Princess Alexandrine of Prussia (1803–1892)


Princess Alexandrine of Prussia was Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin by marriage to Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She was the daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Life

Alexandrine was the seventh child and fourth daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and his wife Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was a younger sister of Frederick William IV of Prussia, Wilhelm I of Prussia, and Charlotte, Empress of Russia.
Her mother was a niece of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom and a sister of Queen Frederica of Hanover.
On 25 May 1822, she married Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He succeeded his grandfather as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1837.
Her marriage was generally considered unhappy; Paul Frederick was a military man who had little time for
or interest in his wife and family. Alexandrine, by contrast, was a devoted mother who tenderly raised her children and actively cultivated their cultural pursuits. Alexandrine herself was very cultured but was also described as a stereotypically-remote German princess. She was not considered an intellectual but attended scholarly lectures and read many books.
At the time of her death, she was the last surviving grandchild of Frederick William II of Prussia. She saw several Prussian Kings in the length of her long life: they were Frederick William III, Frederick William IV and Wilhelm I, Frederick III and Wilhelm II. She also outlived all three of her children and would die in the reign of her grandson Frederick Francis III.

Issue