CULTURE
P
attensen, 11 April 2014 – For the very first time
since the Kingdom of Hanover ceased to exist,
the Royal Crown is being put on display together with the Sceptre and the Princess’s or Bridal
Crown. These insignia, which together make up a
historically and culturally outstanding ensemble,
are the major highlight of the exhibition “The Path
to the Crown – The Kingdom of Hanover and its
Rulers”, which is taking place at Marienburg Castle
near Hanover from 1 May to 9 November 2014.
It was in 1842 that King Ernest Augustus commissioned the court jewellers and goldsmiths Georg
Julius Friedrich Knauer (1790-1855) and Wilhelm
Lameyer (1808-1882) to create regalia for the Kingdom of Hanover. The occasion for this was the forthcoming wedding between Crown Prince George and
Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, which was to take place in
the Palace Chapel in Hanover on 18 February 1843.
The drawings that acted as a blueprint for the
Crown were the work of the Royal Master of
Works G.L.F. Laves, and were based on already
existing designs. The insignia were completed
within the six-week period specified by the royal
client; however, goldsmith Knauer demanded a
higher remuneration than the price he had previously stated in his estimate. To justify this, he
argued that more gold and larger jewels had
been used than had originally been envisaged.
The Royal Crown and the Bridal Crown both took the
form of arched crowns with eight half-arches. They
are made of 14-carat gold and richly ornamented
with chasing depicting blossoms, leaves and plants.
The Royal Crown is adorned with four emeralds, four
sapphires and ten oriental garnets, and the Sceptre
with 14 emeralds, five sapphires, 16 oriental garnets and 16 diamonds. It is 77.5 cm long. After the
annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover by Prussia
in 1866, the Crown Jewels were taken to England.
“At last,” says Prince Ernst August, eldest son and
heir of the current head of the House of Hanover,
with evident delight, “the insignia are returning to
the former Kingdom of Hanover after 148 years,
to form the heart of this year’s exhibition at Marienburg Castle.” This exhibition is a part of the
extensive celebrations marking the tercentenary of
the Union of Crowns between Hanover and Great
Britain, on which occasion numerous exhibitions are
taking place in Hanover and the surrounding region.
The exhibition will be opened on 30 April 2014
by Stephan Weil, Minister-President of the
State of Lower Saxony, HRH Prince Michael of
Kent, a member of the British Royal family, and
Prince Ernst August, Duke of Brunswick and
Lüneburg. From 1 May 2014 onwards, visitors
will be able to take part in guided tours of the
exhibition between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.
Since 2004 Marienburg Castle has been in the
ownership of Prince Ernst August, the greatgreat-great-grandson of Queen Marie and King
George V. It is he who in recent years has turned
this seat of the Royal House of Guelph into a
major tourist attraction in Hanover Region.
Guided tour of the exhibition
“The Path to the Crown”
Adults € - 6
Children and young people (aged 6 to 17) € - 5
Children under five - free
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Combined ticket, guided tours of “The
Path to the Crown” and the Castle
Adults € - 12
Children and young people (aged 6 to 17) € - 10
Children under five - free
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Photographic material showing the presentation of
the Crown of the Kingdom of Hanover at Marienburg
Castle can be made available on request.
Contact details:
EAC GmbH – Schloss Marienburg
Marienberg 1, 30982 Pattensen
Tel. +49 (0)5069 34800 0
[email protected]
www.schloss-marienburg.com
Press contact:
Karin S. Schwarz Public Relations
Tel. +49 (0)511 433477 or
0170 2024284
[email protected]
13
1961 Magazine Fall 2014