by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

by Isaac Oliver, circa December 1610; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales was the eldest of the seven children of King James I of England/VI of Scotland and his wife Anne of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik II of Denmark and Norway. He was born at Stirling Castle in Stirling, Scotland on February 19, 1594, and was named after his grandfathers, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and King Frederik II of Denmark. At the time of his birth, his father was only King James VI of Scotland, having succeeded to the throne as an infant when his mother Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate. From birth, Henry was styled Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles, the traditional titles for the heir apparent to the Scots throne. Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England on March 24, 1603, Henry’s father became King James I of England and Henry automatically became Duke of Cornwall, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning English (now British) monarch. On June 10, 1610, Henry was created Prince of Wales.

Henry Frederick by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, circa 1603; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry had six siblings, but only two survived childhood:

• Elizabeth (1596 – 1662), married Friedrich V, Elector Palatine, had issue including Sophia of Hanover who became heiress presumptive to the British throne under the Act of Settlement 1701; Sophia’s son was King George I
• Margaret (1598 – 1600), died aged fifteen months
• King Charles I of England (1600 – 1649), married Henrietta Maria of France, had issue including King Charles II and King James II, executed
• Robert, Duke of Kintyre (born and died 1602), died aged four months
• Mary (1605 – 1607), died aged two.
• Sophia (born and died 1606), lived only one day

‘James I and his royal progeny’ by Charles Turner, published by Samuel Woodburn, after Willem de Passe mezzotint, published 1814 NPG D9808 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Henry’s parents had a major argument over the transfer of his custody to John Erskine, Earl of Mar at Stirling Castle, in keeping with Scottish royal tradition. This led to estrangement and a competition for the custody of Henry. Henry remained in the Earl of Mar’s custody until 1603 when his father became King of England. Later that year, Henry accompanied his mother to England. Henry had an aptitude for learning and excelled at sports. He was so unlike his younger brother Charles (the future King Charles I) who was frail and late in development, possibly from rickets, At the age of three, Charles could not yet walk or talk, so he was left behind in Scotland when the rest of his family left for England in 1603.  Charles overcame his early physical problems, although he grew no taller than five feet four inches, and learned to ride, shoot, and fence. However, he was no physical match for his stronger and taller elder brother Henry, Prince of Wales, whom he adored.

Henry, Prince of Wales with Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex in the Hunting Field by Robert Peake the Elder, circa 1605; Credit – Wikipedia

Once in England, Henry and his sister Elizabeth were granted their own separate residence complete with servants and retainers. From an early age, they were treated with significant respect. In June 1603, Henry was invested with the Order of the Garter which found favor with his family’s new English subjects. In 1605, Henry began attending Magdalen College, Oxford where he proved capable in debates and arguments. Negotiations began for a bride for Henry and princesses from Spain, France, and Savoy were in the running. By the time Henry was 18 years old, he was physically mature, well-educated, an independent thinker, and ready to assume some government responsibility. He was on his way to making an excellent and popular king.

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales by Robert Peake the Elder, circa 1610-1612; Credit – Wikipedia

Except for frequent nosebleeds when he was young, Henry’s health was excellent. However, on October 12, 1612, Henry began to have fevers but continued his physical activities. Over the next two weeks, Henry did not sleep well and continued to have fevers and developed gastrointestinal symptoms. On October 25, 1612, he played tennis and then felt much worse. He dined with his father that night, but his physicians noted that he had a fast pulse, a fever, a red face, a swollen stomach, gastrointestinal symptoms, and was very thirsty. By October 29, 1612, Henry had a continuous fever, and two days later he was delirious. On November 2, 1612, he alternated between sleeping and being confused and shouting. His servants had difficulty keeping him in bed. His condition worsened on November 4. He sang in his sleep and had violent convulsive movements. On November 6, 1612, the last day of his life, Henry was delirious, clammy, cold, and sweaty. His pulse weakened and he died. It was suspected that Henry had been poisoned, but a post-mortem found no evidence of poisoning. The cause of his death was said to be “a fever.” With modern medical knowledge, it is now suspected that Henry died from typhoid fever.

Henry’s death caused immense grief across England and Scotland and in his family. King James was too distraught to attend the funeral. Months later, in the middle of a meeting, he broke down, crying, “Henry is dead, Henry is dead.”  His mother Queen Anne could not bear to have Henry’s death mentioned and people were advised not to give her condolences.  After her son’s death, Anne’s health began to deteriorate and she withdrew from social activities. Charles, who was now the heir to the throne, felt the loss deeply and insisted until the end of his life that Henry had been poisoned. We can only wonder how different English history might have been if Henry Frederick had been King instead of his brother King Charles I who was ultimately beheaded.

Henry’s body lay in state at St. James’s Palace for four weeks. On December 7, 1612, two thousand people followed Henry’s funeral cortege to Westminster Abbey to hear a two-hour sermon delivered by George Abbot, the Archbishop of Canterbury. A magnificent hearse had been built upon which his richly dressed effigy was placed. Henry was buried in the vault of his grandmother Mary, Queen of Scots in the south aisle of the Henry VII Chapel. He has no monument.

Effigy of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales; Credit – http://www.westminster-abbey.org/__data/assets/thumbnail/0005/57524/Henry-Fred-fun-hearse-72.jpg

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
“Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Oct. 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Holmes, Frederick. The Sickly Stuarts. Thrupp: Sutton Publishing, 2003. Print.
Levy, Imogen, and Duck Soup. Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scots, Queen of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 4 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Henry Benedict Stuart was born at the Palazzo Muti in Rome, Italy on March 6, 1725. He was baptized on the day of his birth by his godfather Pope Benedict XIII and given a long string of names: Henry Benedict Thomas Edward Maria Clement Francis Xavier. Henry was the younger of the two sons of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender, the son of the exiled King James II of England/VII of Scotland, and Maria Clementina Sobieska, the granddaughter of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland. After his grandfather James II lost his throne, the Jacobite (from Jacobus, the Latin for James) movement formed. The goal of the Jacobites was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland. From birth, Henry was styled Duke of York, the traditional title of the British sovereign’s second son.

After the failure of the 1715 Jacobite Rising, Henry’s father, James Francis Edward, (henceforth called James) lived in Avignon, then a Papal territory, now in France. In 1717, Pope Clement XI offered James the Palazzo Muti in Rome as his residence. James then organized a Jacobite court in Rome. Further efforts to restore the Stuarts to the British throne in 1719 and 1722 were unsuccessful. On September 3, 1719, James Francis Edward Stuart married Maria Clementina Sobieska. Their two sons, Charles Edward and Henry, grew up in Italy where they were educated by Scottish tutors.

Henry had one elder brother:

• Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Young Pretender) (1720 – 1788), married Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, no issue

Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Five years younger than his brother, Henry was more affected by his parents’ turbulent marriage. When he was eight months old, his mother Maria Clementina Sobieska retired to the convent of Santa Cecilia in Rome because she disagreed with her husband about their sons’ upbringing and was convinced that her husband had an affair. Maria returned two years later and put Henry in the care of a governess, Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale. Thereafter, Maria lived separately from her husband, devoted herself to a life of piety and good deeds, and spent much of her time praying, fasting, and participating in Catholic ascetic rituals. In 1735, she died at the age of 32 when Henry was ten years old.

His mother’s piety and religious fervor affected Henry. In 1742, his tutor James Murray, Earl of Dunbar noted that Henry spent much of his time in prayer and sometimes attended up to four masses each day. He further noted that Henry was in a constant state of agitation, watching the clock so he would not miss any religious rituals. After the final, disastrous Jacobite Rising of 1745, Henry felt free from any military and political obligations and decided to pursue a religious life. His father, who always tried to downplay the Roman Catholicism of his family, was much displeased and said his son’s decision was “like a dagger in my heart.” Many Jacobites bitterly criticized Henry for choosing a church career instead of marrying and begetting Stuart heirs.

On June 30, 1747, Henry received the tonsure, the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp, as a sign of religious devotion, from his godfather Pope Benedict XIII. He was then created Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Portico in a special consistory held on July 3, 1747. Henry was a Cardinal for fifty-six years and is the longest-serving Cardinal in Roman Catholic Church history.  However, in modern times it is virtually impossible to become a Cardinal at the age of 22 as Henry did. He was addressed as “Your Royal Highness and Eminence” and was known as Cardinal Duke of York.

On September 1, 1748, Henry was ordained a priest and then made a Cardinal-Priest.  He was created Cardinal-Bishop of the Diocese of Frascati near Rome on July 13, 1761. Henry became Dean of the College of Cardinals, who is often, but not necessarily, the longest-serving member of the whole College of Cardinals on September 26, 1803.

Henry Benedict Maria Clement Stuart, Cardinal York by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, pastel, circa 1786 NPG 378 © National Portrait Gallery, London

When his elder brother Charles Edward Stuart in 1788, Henry assumed the style “King Henry IX”, but no government considered him the legal King. After the French Revolution, Henry lost the funds the French royal family had been paying his exiled family and any French property he owned, causing him financial problems. In 1800, King George III granted Henry a pension of £4,000 per year. For many years the British government had promised to return the dowry of his grandmother Maria Beatrice of Modena but never did. Henry considered the £4,000 per year an installment on money legally owed him.

Henry Benedict Stuart died at the Episcopal Palace at Frascati on July 13, 1807, at the age of 82. With Henry’s death, the male line of the Royal House of Stuart was extinct. The Jacobite line of succession passed to King Carlo Emanuele IV of Sardinia through the line of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, the youngest child of King Charles I of England. The Jacobite line of succession has proceeded over the years to the House of Savoy, the House of Austria-Este, and the House of Wittelsbach. It appears in the future, that it will proceed to the House of Liechtenstein.

• Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

Henry was buried in the crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican where his father and his brother were also buried.  Besides the tombs in the crypt, in the left aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica is a monument to the Royal Stuarts, commemorating the last three members of the Royal House of Stuart: James Francis Edward Stuart, his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, and his younger son, Henry Benedict Stuart.

Tomb of James Francis Stuart and his two sons Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Monument to the Royal Stuarts in St. Peter’s Basilica; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
Abrufstatistik. “Henry Benedict Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Stuart, Henry Benedict, and Catholic-H. “Henry Benedict Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Sept. 2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “Charles Edward Stuart.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 18 Nov. 2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “James Francis Edward Stuart.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 13 Nov. 2016. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty

Charles Edward Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Fans of Diana Gabaldon‘s novels of The Outlander series and the television series of the same name know that the Battle of Culloden in 1746 resulted in a decisive defeat of the Jacobite forces that wanted to restore the heirs of Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/ VII of Scotland to the throne. Charles Edward Stuart was the instigator of the Jacobite rising of 1745, culminating in the Battle of Culloden.

Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Young Pretender) was born at the Palazzo Muti in Rome, Italy on December 31, 1720. He was baptized on the day of his birth and given a long string of names: Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria. Charles was the elder of the two sons of James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender, who was the son of the exiled King James II of England/VII of Scotland. Charles’ mother was Maria Clementina Sobieska, the granddaughter of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland. After his grandfather James II lost his throne, the Jacobite (from Jacobus, the Latin for James) movement formed. The goal of the Jacobites was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland. As the first-born son of the titular King James III of England/VIII of Scotland, Charles was styled as Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall from birth.

Charles had one younger brother:

• Henry Benedict Stuart (1725 – 1807), a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church

After the failure of the 1715 Jacobite Rising, Charles’ father, James Francis Edward, (henceforth called James) lived in Avignon, then a Papal territory, now in France. In 1717, Pope Clement XI offered James the Palazzo Muti in Rome as his residence. James then organized a Jacobite court in Rome. Further efforts to restore the Stuarts to the British throne in 1719 and 1722 were unsuccessful. On September 3, 1719, James Francis Edward Stuart married Maria Clementina Sobieska. Their two sons grew up in Italy and were educated by Scottish tutors. When Charles was just 14, he took part in the War of the Polish Succession.  He was an observer at the 1734 Siege of Gaeta during the war, his first exposure to war. In the following years, he spent much time in France trying to gain support for the Jacobite cause.

Charles Edward Stuart as a teenager; Credit – Wikipedia

In December 1743, Charles’ father appointed him Prince Regent, giving Charles the authority to act on his father’s behalf. Eighteen months later, Charles began an uprising, attempting to gain the English and Scottish thrones for his father. Charles Edward led the Jacobite forces in the Jacobite Rising of 1745-1746 against the British forces which were led by the second son of King George II of Great Britain, Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who is known by the nicknames “The Butcher of Culloden” and “Butcher Cumberland.”

On July 23, 1745, Charles landed at Eriskay, an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland with seven companions hoping for the support of a French fleet. However, the French fleet, damaged in a storm, was blocked by the British Royal Navy and was forced to turn back to France. Charles was then forced to raise an army in Scotland. Many of the Highland clans, both Catholic and Protestant, supported Charles and the Jacobite cause. He was able to raise sufficient troops to march on Edinburgh, which surrendered quickly. Next, Charles defeated the British Army at the Battle of Prestonpans on September 21, 1745.

Then Charles decided to march on London, and on December 4, 1745, reached Derby, 130 miles/200 kilometers from London, which he took without a shot being fired. When the news about Derby reached London, there was much panic and King George II had the royal yacht prepared to take the royal family to France just in case. Only 300 English Jacobites had joined Charles’ army and his generals considered it dangerous to proceed any further from the Scottish border. After much discussion, Charles gave in to his generals and began his retreat to Scotland with the army of Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland in pursuit.

On January 8, 1746, the Jacobite army seized control of Stirling, Scotland, but failed to take Stirling Castle. The Jacobites had their last victory on January 17, 1746, at the Battle of Falkirk Muir. Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and his army arrived in Edinburgh on January 30, 1746, and then proceeded to Inverness, where they made their headquarters. The Jacobite army marched to Nairn, 16 miles from Inverness, in a snowstorm. By the time the Jacobite army reached Nairn, it was an ill-fed, sorry sight due to Charles’ indecisive leadership and his failure to delegate authority to Lord George Murray, the second-in-command.

Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Culloden Moor, the site of the Battle of Culloden; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

The two armies met at Culloden Moor (which this writer has visited) near Inverness, Scotland at dawn on April 16, 1746. The exhausted Jacobite forces consisted of about 5,000 men while the British forces numbered 9,000 well-trained troops. The superior British forces needed just 25 minutes to defeat the Jacobite forces in the Battle of Culloden. Between 1,500 and 2,000 Jacobites were killed or wounded while the British losses were much lighter, with 50 dead and 259 wounded. William Augustus’ severity and brutality in pursuing the Jacobites after the battle earned him the nicknames “The Butcher of Culloden” and “Butcher Cumberland.” He ordered his troops to go through the battlefield and stab to death any wounded Jacobite troops and non-combatants. Towns suspected to be rebellious were burned and the livestock was confiscated. The captured Jacobites were hanged. Men and women suspected of being Jacobite sympathizers were arrested and shipped to London for trial. The conditions on the ships were horrible and many died en route. In Scotland, his name is still infamous. After the Battle of Culloden, there were no further Jacobite uprisings.

The Battle of Culloden by David Morier, 1746; Credit – Wikipedia

After the Battle of Culloden, there was a £30,000 price (about £4,210,000 today) on Charles’ head and he was forced into hiding. Disguised as a woman, Charles wandered for five months in the West Highlands and the Outer Hebrides, escorted by several companions. Charles eventually escaped with the help of Jacobite heroine Flora MacDonald, who took him to the Isle of Skye in a small boat disguised as her Irish maid Betty Burke. The escape is commemorated in the song “The Skye Boat Song.”  Flora MacDonald was imprisoned in the Tower of London for her part in helping Charles escape, but she was eventually released under the Act of Indemnity of 1747.

Flora MacDonald by Allan Ramsay; Credit – Wikipedia

Charles Edward Stuart circa 1747; Credit – Wikipedia

With the Jacobite cause lost, Charles took refuge first in France, where he had many affairs. His most prominent mistresses were:

• Marie Louise de La Tour d’Auvergne, Charles’ maternal first cousin, had one son Charles Godefroi Sophie Jules Marie de Rohan who died at five months of age in December 1748
• Clementina Walkinshaw, had one daughter Charlotte Stuart (1753 – 1789), was legitimized in 1784 and was created Duchess of Albany in the Jacobite Peerage

Charlotte Stuart circa 1785-1786; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1766, Charles’s father James Francis Edward died. Pope Clement XIII had recognized James as King of England and Scotland as “James III and VIII”, but did not give Charles the same recognition. Charles was still unmarried and his only sibling was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Charles decided to find himself a bride so the Stuart line could be continued. On March 28, 1772, 52-year-old Charles married 20-year-old Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern by proxy in Paris. The couple met for the first time on April 14, 1772, when they married in person in Macerata, Italy. Charles and Louise settled in Florence, Italy, but there was no child and in 1780, Louise left Charles due to his drinking and physical abuse. The couple separated but did not divorce since no such legal procedure existed in the Papal States. Louise was given permission to live separately from her husband.

Louise of Stolberg-Gedern 1793; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1784, Charles’ daughter Charlotte Stuart went to her father’s home in Florence where she found her alcoholic father living in a disgusting state. Charlotte enlisted the help of her uncle Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart to get Charles back to his birthplace and boyhood home, the Palazzo Muti in Rome. Charlotte remained her father’s caretaker and companion and did her best to make his life bearable.

Charles Edward Stuart circa 1785; Credit – Wikipedia

67-year-old Charles Edward Stuart died of a stroke on January 31, 1788, at the Palazzo Muti in Rome. He was initially buried in the Cathedral of San Pietro in Frascati, Italy where his brother Henry Benedict Stuart was Cardinal Bishop. When Henry died in 1807, Charles’ remains were transferred to the crypt in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican where his father and Henry were buried.  Besides the tombs in the crypt, in the left aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica is a monument to the Royal Stuarts, commemorating the last three members of the Royal House of Stuart: James Francis Edward Stuart, his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, and his younger son, Henry Benedict Stuart. With their deaths, the male line of the British Royal House of Stuart became extinct.

The Jacobite line of succession to the British throne passed to King Carlo Emanuele IV of Sardinia through the line of Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orléans, the youngest child of King Charles I of England. The Jacobite line of succession has proceeded over the years to the House of Savoy, House of Austria-Este, and to the House of Wittelsbach. It appears in the future, that it will proceed to the House of Liechtenstein.

• Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

Tomb of James Francis Stuart and his two sons Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Monument to the Royal Stuarts in St. Peter’s Basilica; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Abrufstatistik. “Charles Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
• “Charles Édouard Stuart.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
• “Charles Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 
• Fraser, Flora. (2023). Flora Macdonald: Pretty Young Rebel: Her Life and Story. Alfred A. Knopf.
• “Flora MacDonald.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
• “Jacobitism.” Wikipedia.Wikimedia Foundation.
• Riding, Jacqueline. (2017). Jacobites: A New History of the ’45 Rebellion. Bloomsbury.
• Williamson, David. (1996). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart, circa 1705; Credit – Wikipedia

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart was born June 28, 1692, at the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris, France.  Her parents were the deposed King James II of England and his second wife Maria Beatrice of Modena.  In 1688, her Catholic father was overthrown during the Glorious Revolution in favor of his Protestant daughter Queen Mary II and her husband and paternal first cousin Willem III, Prince of Orange who reigned jointly with his wife as King William III.  King Louis XIV of France, her father’s first cousin, provided the Chtâeau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye as a residence for exiled James II and his family.   The infant was baptized at the Chtâeau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ‘s Sainte Chapelle.   Her godparents were her father’s first cousin King Louis XIV of France and Elisabeth Charlotte of the Palatine, Duchess of Orléans, the second wife of Louis XIV’s younger brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans.

Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye; Credit – Wikipedia

Louisa Maria Teresa had two surviving elder half-sisters from King James II’s first marriage to Lady Anne Hyde:

• Queen Mary II of England (1662 – 1694), married her paternal first cousin Willem III, Prince of Orange who jointly reigned with her as King William III of England, no children
• Queen Anne of Great Britain (1665 – 1714), married Prince George of Denmark, had 17 pregnancies, five live births, only one survived early childhood, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester who died at age 11

Between 1674 and 1684, James II’s second wife Maria Beatrice had 10 pregnancies and gave birth to five live children, all of whom died young. Maria Beatrice’s pregnancies:

• • • Unnamed child (March 1674), miscarriage
    • Catherine Laura Stuart (born and died 1673), died of convulsions
    • Unnamed child (October 1675), stillborn
    • Isabel Stuart (1676 – 1681)
    • Charles, Duke of Cambridge (born and died 1677), died of smallpox
    • Elizabeth Stuart (born and died 1678) died immediately after birth
    • Unnamed child (February 1681), stillborn
    • Charlotte Maria Stuart  (born and died 1682), died of convulsions
    • Unnamed child (October 1683), stillborn
    • Unnamed child (May 1684), miscarriage
    • James Francis Edward Stuart (James III and VIII to the Jacobites) (1688 – 1766) married Maria Clementina Sobieska, had children, including Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender
    • Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart (1692 – 1712), unmarried, died of smallpox

Louisa Maria Teresa with her brother James Francis Edward, 1695; Credit – Wikipedia

James II regarded his daughter as a consolation sent to him in his exile and Louisa Maria Teresa became known as “La Consolatrice“.  During the summer of 1701, James II was seriously ill and had been away from Saint Germain with his wife, seeking medical treatment.  James and Maria Beatrice returned to the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in time for the June birthdays of their two children.   In early September, James II suffered a stroke but was still able to talk when his children visited him for the last time. His last words to nine-year-old Louisa were: “Adieu, my dear child. Serve your creator in the days of your youth. Consider virtue as the greatest ornament of your sex. Follow close the great pattern of it, your mother, who has been, no less than myself, over-clouded with calumny. But time, the mother of truth, will, I hope, at last make her virtues shine as bright as the sun.”  James II died on September 16, 1701, at St. Germain. His remains were buried at the Chapel of Saint Edmund in the Church of the English Benedictines in the Rue  St. Jacques in Paris.

Louisa was educated by an English Roman Catholic priest, Father Constable, who taught her Latin, history, and religion, and by her governess, the Countess of Middleton (born Lady Catherine Brudenell, daughter of Robert Brudenell, 2nd Earl of Cardigan), the wife of Charles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton, Jacobite 1st Earl of Monmouth.  At the age of 13, Louisa was introduced at the court of Versailles where she enjoyed dancing and attending the opera and became quite popular. Soon she had some potential marriage candidates, including Louis XIV’s grandson Charles, Duke of Berry and the future King Karl XII of Sweden, but nothing happened with either possibility.

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart, 1704; Credit – Wikipedia

In April 1712, Louisa and her brother James Francis Edward fell ill with smallpox.  Her brother recovered, but Louisa’s condition became steadily worse.  She died at the age of 19 on April 18, 1712, at the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.  Louisa was buried with her father at the Chapel of Saint Edmund in the Church of the English Benedictines in the Rue  St. Jacques in Paris.  In October 1793, the Chapel of Saint Edmund and all the English Benedictines buildings were destroyed by a mob along with the remains of King James II and his daughter Louisa Maria Teresa. Some of their remains were discovered after the French Revolution and reburied in 1824 at the Parish Church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited
“Louisa Maria Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Aug. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“Louise Marie Thérèse Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 28 June 1692. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, David. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996. Print.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

James Francis Edward Stuart circa 1720; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 6, 1685, King Charles II of England died after converting to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed. Although he had at least fourteen illegitimate children, he had no legitimate children. The throne passed to his brother who reigned as King James II, who had converted to Roman Catholicism in the 1670s. Catholic King James II was tolerated because he had two surviving, married daughters via his first marriage with Lady Anne Hyde who had been raised in the Church of England, and no surviving children with his second Catholic wife Maria Beatrice of Modena. It was expected that his elder Protestant daughter Mary would succeed him.

However, King James II set upon a course of restoring Catholicism to England. He issued a Declaration of Indulgence removing restrictions imposed on those that did not conform to the Church of England. England might very well have continued tolerating King James II knowing that his heirs were the Protestant daughters of his first wife. However, on June 10, 1688, the childless Queen Maria Beatrice gave birth to a Roman Catholic son. Immediately, false rumors swirled that the infant had been smuggled into the queen’s chambers in a warming pan.

Thus, James Francis Edward Stuart, created Prince of Wales on July 4, 1688, came into the world at St. James Palace in London. The infant’s father, King James II of England, was the son of the beheaded King Charles I of England and the first cousin of King Louis XIV of France.   King James II’s mother was Henrietta Maria of France, daughter of the assassinated King Henri IV of France.

James Francis Edward with his mother Maria Beatrice of Modena; Credit – Wikipedia

James Francis Edward had two surviving elder half-sisters from King James II’s first marriage to Lady Anne Hyde:

• Queen Mary II of England (1662 – 1694), married her paternal first cousin William III, Prince of Orange who jointly reigned with her as King William III of England, no issue
• Queen Anne of Great Britain (1665 – 1714), married Prince George of Denmark, had 17 pregnancies, five live births, only one survived early childhood, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester who died at age 11

Between 1674 and 1684, James II’s second wife Maria Beatrice had ten pregnancies and gave birth to five live children

• • Unnamed child (March 1674), miscarriage
  • Catherine Laura Stuart (born and died 1673), died of convulsions
  • Unnamed child (October 1675), stillborn
  • Isabel Stuart (1676 – 1681)
  • Charles, Duke of Cambridge (born and died 1677), died of smallpox
  • Elizabeth Stuart (born and died 1678) died immediately after birth
  • Unnamed child (February 1681), stillborn
  • Charlotte Maria Stuart (born and died 1682), died of convulsions
  • Unnamed child (October 1683), stillborn
  • Unnamed child (May 1684), miscarriage
  • James Francis Edward Stuart (James III and VIII to the Jacobites) (1688 – 1766) married Maria Clementina Sobieska, had issue, including Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender
  • Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart (1692 – 1712), unmarried, died of smallpox

James Francis Edward and his sister Louisa Maria Teresa in 1695; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 5, 1688, William III, Prince of Orange, the nephew and son-in-law of King James II, landed in England vowing to safeguard the Protestant interest. He marched to London, gathering many supporters. James II panicked and sent his wife and infant son to France. He tried to flee to France about a month later but was captured. William III, Prince of Orange had no desire to make his uncle a martyr, so he allowed him to escape. James II was received in France by his first cousin King Louis XIV, who offered him a palace and a pension.

Back in England, Parliament refused to depose James II but declared that having fled to France, James II had effectively abdicated the throne and the throne had become vacant. James II’s elder daughter Mary was declared Queen Mary II and she was to rule jointly with her husband William, who would be King William III.  At that time, William, the only child of King James II’s elder sister Mary, Princess Royal was third in the line of succession after his wife and first cousin Mary and her sister Anne. This overthrow of King James II is known as the Glorious Revolution.

Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

James II, his wife, and his son settled at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye,  provided by King Louis XIV of France, where a court in exile, composed mainly of Scots and English Catholics, was established. James II was determined to regain the throne and landed in Ireland with a French force in 1689. He was defeated by his nephew William at the Battle of the Boyne on July 1, 1690, and was forced to withdraw once again to France. James II spent the rest of his life in France, planning invasions that never happened. In 1692, Maria Beatrice gave birth to a daughter Louisa Maria Teresa. James II died from a stroke on September 16, 1701, at St. Germain.

James Francis Edward Stuart; Credit – Wikipedia

Upon his father’s death, James Francis Edward (henceforth called James) was recognized by King Louis XIV of France as the rightful heir to the English and Scottish thrones. Spain, the Vatican, and Modena recognized him as King James III of England and VIII of Scotland and refused to recognize William III, Mary II, or Anne as legitimate sovereigns. As a result of James claiming his father’s lost thrones, he was attainted for treason in 1702 and his titles were forfeited under English law. After James II lost his throne, the Jacobite (from Jacobus, the Latin for James) movement formed. The goal of the Jacobites was to restore the Roman Catholic Stuart King James II of England/VII of Scotland and his heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland.

In 1708, James, with the support of King Louis XIV, attempted to land in Scotland, but the British Royal Navy intercepted the ships and prevented the landing. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht forced King Louis XIV of France to recognize the British 1701 Act of Settlement settling the succession on the Electress Sophia of Hanover (a granddaughter of James VI of Scotland and I of England) and her non-Roman Catholic heirs. Upon the death of Queen Anne in August of 1714, George, Elector of Hanover (son of Electress Sophia of Hanover) ascended the British throne as King George I. With the death of King Louis XIV in 1715, the French government found James an embarrassment and he was no longer welcome in France. In 1715, Scottish Jacobites started “The ‘Fifteen” Jacobite Rising, an unsuccessful attempt aimed at putting “James III and VIII” on the throne.

After the failure of the 1715 Rising, James lived in Avignon, then a Papal territory, now in France. In 1717, Pope Clement XI offered James the Palazzo Muti in Rome as his residence.  James then organized a Jacobite court in Rome. Further efforts to restore the Stuarts to the British throne in 1719 and 1722 were unsuccessful.

On September 3, 1719, James Francis Edward Stuart married Maria Clementina Sobieska, granddaughter of King Jan III Sobieski of Poland, in the chapel of the episcopal palace of Montefiascone, Italy, in the Cathedral of Santa Margherita.

Wedding of James Francis Edward Stuart and Maria Clementina Sobieska; Credit – Wikipedia

The couple had two sons:

• Charles Edward Stuart, The Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie (1720 – 1788), married Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, no issue
• Henry Benedict Stuart (1725 – 1807), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, unmarried, no issue

Charles Edward Stuart in 1745; Credit – Wikipedia

Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart circa 1750; Credit – Wikipedia

After James’ failures to regain the throne, attention fell upon his son Charles Edward, The Young Pretender, whose Jacobite Rising of 1745 culminated in the final devastating loss for the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden.  James Francis Edward Stuart died at his home, the Palazzo Muti in Rome, on January 1, 1766, and was buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Besides the tombs in the crypt, in the left aisle of St. Peter’s Basilica is a monument to the Royal Stuarts, commemorating the last three members of the Royal House of Stuart: James Francis Edward Stuart, his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, and his younger son, Henry Benedict Stuart. With their deaths, the male line of the British Royal House of Stuart became extinct.

Tomb of James Francis Stuart and his two sons; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Monument to the Royal Stuarts in St. Peter’s Basilica; Credit – Wikipedia

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Works Cited
Abrufstatistik. “James Francis Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
“James Francis Edward Stuart.” Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.
Susan. “King James II of England.” British Royals. Unofficial Royalty, 7 Mar. 2016. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.