Bonnie Prince Charlie in his youth
One of the most romantic and interesting figures from Jacobitism, is the prince Charles Edward Stuart, known by his supporters as Charles III of England (From the death of his father James III at 1766), known by neutral people as "Bonnie Prince Charlie" for his tender and handsome looks, and known by his opponents simply as "The Young Pretender".
Charles Edward Louis John Philip Casimir Sylvester Maria Stuart, was born in the exile at Rome on December 31, 1720 at the Palazzo Muti, being the eldest son of the reigning Jacobite king James III and VIII and his wife, Queen Clementina Sobieska.
As heir apparent to the Jacobite throne, he was soon created Prince of Wales in his own right, and became the great hope for the Jacobites, believing that the dynasty was secured with the birth of a male heir, however future would prove that the handsome prince would fail to produce any legitimate issue.
Charles Edward Stuart on 1729
At the age of five, his only brother was born, christened as Henry Benedict Stuart (Subject to our next entry), they grew together spending their childhood at Rome and Bologne, largerly appart from their mother Clementina who was stranged from their father for most of their lives.
Clementina died on 1735 when Charles was still a minor, with just fourteen years, his brother Henry Benedict was barely nine years old. Most of the youth of Charles was peaceful living in the Papal court and recognized as one of the most handsome princes from his age, ironically his father failed to get a good match for his son.
Charles III in his best years
At Great Britain, Charles was seen as a major threat to his Hanoverian counterparts, because of his youth and handsome looks, Charles attracted romantic publics specialy from the higlands of Scotland, he was soon nicknamed "Bonnie Prince Charlie", this "AKA" was special since his princely status was then recognized by the masses.
His father recognizing the popularity of his son, decided to name him "Prince Regent" in december 1743, this giving him the Royal assent to act in the name of the reigning James III, from then on, Charles was the factual leader of the Jacobite cause, as would be demosntrated two years later.
On 1745, Charles launched a full invassion to the British Island, in a last effort to recover the thrones for his father, he issued a manifesto claiming for the supports of his fellow subjects in order "to restore the holy throne to the legitimate cause of the Royal Stuarts".
He found much support at the Highlands of Scotland, however the support was not universal, and even he made very important victories, like that in the Battle of Prestonpans, and later that in Falkirk, his expedition reached as far south as Derby, however he was finally defeated and had to retreat to the highlands.
Statue of Charles III at Derby, the southernmost place he visited on 1745
Charles wandered for about six months in the Highlands until he finally decided to left to Scotland on September 20, feeling totally dissapointed and defeated, after this point the Jacobitism was hopeless, and no other single militar intervention would be made in order to try to restore the line of the Royal Stuarts.
The next years, Charles resided at France where he found many loves and adventures, one affair with a cousin Marie-Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne who was married to the duc de Montbazon, resulted in the birth of an illegitime son: prince Charles de Rohan, however he died at five months, had he lived he would still be barred to the succession being a royal bastard.
On June 16, 1748 the final fate of the Jacobitism was signed, when France oficially recognized the Hanoverian claim to the british thrones through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Charles was then barred from entering France, and he would wonder arround the European continet in the following years, eventualy establishing at the duchy of Lorreine and finally to the Low Countries.
Charles III in his older years
At Liege he renewed a past relationship with Clementina Walkinshaw, who gave him another illegitimate child, this time a daughter who was baptized as Charlotte. During this times he became very anti-catholic, this because of his anger against the Pope and France who have turned down any hope to help the Jacobite cause. It is even pressumed that Charles oficialy became a member of the Church of England in a desperate last try to recover his throne.
However at the end when his father died in 1766 he decided to return to Rome, took up residence at the Palazzo Muti, however the Papal courts decided to not give their recognition to Charles III instead choosing to finally accept the Hanoverian succession at the British Islands.
Even his brother (Now a Cardinal) tried to gain the papal favor, all negotiations failed. Now Charles was old and tyred, and still without a heir to be succeeded, then on 1772 he was married to a very obscure princess from a ducal line, Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, daughter of Prince Gustavus Adolphus of Stolberg-Gedern and of his wife, Princess Elizabeth of Hornes.
Louise, Charles' wife
The new coulpe was happy even Charles was thirty years senior to his new wife, however they failed to produce any issue, and thus the Jacobite succession was then left to the Cardinal-Duke of York, that for obvious reasons was also childless.
Charles and Louise lived at Florence since July 1774, where Charles drunkness became more serious and Louise began to be courted by a series of young men. Eventualy Louise conduct was obviously adulterous, so he and Charles broke up on 1778 and she went to live to a convent two years later, the couple would never meet each other again.
In 1783 Charles signed an act in order to legitimize his only surviving daughter, Charlotte, who was then styled as Duchess of Albany, however the legitimization did not gave her any right to the Jacobite succession, they moved to Rome on 1785. At this time Charles was virtually invalid and senile, however he became totally reconciled to his original Roman Catholic faith.
Charles III of England in his later years
Charles died in the Palazzo Muti, (the very same place where he was born), on January 30, 1788, his remains first were first laid to rest at the Cathedral of Frascati, but finally was sepulted along with his father and brother at the Crypt of the Saint Peter's Basillica. Charles was succeeded in all his rights, by his younger brother, Henry Benedict, Cardinal-Duke of York.
2 comentarios:
There is an interesting case in the Swedish royal family which is, in many ways, similar to the Jacobite conflict. At one point during the 16th century, the Catholic heir to the throne, Sigismund Vasa, was ejected by his Protestant uncle, Charles (father of Gustavus Adolphus of Thirty Years War fame), after 7 years of reign. Sigismund, in addition to being the hereditary king of Sweden, was also elective king of Poland, which made his position even more complex and difficult. Although he lost his Swedish crown, he never gave up his claim to Sweden, his homeland. Wars between Sweden and Poland, where the Catholic branch of the Swedish royal family continued to reign, continued on and off for 70 years. Finally, Sigismund's son John Casimir was forced to relinquish all claims to the Swedish throne, I believe in 1660, by a massive Swedish invasion of the country, which also coincided with internal chaos and other external attacks. Very tragic, the fact that the Catholic branch of the Vasas lost the Swedish Crown to a usurping Protestant branch of the family meant that Sweden would remain Lutheran forever.
However, Queen Kristina, as is well known, converted to Catholicism, although she was a descendant of the Protestant branch, and had to abdicate as a result.
The whole thing reminds me alot of the English dynastic/religious conflicts.
Charles was a fascinating person.
And rightful king of England AND Scotland.
But unfortunately he had many flaws, a drunk and a man who beat women.
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