Her Highness Marie Katharina Elisabeth Henriette Friederike Sophie Josephine et omnes sancti, Duchess of Mecklenburg, Princess of Wenden, Schwerin and Ratzeburg, Countess of Schwerin, Lady of the Lands of Rostock and Stargard, was born on 14 November 1949 in Stuttgart. She is the second child of Duke Georg Alexander and his wife Duchess Ilona.
Duchess Marie Katharina grew up with her family in the West German state of Baden-Württemberg in the south of the country.
Duchess Marie Katharina was married to Wolfgang von Wasielewski in a civil wedding on 17 March 1978 in Bonn. This was followed by a religious wedding four months later on 15 July 1978 in Biengen. After their marriage Duchess Marie Katharina and her husband initially lived together in Bonn before later moving to Munich where their two children were born, Natalia, in 1981 and Alexander, in 1983.
Through their daughter, who married Baron Constantin von Reitzenstein in 2010, Duchess Marie Katharina and her husband have four grandchildren, Helena, born 2011, Ferdinand, born 2013, Kyrill, born 2015 and Sophie, born 2018. Through their son Alexander, who was married to Johanna Gering in July 2017, they have a fifth grandchild, Alma (born 2020).
Professionally Duchess Marie Katharina worked as a painting and sculpture restorer and her husband as a lawyer. Upon their retirement the couple moved out of Munich into a village in the Bavarian countryside.
Honours
- Dame of the Star Cross Order, Imperial House of Austria