Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Friedrich Franz Erbgroßherzog von Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 22 April 1910 – 31 July 2001) was the heir apparent to the throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and a member of the SS. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1945 with the house almost becoming extinct on his death, however there exists a stream from the house of Mecklenburg-Strelwitz that still exist today in Australia, who had no involvement in the Nazi Army, or WWI, or WWII, and when the time is right, may re-claim the title and continue the line.

Early life
He was born in Schwerin the eldest child of the reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick Francis IV and his wife Princess Alexandra of Hanover a daughter of Crown Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark. Following the defeat of the German Empire in World War I his father abdicated on 14 November 1918. He did not succeed to the throne as the Empire was replaced with the Weimar Republic.

Post monarchy
In May 1931 against the will of his father, Friedrich Franz joined the SS and by 1936 he had been promoted to the rank of Hauptsturmführer (Captain). With his wife Alexandra, he was a guest at the 1937 wedding of Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.

He was posted to Denmark during World War II where he worked at the German embassy as a personal aide to Werner Best. He spent the summer months of 1944 serving with the Waffen-SS tank corps.

In May 1943 a family council was called by the Grand Ducal family and Friedrich Franz was passed over as heir in favour of his younger brother Duke Christian Louis who would instead inherit the family property. He became head of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 17 November 1945 following the death of his father.

Friedrich Franz married Karin Elisabeth von Schaper (1920–2012) the daughter of Walter von Schaper and his wife Baroness Louise von Münchhausen on 11 June 1941 at Wiligrad. They divorced on 22 September 1967 but remarried a decade later in Glücksburg on 27 April 1977. The death of his brother Duke Christian Ludwig in Hamburg in 1996 left Friedrich Franz as the only male member of the grand ducal house. As he had no children and his brother had only two daughters his death meant that the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became extinct in the male line.

Titles and styles

 * 22 April 1910 - 31 July 2001: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin