Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Ernest Augustus was born on 20 November 1629 into the tangled world of German principalities. From 1662 he ruled the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, a church territory that gave him a foothold. In 1679 he became Prince of Calenberg, one of the Brunswick-Lüneburg duchies. The decisive move came in 1692: he secured appointment as the ninth prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, elevating his line into the small circle that chose emperors. He held both titles until his death on 23 January 1698, leaving his son George to inherit the electorate and, eventually, the British throne.