Marienburg Castle, Hanover

Marienburg Castle is a Gothic revival castle in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north-west of Hildesheim, and around 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Hanover, in the municipality of Pattensen, Hanover. It was also a summer residence of the House of Guelph.

The castle was built between 1858 and 1867 as a birthday present by King George V of Hanover (reigned 1851–1866) to his wife, Marie of Saxe-Altenburg. Between 1714 and 1837 there had been virtually no royal court in Hanover as the House of Hanover had ruled the kingdoms of Hanover and Britain by personal union, and so the Castle was also built to serve as a suitable seat for the House of Hanover in Germany. Its architect was Conrad Wilhelm Hase, one of Hanover's most influential architects. Due to Hanover being annexed by Prussia in 1866, the castle was left uninhabited for 80 years after the royal family went into exile at Gmunden, Austria, where it lived in the Queen's Villa and, later, at Cumberland Castle. Therefore Marienburg is well preserved, as few renovations were done until 80 years later when it was safe to come back.

The castle is currently owned by Prince Ernst August of Hanover, after his father signed it over to him, together with all other royal properties at Hanover and Gmunden. The castle houses the property management offices of the Royal House of Hanover and serves as its official seat. Parts of it are open to the public, such as the castle museum, the restaurant, the chapel, and can be booked as an event location for weddings, receptions, concerts, etc.

In 2014, the prince lent a number of paintings and objects to the Lower Saxony state exhibition When the Royals came from Hanover - The rulers of Hanover on England's throne, an exhibition taking place in five museums and castles, under the protectorate of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales. 30 of more than 1000 items had been contributed by HM The Queen, including the State Crown of George I, while Ernst August provided the king's famous Augsburg silver throne and other silver furniture of 1720. He is hosting a parallel exhibition, The Way to the Crown, at Marienburg Castle until the end of 2016, showing - among other items such as the silver furniture - the crown jewels of the Kingdom of Hanover.

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