Ernst von Steinberg

Who was Ernst von Steinberg?

Ernst Steinberg, Baron von Steinberg was a Hanoverian minister and head of the German Chancery in London from 1737 until 1748. He was the son of Georg von Steinberg and Eva von Korff. He married Marie Luise von Wendt in 1726 and replaced Johann Philipp von Hattorf as German Chancery head upon his death in 1737. He gained his position due to the influence of his cousin, Amalie von Wallmoden, the future Countess of Yarmouth, who was the mistress of George II. He was politically conservative and rarely expressed his opinion to King George, acting instead as primarily a secretary. He did, however, participate in court life and was the first Hanoverian minister to be active in the British court. His successor, Philipp Adolph von Münchhausen, would follow in his footsteps. Steinberg resigned his post in 1748 and returned to Hanover. He and his wife had a son, George Friedrich, and a daughter, Eva.