Monika, Princess of Hanover

Monika, Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (born Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach; 8 August 1929 – 4 June 2015) was a German noblewoman and philanthropist. She was the second wife of Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover. A member of the House of Solms-Laubach by birth, she became the Princess Consort of Hanover and Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg through her marriage. She was the founder of the Dollhouse Museum in Laubach.

Early life Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach was born on 8 August 1929 at Laubach Castle in Laubach, Hesse, Germany. She was the fourth child of Georg, 9th Count of Solms-Laubach (1899-1969) and his wife, Princess Johanna Marie of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich (1905-1982). Her father was the grandson of Bruno, 3rd Prince of Ysenburg and Büdingen and her mother was the daughter of Prince Charles of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich. Her family had been the sovereign house of the County of Solms-Laubach but were mediatized into the Grand Duchy of Hesse in 1806.

Countess Monika zu Solms-Laubach's birthplace, Laubach Castle.

Marriage On 16 July 1981 she married Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover in a civil ceremony. A religious ceremony was held on 17 July 1981 in Laubach. She was Ernest Augustus's second wife. He had previously been married to her first cousin once removed, Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, who died in 1980. According to the Royal Marriages Act 1772, their marriage required approval from the British monarch in order for Ernest Augustus to stay in the British line of succession. Elizabeth II consented to the marriage on 10 June 1981.

Later life and death In November 2008, Princess Monika auctioned off a collection of jewelry that had previously belonged to Princess Thyra of Denmark. The collection, which included pieces originally belonging to Alexander III of Russia, Maria Feodorovna of Russia, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, George I of Greece, and Alexandra of Denmark, was the largest grouping of Imperial presents auctioned since the Forbes Collection of Fabergé in 2004.

Princess Monika founded the Princess Monika of Hanover Foundation. Through her foundation she created Dollhouse Museum Laubach in 2011; a museum which exhibits a collection of her childhood dollhouses to the public. The collection features dollhouses made between 1820 and 1930. It opened in October 2011.

She died on 4 June 2015, three days after the death of her sister-in-law Princess Alexandra of Hanover.