Grand Ducal Standards 1815-1918 (Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany)

Last modified: 2004-12-29 by santiago dotor
Keywords: mecklenburg-schwerin | grand duke | grand duchess | duke | coat of arms (quartered) | banner of arms | ox | griffin | cross: couped (white) | crown: yellow | arm | panel (white) | oval (white) |
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• Standard of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Ashore c.1897-1918 (Standarte des Grossherzogs)
• Standard of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Afloat c.1878 (Seeflagge des Grossherzogs und der Grossherzoglichen Hauses)
• Grand Duke's Ensign (reported c.1834)
• Standard of Grand Duchess Alexandra c.1904-1918, born Princess of Hanover (Standarte der Großherzogin Alexandra, geboren Prinzessin zu Hannover)
• Standard of the Dukes c.1900-1918 (Standarte der Herzogen)
• Standard for Other Members of the Grand Ducal Family (Standarte der Mitglieder des Grossherzoglichen Hauses)
• Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Yacht Club Flag

See also:

• Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1815-1934
• Historical Flags (Mecklenburg, Germany)
• Standards of the Emperor and Other Sovereigns 1870-1919 (Germany)
• Proposed Baltic Duchy 1918

Standarte des Grossherzogs

4:5
by Theo van der Zalm modified by Santiago Dotor

The banner of arms of Mecklenburg:

• inescutcheon: per fess red over yellow (County of Schwerin);
• field 1: on yellow a gold crowned black oxhead with white horn and red tongue (lesser arms of Mecklenburg);
• field 2: in light blue a gold griffin (Rostock);
• field 3: divided per fess Rostock and green with white border (Principality of Schwerin);
• field 4: on red a white cross with gold crown (Ratzeburg);
• field 5: on a red field a white arm (Stargard);
• field 6: like Mecklenburg but oxhead is diagonal (Wenden).

Norman Martin, 3 March 1998

Znamierowski 1999 labels this flag "Grand Duke of Mecklenburg 1900-1918".

Santiago Dotor, 28 September 2000

According to Ströhl 1897 and Neubecker 1933 the grand duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin flies a banner-of-arms in the proportions 4:5.

Theo van der Zalm, 15 June 2001

Seeflagge des Grossherzogs und der Grossherzoglichen Hauses

2:3
by Theo van der Zalm

According to Siebmacher 1878, the grand ducal house of Schwerin used a flag of 3.75 m × 5.625 m with the middle arms on a white square (sides 1.75 m) in the middle.

The middle arms show the shield of Mecklenburg as arranged in the seventeenth century. The county of Schwerin in the central inescutcheon and in the quarters Mecklenburg (oxhead with hide), Rostock (griffin), principality of Schwerin (griffin and green rectangle), Ratzeburg (crowned cross), Stargard (hand holding ring) and Wenden (oxhead). The shield has a bull and a griffin as supporters and bears a royal crown.

Ströhl 1897 and Neubecker 1933 show another arrangement (...) and assign the former Schwerin standard with the white panel to the grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Theo van der Zalm, 15 June 2001

This flag is similar to the standard of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz until 1918 but also similar to the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Grand Duke's Ensign reported c.1834.

Santiago Dotor, 21 June 2001

Siebmacher 1878 actually gives 3.75 m × 5.625 m (i.e. ratio 2:3) with the arms on a rectangular white panel as high as 7/15 of the hoist (1.75 m) and as long as 8/15 of the hoist (2 m).

Santiago Dotor, 10 June 2002

Reported c.1834

2:3
by Jaume Ollé

Grossherzogtum Mecklenburg-Schwerische Staatsflagge, gefuhrt auf den Grossherzoglichen Jachten und Schiffen, wenn der Grossherzog und weitere Mitglieder der fürstlichen Familie an Bord sind (dated c. 1834). [State Ensign of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, flown by the grand ducal yachts and ships when the Grand Duke and other members of the ducal family are on board.]

Jaume Ollé, 27 September 1998, translated by Santiago Dotor, 28 September 2000

Ströhl 1897 also mentions a special sea flag for the grand ducal house, blue-white-red with the middle arms in the white stripe [without any white panel going into the blue and red stripes].

Theo van der Zalm, 15 June 2001

Possible variant

2:3
by Jaume Ollé

Standarte der Großherzogin Alexandra, geboren Prinzessin zu Hannover

2:3
by Theo van der Zalm modified by Santiago Dotor

The sinister escutcheon is the post-1837 arms of Hanover — the British arms with the Hanover arms on the inescutcheon.

Grand Duchess Alexandra was born Royal Princess of Hanover, Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg, born Gmünden, Austria, 29 September 1882, the daughter of Ernst August II, Crown Prince of Hanover, Duke of Cumberland, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg and Princess Thyra of Denmark. She married Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 7 June 1904 and was his consort until his abdication 14 November 1918. They continued in their marriage until his death 17 November 1945. She died 30 August 1963.

Norman Martin, 6 October 2000

Neubecker 1933 shows a standard for grand duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, princess of Hannover (1882-1963), showing her shield and that of Mecklenburg joined by the order of the Wendic Crown in a white oval. At sea the yellow stripe on her flag was of course white.

Theo van der Zalm, 15 June 2001

The title of Duke of Cumberland was taken away in 1917. Under the British Titles of Enemy Princes Act, Karl Edward of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, grandson of Queen Victoria, lost his title of Duke of Albany. The British Royal House changed its name to Windsor. In all four peers who supported Germany or Austria-Hungary lost their titles. Before 1917 the "enemy princes" were listed as members of the House of Lords!

David Cox, 9 August 2001

Standarte der Herzogen

1:1      by Theo van der Zalm modified by Santiago Dotor

1:1 by Jaume Ollé

According to Neubecker 1933 the princes (dukes) of Mecklenburg-Schwerin had their own standard, showing the griffin of Rostock.

Theo van der Zalm, 15 June 2001

Standarte der Mitglieder des Grossherzoglichen Hauses

Ströhl 1897 mentions a blue-yellow-red flag for the grand ducal house by law of 23 December 1863 with the middle arms in the yellow band [which he does not illustrate because it has not yet been used]. He also mentions a special sea flag, the same but with a white middle stripe.

Theo van der Zalm, 15 June 2001

by Jaume Ollé