Duke Charles of Mecklenburg

Duke Charles of Mecklenburg (German: Herzog Carl zu Mecklenburg) (30 November 1785 – 21 September 1837) was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and a Prussian soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars. From 1827 until his death he was President of the Prussian State Council.

Duke Charles of Mecklenburg
Born(1785-11-30)30 November 1785
Hanover
Died21 September 1837(1837-09-21) (aged 51)
Berlin
Allegiance Kingdom of Prussia
Service/branchPrussian Army
RankLieutenant General
Battles/warsNapoleonic Wars
AwardsOrder of the Black Eagle
Iron Cross (1st class)
Other workPresident of the Prussian State Council

Early life and entry into the army

Duke Charles Frederick Augustus of Mecklenburg was born in Hanover where his father Duke Charles of Mecklenburg was the governor. His mother was Princess Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt, his father's second wife who died shortly after his birth on 12 December.[1] On 2 June 1794 his father succeeded Adolf Friedrich IV as the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Duke Charles entered into the Prussian service at a young age. By the age of 19 he held a commission as a Captain and by 1806 he had been promoted to the rank Major. He fought for his brother in law King Frederick William III of Prussia during the War of the Fourth Coalition accompanying the king in his flight following the Prussian defeat in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt. For his services in the Saale campaign Duke Charles was awarded the Order of the Black Eagle.[2]

1813
A statue of Duke Charles in Neustrelitz

By 1813 he had been promoted to the rank Major General and was in command of brigade attached to the force of General Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg. Duke Charles led his brigade at the Battle of Katzbach. During this campaign while commanding a small column he managed to hold off an attack by French forces who had superior numbers for a whole day before being ordered to withdraw during the night. Shortly after this engagement Duke Charles was instructed by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher to keep open the communication with the forces of Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron and Fabian Gottlieb von Osten-Sacken. Shortly after setting out with his brigade he was attacked by three French columns. Although vastly outnumbered he managed to hold his ground until he seized an opportunity and placing himself at the head of one of his battalions he managed to drive the French back. For this achievement he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class.[2]

The next action he saw was when the Prussian army crossed the Elbe at Wartenburg on 13 October. Given orders to outflank the right wing of the French, Duke Charles took his brigade across the Elbe and attacked the village of Bleddin and succeeded in driving the French out, taking nine of their cannons and a number of prisoners. On 16 October he fought with distinction at the Battle of Möckern. Leading his brigade in a bayonet charge against the French batteries and columns he succeeded in forcing the section of the line they attacked back but at the cost of his whole brigade almost being taken out with Duke Charles and the other officers all being wounded in the charge.[2]

Later that year Duke Charles was appointed to command the 1st of the Line the oldest regiment of foot in the service.[2]

Later years

In 1815 Duke Charles was appointed a Lieutenant General and Commandant of the Royal Guards and Grenadiers. He was later appointed President of the Prussian State Council in 1827.[2][3]

Duke Charles never married and died in Berlin at the age of 51.[1]

Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:[4]

Ancestry

References
  1. Huberty, Michel; Alain Giraud; F. et B. Magdelaine. L'Allemagne Dynastique, Tome VI : Bade-Mecklembourg. pp. 211, 218. ISBN 978-2-901138-06-8.
  2. The United Service Magazine. H. Colburn. 1837. pp. 529, 530.
  3. Laven, David; Riall, Lucy (2000). Napoleon's Legacy. Berg Publishers. p. 207. ISBN 1-85973-249-6.
  4. Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Germany) (1837). Staatshandbuch für Mecklenburg. im Verlage der Hofbuchdruckerei. p. 5.
  5. Liste der Ritter des Königlich Preußischen Hohen Ordens vom Schwarzen Adler (1851), "Von Seiner Majestät dem Könige Friedrich Wilhelm III. ernannte Ritter" p. 16
  6. Lehmann, Gustaf (1913). Die Ritter des Ordens pour le mérite 1812–1913 [The Knights of the Order of the Pour le Mérite] (in German). 2. Berlin: Ernst Siegfried Mittler & Sohn. p. 136.
  7. Almanach de la cour: pour l'année ... 1817. l'Académie Imp. des Sciences. 1817. p. 97, 156.
  8. Großherzoglich-Mecklenburg-Strelitzscher Staatskalender: 1824. Spalding. 1824. p. 3.
  9. "Ritter-Orden: Militärischer Maria-Theresien-Orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Kaiserthumes Österreich, 1836, p. 15, retrieved 20 September 2020
  10. "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Hannover (Staat) (1835). Staats- und Adresskalender für das Königreich Hannover: 1836 (1835). Berenberg. p. 18.
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