Kingdom of Prussia Dolman from the Personal Property of King Ernst August I of Hanover as Colonel and Regimental Commander of the 3rd Brandenburg Hussar Regiment

This magnificent dolman from the personal wardrobe of King Ernst August I of Hanover represents an exceptional testament to Prussian military history and dynastic connections in the nineteenth century. Manufactured around 1840, this hussar uniform jacket documents Ernst August's role as Honorary Colonel (Chef) of the 3rd Brandenburg Hussar Regiment, a position he held from 1823 until his death in 1851.

Ernst August I was born on 5 June 1771 at Buckingham House in London, the fifth son of King George III of Great Britain. His military career began in the Hanoverian and British armies, where he lost his left eye at the Battle of Tourcoing in 1794. In 1799 he was created Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, and in 1813 he was promoted to Field Marshal. When Queen Victoria ascended the British throne in 1837, Ernst August became King of Hanover under Salic Law, which excluded female succession in Hanover. He ruled the kingdom until his death on 18 November 1851 in Hanover.

The 3rd Brandenburg Hussar Regiment traced its lineage to the Berliner Husaren-Korps founded on 30 September 1730 by Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, which later became the Leib-Husaren-Regiment under Hans Joachim von Zieten. After near destruction at the battles of Jena-Auerstedt in 1806, the regiment was reconstituted in 1808. In 1861, the regiment officially recognized its traditional connection to Zieten's famous unit. From 1889 to 1919 it bore the official designation Husaren-Regiment von Zieten (Brandenburgisches) Nr. 3 and was garrisoned in Rathenow.

The dolman, together with the pelisse, formed the characteristic hussar uniform. While the dolman served as the main jacket, the fur-trimmed pelisse functioned as an outer garment in cold weather or was worn decoratively over the left shoulder. Officer versions featured gold or silver braiding depending on regimental tradition, while enlisted ranks wore simpler versions with brass or white metal buttons.

This dolman of fine blue cloth with brown and black fur trim displays rich genuine silver braiding on the front with five rows of silver-colored buttons, the middle row executed as spherical buttons. Silver braiding adorns the sleeves, hem, and back. On the shoulders, the silver caterpillars (shoulder cords) each bear two gold rank stars indicating general officer rank. The interior is lined with light red to purple silk. The blue color with silver trim reflects Prussian hussar traditions, where different regiments were distinguished by varying colors of dolmans, pelisses, and braiding.

Upon Ernst August's death, his son King Georg V of Hanover succeeded him both as king and as Chef of the 3rd Brandenburg Hussar Regiment, a position he held from 1851 to 1878. Georg V lost his throne in 1866 following the Austro-Prussian War when Prussia annexed Hanover. Remarkably, he continued as honorary chief of the Prussian regiment for another twelve years. Ernst August III, Duke of Brunswick, was appointed Chef of the 4th Squadron of the regiment in 1913 upon his engagement to Princess Viktoria Luise, daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

The dolman remained in the possession of the Royal House of Hanover and was stored at Marienburg Castle near Hannover. After World War II, British forces transported approximately thirty truckloads of belongings to Marienburg Castle. The piece bears a label from the Royal Family Museum at Schloss Marienburg. In October 2005, Ernst August, Hereditary Prince of Hanover, organized a major Sotheby's auction at Marienburg Castle. The ten-day auction from 5 to 15 October 2005 featured approximately 20,000 objects catalogued into around 5,000 lots from various Welf family residences and realized over 40 million euros. This dolman was sold at that auction and subsequently entered a private collection.