Warren
Administrator in Memoriam
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2005
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After Prussia annexed the Kingdom of Hanover in 1866 the incomes of the Hanover family that were derived from the former Kingdom were confiscated and used by Bismarck as a slush fund. He was said to have boasted that the Guelph Fund was used to bribe German and foreign newspapers.
Although less rich than previously, the exiled Hanovers were never hard up. They retained ownership of and incomes from their properties elsewhere, such as land in Austria and the Guelph d'Este treasure which was stored in Vienna's Imperial Museum before its removal to Gmunden. The formerly confiscated Hanoverian incomes and assets were largely restored to the Duke of Cumberland (formerly the Crown Prince of Hanover) after Bismarck's dismissal in 1890 and fully restored in 1913.
Prior to the 1890 restitution, the reigning Duke of Brunswick died in 1884 which brought to an end the senior line of the House of Guelph. Duke Wilhelm left all the family entailed estates and his own "immense" private fortune to his heir, the Duke of Cumberland.
At the time of the marriage of Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia to the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (the son of the Duke of Cumberland), The NY Times of 18 May 1913 provided a detailed history of events and finances. The article can be viewed in PDF format here.
Although less rich than previously, the exiled Hanovers were never hard up. They retained ownership of and incomes from their properties elsewhere, such as land in Austria and the Guelph d'Este treasure which was stored in Vienna's Imperial Museum before its removal to Gmunden. The formerly confiscated Hanoverian incomes and assets were largely restored to the Duke of Cumberland (formerly the Crown Prince of Hanover) after Bismarck's dismissal in 1890 and fully restored in 1913.
Prior to the 1890 restitution, the reigning Duke of Brunswick died in 1884 which brought to an end the senior line of the House of Guelph. Duke Wilhelm left all the family entailed estates and his own "immense" private fortune to his heir, the Duke of Cumberland.
At the time of the marriage of Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia to the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (the son of the Duke of Cumberland), The NY Times of 18 May 1913 provided a detailed history of events and finances. The article can be viewed in PDF format here.