On Friday night, at the age of 85, the patron of the Rundāle Palace and descendant of the historical owners of the palace, Prince of Courland Ernst Johann Biron, passed away. This was reported on the website of the Rundāle Palace Museum.
Ernst Johann Biron is a namesake of his distant relative Ernst Johann Biron, who in the 18th century was the favorite of Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna, regent of the Russian Empire, and Duke of Courland and Semigallia. After the death of his high-ranking mistress, he was sent into exile.
Since 1987, when Biron first met the director of the Rundāle Palace Museum, Imants Lancmanis, they shared a close friendship based on a mutual interest in both the history of the palace and its revival in modern times.
In 1990, Biron, along with his wife, Princess Elizabeth Biron, visited Latvia for the first time for an exhibition dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of his ancestor — Duke Ernst Johann Biron. Since then, the couple visited Rundāle more frequently, and over time, Ernst Johann Biron became a patron of the museum.
As noted in the obituary, Biron closely followed the restoration of the palace, provided financial support for various restoration projects, donated exhibits related to the history of the Biron family to the museum, and financed the acquisition of artworks.
In recognition of his contributions to the restoration of Rundāle Palace, Ernst Johann Biron was awarded the degree of Grand Commander of the Order of the Cross of Recognition in 2005.
"Prince of Courland Ernst Johann Biron, participating in the museum's ceremonial events, was always impressed by the staff's work on the restoration and maintenance of the palace complex. In turn, the museum staff drew inspiration from the support and friendship of the descendant of the Biron family," the museum's statement reads.
The museum emphasized that Ernst Johann Biron's contribution to the preservation and restoration of Latvia's cultural heritage will long be remembered.
