Lot Essay
The following four lots form part of an extensive service commissioned by Ernest Augustus Duke of Cumberland, 5th son of George III, who was born in 1771. On the death of his brother, William IV, previously the Duke of Clarence, he succeeded in 1837 to the crown of Hanover. Of all Queen Victoria's "wicked uncles" he was perhaps the most unpopular of the six Royal Dukes, largely on account of his professed dislike of "liberal notions," and his departure from England was the subject of considerable rejoicing. He immediately dismantled the Hanoverian Constitution and, while it might be charitable to compare his absolute rule in Germany with those of the enlightened despots of the previous century, his approach to kinship was more paternalistic than enlightened, and he could not be regarded in any way as a patron of the arts.
Ernest Augustus took with him to Hanover the considerable quantity of the Royal plate, some of it dating from the time of the Stuarts, to add to the plate already at Herrenhausen. A claim was made by Queen Victoria for the return of certain of the Royal plate and jewels, which was successfully ignored for much of her reign. The initials E.A.Fs. stand for "Ernest Augustus Fidekommiss", or "held in trust" and were probably added to his plate shortly before his death in 1851. The use of these initials to signify entailed property was common practice among the German ruling houses and should not be seen as a unique instance as has been suggested (Schroder, The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver,1987, p. 360). For example it appears as FiDC on a set of dinner plates, Berlin, 1821-1841 (The Patino Collection, Christie's, New York, October 28, 1986, lot 244) and on table silver engraved with the arms of Mecklenberg-Schwerin in a private collection.
On the death of Ernest Augustus, his son, George Frederick, succeeded to Hanover but was deposed during the Seven Weeks War in 1866. The Prussian troops sacked Herrenhausen but failed to find the Roayl plate, which had been hidden in a vault in the grounds and covered with lime and debris (see E. Alfred Jones, "The Duke of Cumberland's Collection of Old English Plate", The National Review, January, 1920, pp. 679-685). Subsequently the family used the title Duke of Brunswick. A significant portion of the Hanoverian plate was dispersed by Crichton Bros. in 1924 and 1925.
Another twelve plates from the same service were sold in these Rooms, April 12, 1988, lot 153.
Ernest Augustus took with him to Hanover the considerable quantity of the Royal plate, some of it dating from the time of the Stuarts, to add to the plate already at Herrenhausen. A claim was made by Queen Victoria for the return of certain of the Royal plate and jewels, which was successfully ignored for much of her reign. The initials E.A.Fs. stand for "Ernest Augustus Fidekommiss", or "held in trust" and were probably added to his plate shortly before his death in 1851. The use of these initials to signify entailed property was common practice among the German ruling houses and should not be seen as a unique instance as has been suggested (Schroder, The Gilbert Collection of Gold and Silver,1987, p. 360). For example it appears as FiDC on a set of dinner plates, Berlin, 1821-1841 (The Patino Collection, Christie's, New York, October 28, 1986, lot 244) and on table silver engraved with the arms of Mecklenberg-Schwerin in a private collection.
On the death of Ernest Augustus, his son, George Frederick, succeeded to Hanover but was deposed during the Seven Weeks War in 1866. The Prussian troops sacked Herrenhausen but failed to find the Roayl plate, which had been hidden in a vault in the grounds and covered with lime and debris (see E. Alfred Jones, "The Duke of Cumberland's Collection of Old English Plate", The National Review, January, 1920, pp. 679-685). Subsequently the family used the title Duke of Brunswick. A significant portion of the Hanoverian plate was dispersed by Crichton Bros. in 1924 and 1925.
Another twelve plates from the same service were sold in these Rooms, April 12, 1988, lot 153.