ROYAL: A Pair of George III Silver Wine Coolers, William Hall, London, 1800

The engraved initials EAFs stand for Ernest Augustus Fideikommiss, the entailed estate of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, later King of Hanover. He was the fifth son of George III and Queen Charlotte, and, like many of his brothers, including the Prince of Wales, was an avid patron and collector of fine plate. An extreme conservative, he was feared by the British public for his reactionary views. On the death of his brother William IV, Ernest's niece Victoria became Queen of England, while Salic law dictated a male heir for Hanover, separating the kingdoms.