Ernest Augustus (; 20 November 1629 – 23 January 1698), Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was Prince of Calenberg from 1679 until his death, and father of King George I of Great Britain. He was appointed as the ninth prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire in 1692.
He was also ruler of the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück from 1662 until his death.
Early life and marriage
Ernest Augustus was born on 20 November 1629 at Herzberg Castle near Göttingen, Principality of Calenberg, the youngest son of George, Duke of Brunswick-Calenberg and Prince of Calenberg, and Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt.
On 30 September 1658, he married Sophia of the Palatinate in Heidelberg.Cavendish, Richard. "Sophia of Hanover Dies". History Today, Vol. 64 Issue 6, June 2014 She was the daughter of Frederick V of the Palatinate and Elizabeth Stuart of England, and granddaughter of King James I of England. Sophia had been betrothed to Ernest Augustus's older brother, George William, who did not want her. When she married Ernest Augustus instead, releasing George William from this obligation, George William ceded to Ernest Augustus his claim to Lüneburg.
Prince-Bishop As the fourth son, Ernest Augustus had little chance of succeeding his father as ruler. Therefore, the couple had to live in the Leineschloss at the Hanover court of Ernest Augustus' eldest brother Christian Louis. However, in the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, it had been agreed between the Catholic and Protestant powers that the rulership of the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück should alternate between the two churches, and that the respective Protestant bishops should be members of the House of Welf. When the Osnabruck throne became vacant in 1662, the family appointed Ernest Augustus Prince-Bishop.
Ernest Augustus and Sophia moved to Iburg Castle, together with their two living sons and Sophia's niece Princess Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (future sister-in-law of Louis XIV of France). In 1667 they began to build a more up-to-date residence, Osnabruck Palace, and in 1673 they moved there. Their youngest son was born there in 1674.
Christian Louis died childless in 1665, leaving Lüneburg to the second brother, George William, who had ceded his right to Ernest Augustus, who thus succeeded to that title. George William kept the district of Celle for himself.
In 1679, Ernest Augustus inherited the Principality of Calenberg from his third brother John Frederick. In 1680 the family moved back to Hanover.
Prince-elector
In 1683, against the protestations of his five younger sons, Ernest Augustus instituted primogeniture, so that his territory would not be further subdivided after his death, and also as a pre-condition for obtaining the coveted electorship. He participated in the Great Turkish War on the side of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.
In 1692, he was appointed Prince-elector by the Emperor, thus raising the House of Hanover to electoral dignity, the elevation becoming effective in 1708 when confirmed by the Imperial Diet. He was nonetheless recognized as Elector of Hanover, the very first.
Death, succession, and legacy Ernest Augustus died in 1698 at Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover. He was succeeded as ruler by his eldest son, George Louis, later King George I of Great Britain.
His main residences were the Leineschloss, in Hanover, and the Herrenhausen, a summer residence a short distance outside the city. Ernest Augustus and Sophia had the Great Garden at Herrenhausen enlarged after Italian and Dutch models, creating one of the most distinguished baroque formal gardens of Europe.
Issue NameBirthDeathNotesBy his wife, Sophia of the PalatinateGeorge Louis28 May 166011 June 1727First, succeeded his mother Sophia as heir presumptive to the throne of Great BritainSecond, succeeded Anne, Queen of Great Britain as King George I of Great Britain, the first member of Britain's Hanoverian dynasty.Frederick Augustus3 October 166110 June 1691Died at the Battle of St. Georgen, never married nor had issueStillborn twin sonsFebruary 1664February 1664Maximilian William13 December 166627 July 1726Stillborn son13 December 166613 December 1666Twin of MaximilianSophia Charlotte2 October 166821 January 1705Married King Frederick I of PrussiaCharles Philip13 October 16691 January 1690Died at the Battle of Pristina, died unmarried with no issueChristian Henry29 September 167131 July 1703Died unmarried without issue during the Battle of Munderkingen when drowned in the Danube,Ernest Augustus7 September 167414 August 1728Duke of York and AlbanyBy his mistress, Clara Elisabeth von PlatenErnest August von Platen16741726Had issueSophie Charlotte von Platen10 April 167520 April 1725Married in 1701 to Baron Johann Adolf von Kielmansegg, had issue
Ancestry
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