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.[1]
