Adolphus Frederick Augustus Victor Ernest Adalbert Gustavus William Wellington of Mecklenburg was born in Neustrelitz the only surviving child of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick William of Mecklenburg - Strelitz and Princess Augusta of Cambridge. Following the death of his grandfather Grand Duke George on 6 September 1860 Adolphus Frederick became the heir apparent to the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg - Strelitz with the title of Hereditary Grand Duke. Adolphus Frederick took part in the Franco - Prussian war and represented his father at the crowning of King William I of Prussia as German Emperor at Versailles. He succeeded his father as Grand Duke on 30 May 1904. He was a first cousin of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, consort of British King George V.

His mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg - Strelitz, the former British Princess Augusta of Cambridge, was disgusted at her son's military ways. She wrote to her niece, the future British Queen Mary, "Strelitz that was never a Military State, suddenly is all drums and fifes, ... such a pity, a bad imitation of Schwerin & small German Courts, whilst we were a Gentlemanlike Civilian court!"

In 1907 Adolphus Frederick announced that he would grant Mecklenburg - Strelitz a constitution but this was met with opposition from nobles. In his attempt to create a constitution he offered to pay $2,500,000 to the national treasury if the nobles and land owning classes dropped their opposition. In 1912 he repeated attempts to create a constitution for Mecklenburg - Strelitz which along with Mecklenburg - Schwerin were the only European states without a constitution.

In January 1914, Adolphus Frederick was reported to be the second richest person in Germany after the Emperor William II with a fortune of $88,750,000.

Adolphus Frederick died in Berlin, and was succeeded by his eldest son Adolphus Frederick VI.

Adolphus Frederick was married on 17 April 1877 in Dessau to Princess Elisabeth of Anhalt. His mother commented on his wife, "She welters in happiness at her luxurious "Schloss" wearing a new Paris dress daily, Diamonds, also, when we are quite entre nous - Yes, she does enjoy being a Grand Duchess! poor dear, I am glad she does, for I never did." Adolphus Frederick and Elisabeth had four children.