Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and the father of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom and Queen of Hannover.
Background
Charles was born in Strelitz, the only son of the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick II, and his third wife, Princess Christiane Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. His father died when he was only three months old.
Career
His half-brother succeeded Charles"s father as Adolphus Frederick III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He inherited from his father the commandries of Mirow and Nemerow. After the death of his father he lived in Mirow with his mother.
He later attended the University of Greifswald in Pomerania.
Charles, who played the transverse flute, set off in 1726 on a European tour to learn more about music After visiting Geneva, Italy and France he went to Vienna and briefly entered the service of the Holy Roman Emperor as a Lieutenant Colonel before returning to Mirow.
He lived at Mirow until his death there at the age of 44. When his older half-brother, Adolphus Frederick III, died in December 1752 without a male heir, Charles Louis Frederick"s son Adolf Friedrich IV became the next Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Charles was married on 5 February 1735 in Eisfeld to Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen, daughter of Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
They had ten children, of whom six survived to adulthood:.