Royal Guests and Relatives gathered from around Europe to celebrate the Wedding of Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Alexandra of Hanover at Schloss Cumberland in Gmunden on this day in 1904, 120 years ago.
Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, son of Grand Duke Frederick Francis III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of Russia, married Princess Alexandra of Hanover, daughter of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark, at Schloss Cumberland in Gmunden, the seat of the House of Hanover in Austria.
Royal Guests and Relatives included King Christian IX of Denmark, Crown Princess Thyra, Duchess of Cumberland, Crown Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Dowager Grand Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Grand Duchess Vladimir.
Standing from left: Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover, Hereditary Prince George William of Hanover, Prince Frederick of Schaumburg-Lippe, Princess Marie Louise of Baden, Princess Charlotte Reuss of Köstritz, Prince Maximilian of Baden, Princess Frederica of Hanover, Duchess Vera of Württemberg, Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess Elisabeth Sybille of Mecklenburg-Schwerin née Princess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, unknown Princess, Princess Olga of Hanover and Cumberland, Princess Thyra of Denmark, Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess Alexandrine and Prince Christian of Denmark.
Princess Alexandra wore Queen Charlotte’s Nuptial Crown.
The couple had five children. The Grand Duke lost his Throne at the end of the First World War, and after living in Denmark for a period, the family returned to Germany where they retained their properties and much of their wealth, attending Royal Events around Europe. However, after the Second World War, the Grand Duke passed away just days after being arrested by the RAF, while their second son, who had been managing Schloss Ludwigslust and properties in the Soviet occupied zone was imprisoned in Russia until 1953. The Grand Duchess resided at Schloss Glücksburg, which had been looted by British troops while the family was held at gunpoint, and remained close to the Danish, Greek, Prussian, Hanoverian, and Hesse Royal Families, as the aunt of King Frederik IX of Denmark, Queen Frederica of Greece, Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, and Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover, until her death in 1963.
