THRONE OF HANOVER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8352, 12 February 1913, Page 7

THRONE OF HANOVER

A CLAIM RELINQUISH!!}!). BETROTHAL OF KAISER’S DAUGHTER. BERLIN, February 11). The Kaiser’s daughter has been betrothed to Prince Ernest of Cumberland, whoso father has sworn allegiance to the Empire. The family's eiflfm to the throne of Hanover has been abandoned. Prince Ernest becomes Duke of Brunswick. Interesting chapters of history relate to the leutl hetween the houses of Rolieu/.aiiorii and Guelph. Hanover, formerly a Duchy, became an independent electorate in lead, and after tne Elector of Hanover became George 1. of England the two States had one sovereign. In 1837 Victoria ascended the British throne and under the Salic law, which forbids a woman to reign over Hanover, her kinsman, the Dune of Cumberland, became King Ernest of Hanover. The electorate had been raised to a kingdom in 1814. It would be a kingdom to-day bad not Ernest’s successor, George V., joined Austria and Saxony in their war against Prussia in 1566. The Hanoverian army made a fight at Hohensalza and then surrendered; and the victorious Prussians annexed the whole kingdom as well as Hesso-Cassel and Frankfurt. The deposed King George issued a flaming protest from Vienna; and later his faithful Hanoverians formed a legion to fight against Prussia on the side of Prance. In 1878, ex-King George died, leaving a heritage of hatred to Prussia to his son Ernest-August. The Hanoverians did not love the Guelphs. who from 1837 to 1866 had been despotic, persecuting constitution breakers, but when they were gone their ex-subjects began to sigh for them; and a Guelph party was formed to plague the Prussians. The question of Erhest-August’s claim to Hanover was further complicated in 1884 by his becoming also rightful sovereign of Brunswick, owing to the extinction tof the house of Brunswick-Wolfeubuettel. Of course. Germany would not let ErnestAugust ascend this Brunswick throne as long as ho was at open war with Prussia over his claim to Hanover. The Imperial Government, therefore, admitted that ho was rightful Duke of Brunswick, but pronounced him "permanently hindered" from occupying the throne, and appointed as Eegent of Brunswick Prince Albert of Prussia, who made himself hated by the people, and increased the vigour of the malcontent Guelph party. The Duke was given a chance of reigning in Brunswick, if only he would renounce the Hanoverian throne. But when such suggestions were made he emitted an emphatic, categorical "Never