Lot Essay
On the death of William IV in 1837, the young Princess Victoria became Queen of England. However, under Salic law a woman could not succeed to the throne of Hanover. Therefore the crown of Hanover passed to the eldest surviving son of George III, Ernst Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. Thus the thrones of England and Hanover were split after one hundred and twenty-four years. When the Duke of Cumberland left for Hanover he took with him his sizeable collection of plate and a considerable quantity of Royal Plate. Queen Victoria demanded the return of the Royal plate but this was not forthcoming and on the death of Ernst Augustus in 1851, the throne passed to his son George Frederick, who was later deposed in the Seven Weeks War in 1866. Miraculously, the plate was saved from destruction when the Prussian troops sacked the palace of Herrenhausen, having been hidden in a vault in the grounds which had been covered with lime and debris. The family, deprived of the title Kings of Hanover, were henceforth known as Dukes of Brunswick and lived at Gmunden in Austria. In 1924 a significant portion of the Hanoverian plate was sold privately by the family. Much of the silver was purchased by the Vienna dealer Gluckselig and subsequently exhibited and sold by the London dealers Crichton Brothers. It is probable that it was at this time that the ewer was purchased by John, 4th Marquess of Bute (1881-1947).