Ernst August, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser'' XVIII. "Haus Hannover". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2007, pp. 22–26. . (; 18 March 1914 – 9 December 1987) was head of the

House of Hanover The House of Hanover ( ) is a European royal house with roots tracing back to the 17th century. Its members, known as Hanoverians, ruled Hanover, Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire at various times during the 17th to 20th centurie ...

from 1953 until his death in 1987. From his birth until the

German Revolution of 1918–1919 German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

he was the

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the

Duchy of Brunswick The Duchy of Brunswick () was a historical German state that ceased to exist in 1918. Its capital city, capital was the city of Braunschweig, Brunswick (). It was established as the successor state of the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel ...

, a state of the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. He was born at

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( ; from Low German , local dialect: ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

, Germany, the eldest son of

Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Ernest Augustus (Ernest Augustus Christian George; ; 17 November 1887 – 30 January 1953) was Duke of Brunswick from 2 November 1913 to 8 November 1918. He was a grandson of George V of Hanover, thus a Prince of Hanover and a Prince of the Unit ...

and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the only daughter of Emperor

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

, Ernest Augustus's third cousin in descent from

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

the United Kingdom. Ernst August's parents were, therefore, third cousins, once removed. From his birth, he was the ''Hereditary Prince of Brunswick''. He was also, shortly after birth in 1914, made a

British prince Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a royal title normally granted to sons and grandsons of reigning and past British monarchs, plus consorts of female monarchs (by letters patent). The title is granted by the ...

by King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

of the United Kingdom, and was heir to the titles

Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was held by junior members of the British royal family. It was named after the county of Cumberland in England, and after Teviotdale in Scotland. Held by the King ...

and

Earl of Armagh Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

. His German titles were abolished in 1919 by the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

, while the British peerages to whom he was heir were suspended under the

Titles Deprivation Act 1917 The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which authorised enemies of the United Kingdom during the First World War to be deprived of their British peerages and royal titles. Background The British royal fami ...

. Nonetheless, he held title of Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, granted ''ad personam'' to the children of the then-Duke of Brunswick by the letters patent of 1914, which remained unrevoked.

Life

The christening of Ernst August in the summer of 1914 was the last great gathering of European monarchs before the start of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He had an illustrious list of godparents:

George V of the United Kingdom George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...

Ludwig III of Bavaria Ludwig III (Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfred; 7 January 1845 – 18 October 1921) was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918. Initially, he served in the Bavarian Army, Bavarian military as a lieutenant and went on to hold ...

, Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Adalbert of Prussia,

Prince Oskar of Prussia Oskar Karl Gustav Adolf Prince of Prussia (27 July 1888 – 27 January 1958) was the fifth son of German Emperor Wilhelm II and Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. Biography Birth and family Prinz Oskar of Prussia ...

Prince Maximilian of Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden (''Maximilian Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm''; 10 July 1867 – 6 November 1929),Almanach de Gotha. ''Haus Baden (Maison de Bade)''. Justus Perthes (publishing company), Justus Perthes, Gotha, 1944, p. 18, (French). al ...

, the 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiment, and all four of his grandparents: the

German Emperor The German Emperor (, ) was the official title of the head of state and Hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the abdicati ...

and

Empress The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

and the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

and

Duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they a ...

of Cumberland. He ceased being heir to the duchy of Brunswick at the age of four, when his father abdicated in 1918. After his father's death in 1953, he became head of the

. During World War II, he fought at the Russian Front as ''Oberleutnant'' in the staff of Generaloberst

Erich Hoepner Erich Kurt Richard Hoepner (14 September 1886 – 8 August 1944) was a German general during World War II. An early proponent of mechanisation and armoured warfare, he was a Wehrmacht Heer army corps commander at the beginning of the war, lead ...

. He was seriously injured near

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

in spring 1943. After the

20 July plot The 20 July plot, sometimes referred to as Operation Valkyrie, was a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the chancellor and leader of Nazi Germany, and overthrow the Nazi regime on 20 July 1944. The plotters were part of the German r ...

in 1944, he was imprisoned for a few weeks by the Gestapo in Berlin. He had joined the SS in 1933 and remained a member for one year."The prince and the Nazis"
''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...

'', Feb 13, 1999. His official "

denazification Denazification () was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of the Nazi ideology following the Second World War. It was carried out by removing those who had been Nazi Par ...

" certificate from 1949 vetting his Third Reich associations classified him as "a nominal Nazi supporter", without being a Nazi party member, and according to a Foreign Office record. In 1938 his sister, Princess Frederica had married the later King Paul I of the Hellenes and in 1946 his younger brother Prince George William married Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, thus becoming the brother-in-law of

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

and Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

of the United Kingdom. Ernest Augustus was himself an heir to the British titles of Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, recognised ''ad personam'' for Ernst August's father as well as for him and his siblings by King

of the United Kingdom on 17 June 1914,Heraldica.org. Velde, François ''Styles of the members of the British royal family:Documents''
Children of the duke and duchess of Brunswick (June 17, 1914)
/ref>

Duke of Cumberland Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British royal family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom w ...

and Teviotdale,

, which however were all suspended under the

. In addition to being a German, he also held British nationality, after successfully claiming it under the

Sophia Naturalization Act 1705 The Act for the Naturalization of the Most Excellent Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, and the Issue of her Body was an Act of the Parliament of England ( 4 & 5 Ann. c. 16) in 1705. It followed the Act of Settlement 170 ...

in the case of '' Attorney-General v. Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover''. Nonetheless, a problem arose as foreign royal titles cannot be entered into a British passport. Therefore, the titles ''Prince of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg'' could not be mentioned there, nor could the British titles due to the Titles Deprivation Act of 1917. The name which was finally entered into his British documents, was thus ''Ernest Augustus

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...

'', with the addition of ''His

Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of a ...

''. ''Guelph'' is thus also the British last name of his siblings and children, all styled ''Royal Highnesses'' in the United Kingdom. In 1961 he sold his remaining properties at

Herrenhausen Gardens The Herrenhausen Gardens (, ) of Herrenhausen Palace are located in Herrenhausen, an urban district of Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony, Germany. Dating to the era of the King of Hanover, Kings of Hanover, they comprise Great Garden (), Ber ...

, including the site of Herrenhausen Palace which had been destroyed by a British bombing raid in 1943. He kept however the ''Princely House'', a small palace built in 1720 by

George I of Great Britain George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. ...

for his daughter Anna Louise. Ernest Augustus converted Marienburg Castle into a museum in 1954, after having moved to nearby Calenberg Demesne, which caused a row with his mother, who was forced to move out. He also sold the family's exile seat, '' Cumberland Castle'' at

Gmunden Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, in the district of Gmunden (district), Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). Geography Gmunden covers an area of and has a median elevation of . It is situated next to the lake Traunsee on t ...

, Austria, to the state of

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

in 1979, but his family foundation based in

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

kept vast forests, a game park, a hunting lodge, '' The Queen's Villa'' and other property at Gmunden. The family property is now managed by his grandson Ernst August.

Marriage and children

In 1941 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, his cousin Prince Hubertus of Prussia married the noted society beauty and aristocrat Baroness Maria Anna von Humboldt-Dachroeden (1916–2003). The couple, however, divorced in 1943, after her affair with Ernest Augustus resulted in the birth of a son. Ernest Augustus however did not marry Maria Anna because his parents would not have approved, since she was considered of inadequate birth and was also a divorcée, and the marriage would have made his younger brother Prince George William heir to the headship of the House of Hanover. The child, christened Christian Ernst August Hubertus, Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden, was born in 1943 and is currently a bank consultant. On 5 September 1951, Ernest Augustus married Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1925–1980). The wedding was attended by many important royal figures, including his sister Queen Frederica and her husband King Paul of Greece, and the heads of the houses of Saxony, Hesse, Mecklenburg, Oldenburg, and Baden. The wedding was followed with a reception in the Gallery Building at

, the only part of the House of Hanover's former summer palace still intact, as the palace itself had been burned down during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. His children by his first wife are: * Princess Marie of Hanover (born 26 November 1952), married Count Michael Georg von Hochberg-Fürstenstein (b. 1943) and had issue. * Prince Ernst August of Hanover (born 1954), married firstly Chantal Hochuli (b. 1955) and had issue, married secondly Princess Caroline of Monaco and had issue. *

Prince Ludwig Rudolph of Hanover Prince Ludwig Rudolph of Hanover, of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg () (21 November 1955 – 29 November 1988) was a member of the House of Hanover and a music producer. Early life and career Ludwig Rudolph was born in ...

(1955–1988), married Countess Isabelle von Thurn und Valsássina-Como-Vercelli (1962–1988), with whom he had one son. Ludwig died of suicide shortly after discovering the body of his wife, who had died of a drug overdose. * Princess Olga of Hanover (born 17 February 1958) * Princess Alexandra of Hanover (born 18 February 1959), married Andreas, 8th Prince of Leiningen (b. 1955) and had issue. * Prince Heinrich of Hanover (born 1961), married Thyra Donata Sixtina von Westernhagen and had issue. In 1954, the couple, together with Ernest Augustus's three younger brothers, took part in the ship tour organized by his sister, Queen Frederica, and her husband King Paul of Greece, which became known as the " Cruise of the Kings" and was attended by over 100 royals from all over Europe. Princess Ortrud died in 1980. Ernest Augustus married again in 1981,

Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach Monika, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (born Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach; 8 August 1929 – 4 June 2015) was a German noblewoman and philanthropist. She was the second wife of Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover (1914–19 ...

(1929–2015), daughter of Georg, 9th Count of

Solms-Laubach Solms-Laubach was a County of southern Hesse and eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The House of Solms had its origins in Solms, Hesse. History Solms-Laubach was originally created as a partition of Solms-Lich. In 1537 Philip, Count of S ...

(1899–1969) and his wife, Princess Johanna of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (1905–1982). He died at Schulenburg, Pattensen,

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

, Germany, aged 73, and was buried next to his first wife on a round bastion of Marienburg Castle (Hanover).

In popular culture

He was portrayed by Daniel Betts in the first season of the Netflix series ''

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

''.IMDB – The Crown, accessed May 2017
/ref>

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

, descent from father to son, is the principle behind membership in

royal house A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

s, as it can be traced back through the generations – which means that the ''historically accurate'' royal house of monarchs of the House of Hanover was the House of Lucca (or Este, or Welf). This is the descent of the primary male heir. For the complete expanded family tree, see List of members of the House of Hanover. # Oberto I, 912–975 # Oberto II, 940–1017 # Albert Azzo I, Margrave of Milan, 970–1029 # Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, d. 1097 #

Welf I, Duke of Bavaria Welf I ( 1035/10406 November 1101) was Duke of Bavaria from 1070 to 1077 and from 1096 to his death. He was the first member of the Welf branch of the House of Este. In the genealogy of the Elder House of Welf, he is counted as Welf IV. Bio ...

, 1037–1101 #

Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria Henry IX (107513 December 1126), was a member of the House of Welf, a powerful dynasty in medieval Germany. He was born around 1075 and died in 1126. Henry IX is often referred to as “Henry the Black” (Heinrich der Schwarze) and ruled as Duk ...

, 1074–1126 #

Henry X, Duke of Bavaria Henry the Proud () (20 October 1139), a member of the House of Welf, was List of rulers of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria (as Henry X) from 1126 to 1138 and List of rulers of Saxony, Duke of Saxony (as Henry II) as well as Margrave of Tusca ...

, 1108–1139 # Henry the Lion, 1129–1195 # William of Winchester, Lord of Lunenburg, 1184–1213 # Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1204–1252 #

Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Albert the Tall (, ; 1236 – 15 August 1279), a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1252 and the first ruler of the newly created Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from 1269 until his death. Life Albert was ...

, 1236–1279 # Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1268–1318 #

Magnus the Pious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...

, 1304–1369 #

Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Magnus (c. 1324 – 25 July 1373), called Magnus with the Necklace () or Magnus II, was Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, ruling the Brunswick-Lüneburg principalities of Wolfenbüttel (colloquially also called Brunswick) and, temporarily, Lüneburg. ...

, 1328–1373 # Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1362–1434 # Frederick II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1408–1478 # Otto V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1439–1471 # Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1468–1532 #

Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg (; 27 June 1497 – 11 January 1546), also frequently called Ernest the Confessor, was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a champion of the Protestant cause during the early years of the Protestant Reformation. He was ...

, 1497–1546 # William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1535–1592 #

George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (17 February 1582, in Celle (German Georg)– 12 April 1641, in Hildesheim), ruled as Prince of Calenberg from 1635. He was a member of the House of Welf, a prominent German noble family. George was part of a ...

, 1582–1641 #

Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover Ernest Augustus (; 20 November 1629 – 23 January 1698), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was Prince of Principality of Calenberg, Calenberg from 1679 until his death, and father of George I of Great Britain. He was appointed as the ninth prince-ele ...

, 1629–1698 #

, 1660–1727 #

George II of Great Britain George II (George Augustus; ; 30 October / 9 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Electorate of Hanover, Hanover) and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Em ...

, 1683–1760 #

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis, German: ''Friedrich Ludwig''; 31 January 1707 – 31 March 1751) was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen C ...

, 1707–1751 #

the United Kingdom, 1738–1820 #

Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover Ernest Augustus (; 5 June 177118 November 1851) was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death in 1851. As the fifth son of George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover, he initially seemed unlikely to become a monarch, but none of his e ...

, 1771–1851 #

George V of Hanover George V (Georg Friedrich Alexander Karl Ernst August; 27 May 1819 – 12 June 1878) was the last King of Hanover, reigning from 18 November 1851 to 20 September 1866. The only child of King Ernest Augustus and Queen Frederica, he succeeded ...

, 1819–1878 #

Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (; 21 September 1845 – 14 November 1923), was the eldest child and only son of George V of Hanover and his wife, Marie of Saxe-Altenburg. Ernest Augustus was dep ...

, 1845–1923 #

, 1887–1953 #Ernest Augustus, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, 1914–1987

Notes

External links

Official website of the House of Hanover (in German)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover 1914 births 1987 deaths Nobility from Braunschweig Hanoverian princes British princes House of Hanover Heirs apparent who never acceded Sons of dukes Pretenders