Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

57
Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin bigraphy, stories - Dutch prince consort

Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin : biography

19 April 1876 – 3 July 1934

Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Heinrich Wladimir Albrecht Ernst; 19 April 1876 – 3 July 1934), later Prince Henry of the Netherlands, was prince consort of the Netherlands as the husband of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the name of the German duke was rendered into Hendrik. He was the longest serving consort of the Netherlands.

Biography

Heinrich Wladimir Albrecht Ernst of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was born on 19 April 1876 in Schwerin. He was the youngest son of Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and his third wife, Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

He was created Prince of the Netherlands on 6 February 1901, and married Queen Wilhelmina on 7 February 1901, in The Hague. The marriage proved in time to be an unhappy one that did little more than meet its obligation by producing an heir. They had one child, Juliana, in whose favor her mother abdicated on 4 September 1948.

He was the 279th Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword and the 1,157th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain in 1924.

He died, at the age of 58, on 3 July 1934 in The Hague, Netherlands.

Scouting

He successfully merged the two Dutch Boy Scout organisations Nederlandse Padvinders Organisatie (NPO, Netherlands Pathfinder Organisation) and the Nederlandse Padvinders Bond (NPB, Netherlands Pathfinder Federation) on 11 December 1915 to form De Nederlandse Padvinders (NPV, The Netherlands Pathfinders). He became the Royal Commissioner of that organisation and he asked Jean Jacques Rambonnet to become chairman in 1920 .

Ancestry

Titles

  • His Highness Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1876–1901)
  • His Royal Highness Prince Henry of the Netherlands, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, etc. (6 February 1901 – 1934) – Website with Legislation concerning the Royal House of the Netherlands (Dutch)
  • His Royal Highness The Prince of the Netherlands (7 February 1901 – 1934)