Ernest Augustus was the fourth son of King George III of England and Queen Charlotte, first titled Duke of Cumberland and Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Cumberland, he married his cousin Princess Frederika of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1815. He became King of Hanover in 1837 when it was established that his niece Queen Victoria of England would not take the throne of Hanover. He reigned until his death in 1851 when he was succeeded by his son George V. A great military strategist, Ernest-Augustus was a conoisseur and collector with wide ranging interests including history and literature and assembled one of the greatest libraries of the period. His silver collection contained many pieces of Royal English silver which he took with him when he succeeded to the throne of Hanover where they remained until 1924 when much of it was sold by Crichton Brothers, the leading London firm of antique silver dealers.

The glass of finest quality has been probably made in Bohemia or Silesia, the silvergilt mounts without any apparent marks might be hanoverian.
The vase could well have been as a gift of the town to the freshly elected king in 1837.