiz|Mecklenburg-Schwerin Diamant-Brautkrone 1917|Royal Imperial Jewelry

::::

Hannover Braut Krone aus Diamanten | Hochzeit |Prinzessin Alexandra von Hannover-Cumberland Grossherzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Royal Wedding Gifts | Königlich und Kaiserliche Hochzeitsgeschenk an die Prinzessin Alexander von Hannover-Cumberland, Großherzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Faberge Triumph of Love Aquamarine Diamond Tiara |Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Historic Jewels |Diadem Royal Imperial Jewelry

Faberge Tiara Aquamarine Diamond Diadem|Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Historic Jewelry |Royal Imperial Jewels

Diamant Chocker Collier de Chien by Koechert | Jewels from the Emperor of Austria Wedding Gift| Princess Alexandra of Hanover-Cumberland Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Diamant Chocker Collier de Chien von Köchert| Juwelen vom Kaiser von Österreich Hochzeit |Prinzessin Alexandra von Hannover-Cumberland Grossherzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Emerald Parure | Princess Alexandra of Cumberland-Hanover| Royal Jewel History Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Mecklenburger Hausschmuck Smaragd Diamant Parure Großherzogin Grossherzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin |Prinzessin Alexandra von Hannover-Cumberland

Emerald Parure Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Emerald Diamond Tiara, Emerald Diamond Collier |Princess Alexandra of Cumberland-Hanover| Royal Jewel History

Bedeutende Smaragde Mecklenburger Hausschmuck Smaragd Diamant Parure Großherzogin Grossherzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin |Prinzessin Alexandra von Hannover-Cumberland

::::

Grand Duchess Anastasia Mihailovna Romanov Imperial Sapphires | Sapphire Parure of Grand Duchess Olga Fjodorovna

::::

Herzogin Marie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin| Historischer Türkis Schmuck Brosche Royale Juwelen

Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Turquoise and diamond brooch| Royal Jewel History

::::

::::

Diamanten Königlich und Kaiserliche Hochzeitsgeschenk an die Prinzessin Alexandrine von Preussen, Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Diamonds Royal Marriage gifts| Imperial Wedding Presents to Princess Alexandrine of Preussen| Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Imperial Royal Siberian Amethysts in diamonds Wedding gift to Princess Alexandrine of Prussia, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Sibirische Amethyste in Brillanten Hochzeitsgeschenk an Prinzessin Alexandrine von Preussen, Herzogin von Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Schmuckgarnitur von nuß-großen Smaragden und Brillanten, Smaragd Diamant Diadem, Smaragd Diamant Collier | Prinzessin Alexandrine von Preussen