Tunic (1895 model) of Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV. as Cavalry General and Head of the grand-ducal Mecklenburg dragoon regiment No. 17 (Ludwigslust)

• 1895

The uniform tunic is made from high-quality fine cloth in a cornflower blue colour. It has a poppy-red square collar and red Swedish cuffs. On each side of the collar and on each lapel there are two gold embroidered guard braids. There are eight yellow buttons on the front of the tunic and six on the curved pocket edges. Loops on the left breast make it possible to attach a medal chain and various star-shaped medals or pin crosses. These include a linen cross (profession cross) of the Order of St. John for Frederick Francis IV. as Knight of Justice of the Prussian bailiwick of the Order of St. John.

The Mecklenburg field epaulets (model 1888) were made of gold-silver meshes of edged cord on a poppy-red cloth background. The silver cord is worked with thin blue-red-gold horizontal stripes. The epaulets bear silver ranking stars with a crown (introduced on 18th July 1885) and the gilded monogram FF III. After Frederick Francis IV. came to power in 1901 and took over the dragoon regiment the Grand Duke decreed that, as a lasting tribute to his father Frederick Francis III., the monogram should in future bear the number III on the epaulets. The uniform continued to bear it after the First World War.