Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover (1914–1987)
| Ernest Augustus IV | |||||
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Prince of Hanover Hereditary Prince of Brunswick | |||||
| Head of the House of Hanover | |||||
| Reign | 30 January 1953 – 9 December 1987 | ||||
| Predecessor | Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick | ||||
| Successor | Ernst August, Prince of Hanover | ||||
| Born |
18 March 1914 Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany | ||||
| Died |
9 December 1987 (aged 73) Schulenburg, Pattensen, Lower Saxony, Germany | ||||
| Spouse |
Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Countess Monika of Solms-Laubach | ||||
| Issue |
Marie, Countess of Hochberg Ernest Augustus V Prince Louis Rudolph Princess Olga Alexandra, Princess of Leiningen Prince Henry Julius | ||||
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| House | Hanover | ||||
| Father | Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick | ||||
| Mother | Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia | ||||
Ernst August, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover[1] (German: Ernst August Prinz von Hannover; 18 March 1914, Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany – 9 December 1987, Schulenburg, Pattensen, Lower Saxony, Germany) was head of the House of Hanover from 1953 until his death. He was the eldest son of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, the youngest child and only daughter of Wilhelm II, Ernest Augustus's third cousin in descent from George III of the United Kingdom. Ernst August's parents were, therefore, third cousins, once removed. From his birth, he was the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick (German: Ernst August, Erbprinz von Braunschweig). He was also, shortly after birth in 1914, awarded the title of Prince of Great Britain and Ireland by King George V of the United Kingdom,[2] and was heir to the titles of Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale and Earl of Armagh. His British titles were suspended under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917.
Life
Augustus' christening in the summer of 1914 was the last great gathering of European monarchs before the start of World War I. He had an illustrious list of godparents, including the German Emperor and Empress, his maternal grandparents; the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, his paternal grandparents; George V of the United Kingdom, Franz Joseph of Austria, Nicholas II of Russia, Ludwig III of Bavaria, Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Adalbert of Prussia, Prince Oskar of Prussia, Prince Maximilian of Baden and The 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry Regiment.
He lost his titles when his father abdicated in 1918 when he was 4 years old. After his father's death in 1953, he became head of the House of Hanover. He was usually styled His Royal Highness The Prince of Hanover and sometimes as Ernest Augustus IV.
During World War II, he fought at the Russian Front as Oberleutnant in the staff of Generaloberst Erich Hoepner. He was seriously injured near Charkov in spring 1943. After the 20 July plot in 1944, he was imprisoned for a few weeks by the Gestapo in Berlin.
In addition to being a German, he also held British nationality, after successfully claiming it under the Sophia Naturalization Act 1705 in the case of Attorney-General v. Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover.[3] He was also heir to the British title of Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, suspended under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917.
Marriage and children
On 5 September 1951, Ernest Augustus married Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1925–1980).[4] The wedding was attended by many important royal figures, including his sister Queen Frederica and her husband King Paul I of Greece, and the heads of the houses of Saxony, Hesse, Mecklenburg, Oldenburg, and Baden.[4] The wedding was followed with a reception at Herrenhausen, the only part of Hanover's former palace still intact (the rest had been burned down during World War II).[4]
His children by his first wife are:[1]
- Princess Marie of Hanover (b. 1952), married Count Michael von Hochberg and had issue.
- Prince Ernst August of Hanover (b. 1954), married first Chantal Hochuli and had issue, married second Princess Caroline of Monaco and had issue.
- Prince Ludwig Rudolph Georg Wilhelm Philipp Friedrich Wolrad Maximilian of Hanover (1955–1988), married Countess Isabelle von Thurn and Valsassina-Como-Vercelli (1962–1988), with whom he had one son. Ludwig committed suicide shortly after discovering the body of his wife, who had died of a drug overdose.
- Princess Olga Sophie Charlotte Anna of Hanover (b. 1958)
- Princess Alexandra Irene Margaretha Elisabeth Bathildis of Hanover (b. 1959), married Andreas, 8th Prince of Leiningen and had issue.
- Prince Heinrich Julius Christian Otto Friedrich Franz Anton Günther of Hanover (b. 1961), married Thyra von Westernhagen and had issue (including a son, Albert).
Princess Ortrud died in 1980. Ernest Augustus married again in 1981, Countess Monika of Solms-Laubach (1929–2015).[1]
Titles and styles
- 18 March 1914 - 8 November 1918: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Prince of Brunswick
- in pretense 8 November 1918 - 30 January 1953: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Prince of Brunswick
- in pretense 30 January 1953 - 9 December 1987: His Royal Highness The Duke of Brunswick
- 18 March 1914 - 14 November 1923: His Royal Highness Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover
- 14 November 1923 - 30 January 1953: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Hanover
- 30 January 1953 - 9 December 1987: His Royal Highness The Prince of Hanover
- in pretense: His Majesty The King of Hanover
- 18 March 1914 - 28 March 1919: His Highness Prince Ernest Augustus of Cumberland
Ancestry
| Patrilineal descent |
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Patrilineal descent, descent from father to son, is the principle behind membership in royal houses, 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.
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Notes
- 1 2 3 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XVIII. "Haus Hannover". C.A. Starke Verlag, 2007, pp. 22–26. ISBN 978-3-7980-0841-0.
- ↑ http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/prince_highness_docs.htm#1914
- ↑ British naturalisation; legal cases online, accessed Jan 2009
- 1 2 3 "Prince Ernst of Hanover Married", The Irish Times, 5 September 1951
External links
| Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover (1914–1987) Cadet branch of the House of Welf Born: 18 March 1914 Died: 9 December 1987 | ||
| Titles in pretence | ||
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| Preceded by Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick |
'— TITULAR — ''''' |
Succeeded by Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover |
| — TITULAR — King of Hanover 30 January 1953 – 9 December 1987 Reason for succession failure: Hanover annexed by Prussia in 1866 | ||
| — TITULAR — Duke of Brunswick 30 January 1953 – 9 December 1987 Reason for succession failure: Duchy abolished in 1918 | ||
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