Prince Ernest (1771-1851) was the fifth son of George III and Queen Charlotte. At the age of 15 he was sent with his two younger brothers, Prince Adolphus and Prince Augustus, to the University of Göttingen in Hanover. In 1815, he married his cousin Frederica, the daughter of Grand Duke Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and in 1837 he succeeded his brother, William IV, as king of Hanover.

The technique used in creating this miniature is unusual. The hair is made of woven silk to which strands of real hair have also been applied. The silk has been stuck down onto card and then the rest of the miniature has been painted in the traditional way. The image is copied from a group portrait of six of the royal children painted in 1776 by Benjamin West.

The identity of the artist is unknown, but it has been suggested that this portrait may have been created by one of Prince Ernest's sisters.

The miniature is mounted in a gold locket with a serrated rim. There is a lock of fair hair in the back secured with a small gold love knot.

Catalogue entry adapted from George III and Queen Charlotte: Patronage, Collecting and Court Taste (2004).