Ernest Augustus II of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale
Encyclopedia
Ernst August, Crown Prince of Hanover, Heir of Brunswick, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, 3rd Earl of Armagh, (Ernest Augustus William Adolphus George Frederick; 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
. Ernst August was deprived of the thrones of Hanover upon its annexation by Prussia
in 1866 and later the Duchy of Brunswick
in 1884. Although he was the senior male-line great-grandson of George III
, the Duke of Cumberland was deprived of his British peerages and honours for having sided with Germany
in World War I
.
during the reign of his paternal grandfather, Ernest Augustus I
. He became the Crown Prince
of Hanover upon his father's ascension as George V in November 1851. William I of Prussia
and his minister-president Otto von Bismarck
deposed George V for having sided with the defeated Austria
in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War
. During that war, the Crown Prince saw action at the Battle of Langensalza
.
, near Vienna
, but spent a good deal of time in Paris
. George V never abandoned his claim to the Hanoverian throne and maintained the Guelphic Legion
at his own expense. The former Crown Prince travelled during this early period of exile. While visiting his second cousin Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
(later King Edward VII) at Sandringham
in 1875, he met Princess Thyra of Denmark
(29 September 1853 – 26 February 1933), the youngest daughter of King Christian IX
and a sister of the Princess of Wales (later Queen Alexandra)
.
and Earl of Armagh in the Peerage of Ireland
. Queen Victoria
created him a Knight of the Garter
on 1 August 1878.
at Copenhagen
.
in 1886 and promoted him to lieutenant general in 1892 and general in 1898. Although he was a British peer and a prince of Great Britain and Ireland, he continued to consider himself an exiled monarch of a German realm, making his home in Gmunden
, Upper Austria
. He refused to disclaim his succession rights to Hanover. In 1884, the reigning Duke William of Brunswick, a distant cousin, died and the Duke of Cumberland was hereditary heir and first in line of succession to the Duchy. Bismarck, however, managed to exclude him from this inheritance, as he had also from his father's throne, declaring the throne vacant and putting the Duchy under Prussian administration.
created a breach between the British Royal Family
and its Hanoverian cousins. On 13 May 1915, King George V of Great Britain
ordered the removal of the Duke of Cumberland from the Roll of the Order of the Garter. Under the terms of the Titles Deprivation Act 1917
, on 28 March 1919 his name was removed from the roll of Peers of Great Britain and of Ireland by Order of the King in Council for "bearing arms against Great Britain."
on his estate at Gmunden
in November 1923.
The Duke and Duchess of Cumberland had six children.
George V of Hanover
George V was King of Hanover, the only child of Ernest Augustus I, and a grandchild of King George III of the United Kingdom. In the peerage of Great Britain, he was 2nd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, 2nd Earl of Armagh...
and his wife, Marie of Saxe-Altenburg
Marie of Saxe-Altenburg
Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg was Queen of Hanover and the consort of George V, a grandson of George III of the United Kingdom and Queen Charlotte.-Early life:Marie was born at Hildburghausen, as Princess Marie of...
. Ernst August was deprived of the thrones of Hanover upon its annexation by Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
in 1866 and later the Duchy of Brunswick
Duchy of Brunswick
Brunswick was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established as an independent duchy by the Congress of Vienna in 1815...
in 1884. Although he was the senior male-line great-grandson of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, the Duke of Cumberland was deprived of his British peerages and honours for having sided with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Early life
Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, was born at HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
during the reign of his paternal grandfather, Ernest Augustus I
Ernest Augustus I of Hanover
Ernest Augustus I was King of Hanover from 20 June 1837 until his death. He was the fifth son and eighth child of George III, who reigned in both the United Kingdom and Hanover...
. He became the Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of Hanover upon his father's ascension as George V in November 1851. William I of Prussia
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
and his minister-president Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
deposed George V for having sided with the defeated Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
. During that war, the Crown Prince saw action at the Battle of Langensalza
Second Battle of Langensalza
The Battle of Langensalza was fought on June 27, 1866 near Bad Langensalza in what is now modern Germany, between the Kingdom of Hanover and the Prussians. The Hanoverians won the battle but were then surrounded by a larger and reinforced Prussian army, and, unable to link up with their Bavarian...
.
Exile
After the war, the exiled Hanoverian royal family took up residence in HietzingHietzing
Hietzing is the 13th municipal District of Vienna . It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling...
, near Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, but spent a good deal of time in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. George V never abandoned his claim to the Hanoverian throne and maintained the Guelphic Legion
Guelphic Legion
The Guelphic Legion was a Hanoverian paramilitary unit maintained by at the expense of George V, claimant to the throne of Hanover from 1866 to 1870. In the fall of 1866, a large number of Hanoverian soldiers left Hanover for Holland at the behest of King George V and his newly established court...
at his own expense. The former Crown Prince travelled during this early period of exile. While visiting his second cousin Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
(later King Edward VII) at Sandringham
Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
in 1875, he met Princess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark was the youngest daughter of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.-Early life:Thyra was the sister of Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, George I of Greece and...
(29 September 1853 – 26 February 1933), the youngest daughter of King Christian IX
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
and a sister of the Princess of Wales (later Queen Alexandra)
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
.
Succession
When King George V died in Paris on 12 June 1878, Prince Ernst August succeeded him as Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale in the Peerage of Great BritainPeerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
and Earl of Armagh in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
. Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
created him a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
on 1 August 1878.
Marriage
On 21 December/22 December 1878, he married Princess Thyra of DenmarkPrincess Thyra of Denmark
Princess Thyra of Denmark was the youngest daughter of Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel.-Early life:Thyra was the sister of Frederik VIII of Denmark, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, George I of Greece and...
at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Duchy of Brunswick
Queen Victoria appointed the Duke of Cumberland a major general in the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1886 and promoted him to lieutenant general in 1892 and general in 1898. Although he was a British peer and a prince of Great Britain and Ireland, he continued to consider himself an exiled monarch of a German realm, making his home in Gmunden
Gmunden
Gmunden is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,202 inhabitants . It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of goat, lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc...
, Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
. He refused to disclaim his succession rights to Hanover. In 1884, the reigning Duke William of Brunswick, a distant cousin, died and the Duke of Cumberland was hereditary heir and first in line of succession to the Duchy. Bismarck, however, managed to exclude him from this inheritance, as he had also from his father's throne, declaring the throne vacant and putting the Duchy under Prussian administration.
Reconciliation
The Duke of Cumberland was partially reconciled with the Hohenzollern dynasty in 1913, when his surviving son, Prince Ernst August, married the only daughter of German Emperor Wilhelm II, the grandson of the Prussian king who had deposed his father. He renounced his succession rights to the Brunswick duchy (which had belonged to the Guelph dynasty since 1235) on 24 October 1913. In exchange, the younger Ernst August became the reigning Duke of Brunswick on 1 November. William II created the elder Ernst August a Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle. In 1918 the younger Duke Ernst August abdicated his throne along with the other German princes when all the German dynasties were disestablished by the successor German provisional Government which was established when the Emperor himself abdicated and fled Germany in exile to the Netherlands.War
The outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
created a breach between the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
and its Hanoverian cousins. On 13 May 1915, King George V of Great Britain
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
ordered the removal of the Duke of Cumberland from the Roll of the Order of the Garter. Under the terms of the Titles Deprivation Act 1917
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:...
, on 28 March 1919 his name was removed from the roll of Peers of Great Britain and of Ireland by Order of the King in Council for "bearing arms against Great Britain."
Later life
Prince Ernst August, the former Crown Prince of Hanover and former Duke of Cumberland, died of a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on his estate at Gmunden
Gmunden
Gmunden is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,202 inhabitants . It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of goat, lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc...
in November 1923.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 21 September 1845–18 November 1851: His Royal Highness Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover and Cumberland
- 18 November 1851–12 June 1878: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Hanover
- 12 June 1878–28 March 1919: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale
Arms
Until his father's death in 1878, Ernest Augustus' arms in right of the United Kingdom were those of his father (being the arms of the United Kingdom, differenced by a label argent of three points, the centre point charged with a fleur-de-lys azure, and each of the other points charged with a cross gules; the whole further differenced by a label gules bearing a horse courant argent), the whole a third time differenced by a label gules bearing a horse courant argent. Upon his father's death, he inherited his arms.Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Marie Louise of Hanover and Cumberland Princess Marie Louise of Hanover and Cumberland Princess Marie Louise of Hanover and Cumberland , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg... |
11 October 1879 | 31 January 1948 | married Prince Maximilian of Baden Prince Maximilian of Baden Maximilian of Baden was a German prince and politician... (10 July 1867 – 6 November 1929); had issue |
| Prince George William of Hanover and Cumberland Prince George William of Hanover and Cumberland Prince George William of Hanover , Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the eldest son of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover... |
28 October 1880 | 20 May 1912 | |
| Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland (German: Alexandra Louise Marie Olga Elisabeth Therese Vera Prinzessin von Hannover und Cumberland), Princess of Great Britain and... |
29 September 1882 | 30 August 1963 | married Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (9 April 1882 – 17 November 1945) |
| Princess Olga of Hanover and Cumberland Princess Olga of Hanover and Cumberland Princess Olga of Hanover and Cumberland , Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg .-Biography:Olga was the youngest daughter of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of... |
11 July 1884 | 21 September 1958 | |
| Prince Christian of Hanover and Cumberland Prince Christian of Hanover and Cumberland Prince Christian of Hanover Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the second eldest son of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover and Princess Thyra of Denmark , the... |
4 July 1885 | 3 September 1901 | |
| Prince Ernst August (III) of Hanover and Cumberland | 17 November 1887 | 30 January 1953 | married Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia Victoria Louise of Prussia was the only daughter and the seventh child of William II, German Emperor and Empress Augusta Victoria. She was their last surviving child. Princess Victoria Louise is the maternal grandmother of Queen Sophie of Spain and the former King Constantine II of the Hellenes... (13 September 1892 – 11 December 1980) |