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CHARLES EDWARD

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Originally appearing in Volume V05, Page 942 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CHARLES See also:EDWARD [CHARLES EDWARD Louts See also:PHILIP CASIMIR STUARTI (172o-1788), See also:English See also:prince, called the " See also:Young Pretender " and also the " Young See also:Chevalier," was See also:born at See also:Rome on See also:December 31st, 1720. He was the See also:grandson of See also:King See also:James II. of See also:England and See also:elder son of James, the " Old Pretender," by whom (as James III.) he was created at his See also:birth prince of See also:Wales, the See also:title he See also:bore among the English See also:Jacobites during his See also:father's lifetime. The young prince was educated at his father's See also:miniature See also:court in Rome, with James See also:Murray, Jacobite See also:earl of See also:Dunbar, for his See also:governor, and under various tutors, amongst whom were the learned Chevalier See also:Ramsay, See also:Sir See also:Thomas See also:Sheridan and the See also:abbe Legoux. He quickly became conversant with the English, See also:French and See also:Italian See also:languages, but all his extant letters written in English appear singularly See also:ill-spelt and illiterate. In 1734 his See also:cousin, the See also:duke of Liria, afterwards duke of See also:Berwick, who was proceeding to join See also:Don See also:Carlos in his struggle for the See also:crown of See also:Naples, passed through Rome. TIe offered to take Charles on his expedition, and the boy of thirteen, having been appointed See also:general of See also:artillery by Don Carlos, shared with See also:credit the dangers of the successful See also:siege of See also:Gaeta. The handsome and accomplished youth, whose doings were eagerly reported by the English See also:ambassador at See also:Florence and by the See also:spy, See also:John See also:Walton, at Rome, was now introduced by his father and the See also:pope to the highest Italian society, which he fascinated by the frankness of his manner and the See also:grace and dignity of ' his bearing. In 1737 James despatched his son on a tour through the See also:chief Italian cities, that his See also:education as a prince and See also:man of the See also:world might be completed. The distinction with which he was received on his See also:journey, the royal honours paid to him in See also:Venice, and the jealous interference of the English ambassador in regard to his reception by the See also:grand-duke of See also:Tuscany, show how See also:great was the respect in which the exiled See also:house was held at this See also:period by See also:foreign See also:Catholic See also:powers, as well as the watchful policy of England in regard to its fortunes. The Old Pretender himself calculated upon foreign aid in his attempts to restore the See also:monarchy of the Stuarts; and the See also:idea of See also:rebellion unassisted by invasion or by support of any See also:kind from abroad was one which it was See also:left for Charles Edward to endeavour to realize. Of all the See also:European nations See also:France was the one on which Jacobite hopes mainly rested, and the warm sympathy which See also:Cardinal See also:Tencin, who had succeeded See also:Fleury as French See also:minister, See also:felt for the Old Pretender resulted in a definite See also:scheme for an invasion of England to be timed simultaneously with a prearranged Scottish rebellion. Charles was secretly despatched to See also:Paris in See also:January 1744.

A See also:

squadron under See also:Admiral Roquefeuil sailed from the See also:coast of France. Transports containing 7000 troops, to be led by See also:Marshal See also:Saxe, accompanied by the young prince, were in readiness to set See also:sail for England. A severe See also:storm effected, however, a See also:complete disaster without any actual engagement taking See also:place. The loss in See also:ships of the See also:line, in transports, and in lives was a crushing See also:blow to the hopes of Charles, who remained in France for over a See also:year in a retirement which he keenly felt. He had at Rome already made the acquaintance of See also:Lord Elcho and of John Murray of See also:Broughton; at Paris he had seen many sup-porters of the See also:Stuart cause; he was aware that in every European court the Jacobites were represented in See also:earnest intrigue; and he had now taken a considerable See also:share in See also:correspondence and other actual See also:work connected with the promotion of his own and his father's interests. Although dissuaded by all his See also:friends, on the 13th of See also:July 1745 he sailed from See also:Nantes for See also:Scotland on See also:board the small brig " La Doutelle," which was accompanied by a French man-of-See also:war, the " Elisabeth," laden with arms and See also:ammunition. The latter See also:fell in with an English man-of-war, the " See also:Lion," and had to return to France; Charles escaped during the engagement, and at length arrived on the 2nd of See also:August off Erisca, a little See also:island of the See also:Hebrides. Receiving, however, but a cool reception front See also:Macdonald of Boisdale, he set sail again and arrived at the See also:bay of Lochnanuagh on the See also:west coast of See also:Inverness-See also:shire. The Macdonalds of Clanranald and Kinloch Moidart, along with other chieftains, again attempted to dissuade him from the rashness of-an unaided rising, but they yielded at last to the See also:enthusiasm and See also:charm of his manner, and Charles landed on Scottish See also:soil in the See also:company of the " Seven Men of Moidart " who had come with him from France. Everywhere, however, he met with discouragement among the chiefs, whose adherence he wished to secure; but at last, by enlisting the support of See also:Cameron of Lochiel, he gained a footing for a serious rebellion. With secrecy and See also:speed communications were entered into with the known leaders of the Highland clans, and on the 19th of August, in the valley of Glenfinnan, the See also:standard of James III. and VIII. was raised in the midst of a See also:motley but increasing See also:crowd. On the same See also:day Sir John See also:Cope at the See also:head of 1500 men left See also:Edinburgh in See also:search of Charles; but, fearing an attack in the Pass of Corryarrick, he changed his proposed route to Inverness, and Charles thus had the undefended See also:south See also:country before him.

In the beginning of See also:

September he entered See also:Perth, having gained numerous accessions to his forces on his See also:march. See also:Crossing the Forth unopposed at the Fords of Frew and passing through See also:Stirling and See also:Linlithgow, he arrived within a few See also:miles of the astonished See also:metropolis, and on the 16th of September a See also:body of his skirmishers defeated the dragoons of See also:Colonel See also:Gardiner in what was known as the " Canter of Coltbrig." His success was still further augmented by his being enabled to enter the See also:city, a few of Cameron's Highlanders having on the following See also:morning, by a happy ruse, forced their way through the See also:Canon-See also:gate. On the 18th he publicly proclaimed James VIII. of See also:Scot-See also:land at the See also:Market See also:Cross and occupied Holyrood. Cope had by this See also:time brought his disappointed forces by See also:sea to Dunbar. On the loth Charles met and defeated him at See also:Prestonpans, and returned to prosecute the siege of Edinburgh See also:Castle, which, however, he raised on General See also:Guest's threatening to See also:lay the city in ruins. In the beginning of See also:November Charles left Edinburgh, never to return. He was at the head of at least 6000 men; but the ranks were being gradually thinned by the See also:desertion of Highlanders, whose traditions had led them to consider war merely as a See also:raid and an immediate return with See also:plunder. Having passed through See also:Kelso, on the 9th of November he laid siege to See also:Carlisle, which capitulated in a See also:week. See also:Manchester received the prince with a warm welcome and with 15o recruits under See also:Francis See also:Towneley. On the 4th of December he had reached See also:Derby and was within ten days' march of See also:London, where the inhabitants were terror-struck and a commercial panic immediately ensued. Two armies under English leadership were now in the See also:field against him, one under Marshal See also:Wade, whom he had evaded by entering England by the west, and the other under See also:William, duke of See also:Cumberland, who had returned from the See also:continent. London was not to be supposed helpless in such an emergency; Manchester, See also:Glasgow and See also:Dumfries, rid of his presence, had risen against him, and Charles paused.

There was See also:

division among his advisers and desertion among his men, and on the 6th of December he reluctantly was forced to begin his See also:retreat northward. Closely pursued by Cumberland, he marched by way of Carlisle across the border, and at last stopped to invest Stirling Castle. At See also:Falkirk, on the 17th of January 1746, he defeated General See also:Hawley, who had marched from Edinburgh to intercept his retreat. A fortnight later, however, Charles raised the siege of Stirling, and after a weary though successful march rested his troops at Inverness. Having taken Forts See also:George and See also:Augustus, and after varying success against the supporters of the See also:government in the See also:north, he at last prepared to See also:face the duke of Cumberland, who had passed the See also:early See also:spring at See also:Aberdeen. On the 8th of See also:April the duke marched thence to meet Charles, whose little See also:army, exhausted with a futile See also:night march, See also:half-starving, and broken by desertion, was completely worsted at See also:Culloden on the 16th 'of April 1746. This decisive and cruel defeat sealed the See also:fate of Charles Edward and the house of Stuart. Accompanied by the faithful Ned See also:Burke and a few other followers, Charles at last gained the See also:wild western coast. Hunted hither and thither, he wandered on See also:foot or cruised restlessly in open boats among the many barren isles of the Scottish See also:shore,enduring the greatest hardships with marvellous courage and cheerfulness. Charles, upon whose head a See also:reward of £30,000 had a year before been set, was thus for over five months relentlessly pursued by the troops and spies of the government. Disguised in See also:female attire and aided by a See also:passport obtained by the devoted See also:Flora Macdonald, he passed through See also:Skye and parted from his gallant conductress at Portree. To-wards the end of July he took See also:refuge in the See also:cave of Coiraghoth in the Braes of Glenmoriston, and in August he joined Lochiel and See also:Cluny See also:Macpherson, with whom he remained in hiding until the See also:news was brought that two French ships were in waiting for him at the place of his first arrival in Scotland—Lochnanuagh.

He embarked with speed and sailed for France, reaching the little See also:

port of See also:Roscoff, near See also:Morlaix, on the 29th of September 1746. He was warmly welcomed by See also:Louis XV., and ere See also:long he was again vigorously intriguing in Paris, and even in See also:Madrid. So far as See also:political assistance was concerned, his efforts proved fruitless, but he became at once the popular See also:hero and idol of the See also:people of Paris. So enraged was he with his See also:brother See also:Henry's See also:acceptance of a cardinal's See also:hat in July 1747, that he deliberately See also:broke off communication with his father in Rome (who had approved the step), nor did he ever see him again. The enmity of the See also:British government to Charles Edward made See also:peace with France an impossibility so long as she continued to See also:harbour the young prince. A See also:condition of the treaty of See also:Aix-la-Chapelle, concluded in See also:October 1748, was that every member of the house of Stuart should be expelled the French dominions. Charles had forestalled the See also:proclamation of the treaty by an indignant protest against its injustice, and a See also:declaration that he would not be See also:bound by its provisions. But his indignation and persistent refusal to comply with the See also:request that he should voluntarily leave France had to be met at last with force: he was apprehended, imprisoned for a week at See also:Vincennes, and on the 17th of December conducted to the French border. He lingered at See also:Avignon; but the French, compelled to hard See also:measures by the English, refused to be satisfied; and Pope See also:Benedict XIV., alarmed by the See also:threat of a See also:bombardment of Civita Vecchia, advised the prince to withdraw. Charles quietly disappeared; for years See also:Europe watched for him in vain. It is now established, almost with certainty, that he returned to the neighbourhood of Paris; and it is supposed that his See also:residence was known to the French ministers, who, however, firmly proclaimed their See also:ignorance. In 1750, and again, it is thought, in 1754, he was in London, hatching futile plots and risking his safety for his hopeless cause, and even abjuring the See also:Roman Catholic faith in See also:order to further his political interests.

During the next ten years of his See also:

life Charles Edward's illicit connexion with See also:Miss Clementina Walkinshaw (d. 1802), whom he had first met at See also:Bannockburn House while conducting the siege of Stirling, his imperious fretful See also:temper, his drunken habits and debauched life, could no longer be concealed. He wandered over Europe in disguise, alienating the friends and crushing the hopes of his party; and in 1766, on returning to Rome at the See also:death of his father, he was treated by Pope See also:Clement XIII. with coldness, and his title as See also:heir to the British See also:throne was openly repudiated by all the great Catholic powers. It was probably through the See also:influence of the French court, still intriguing against England, that the See also:marriage between Charles (now self-styled See also:count of See also:Albany) and Princess See also:Louise of See also:Stolberg was arranged in 1772. The See also:union proved childless and unhappy, and in 1780 the countess fled for refuge from her See also:husband's drunken violence to a See also:convent in Florence, where Charles had been residing since 1774. Later, the countess of Albany (q.v.) threw herself on the See also:protection of her brother-in-See also:law Henry, Cardinal See also:York, at Rome, and the formal separation between the ill-matched pair was finally brought about in 1784, chiefly through the kind offices of King Gustavus III. of See also:Sweden. Charles, lonely, ill, and evidently near death, now summoned to Florence his natural daughter, See also:Charlotte Stuart, the See also:child of Clementina Walkinshaw, born at See also:Liege in October 1753 and hitherto neglected by the prince. Charlotte Stuart, who was declared legitimate and created duchess of Albany, tended her father for the remaining years of his life, during which she contrived to reconcile the two Stuart See also:brothers, so that in 1785 Charles returned to Rome, where he died in the old Palazzo Muti on the 3oth of January 1788. He was buried in his brother's See also:cathedral See also:church at See also:Frascati, but in 1807 his remains were removed to the Grotte Vaticane of St See also:Peter's. His daughter Charlotte survived her father less than two years, dying unmarried at See also:Bologna in November 1789, at the early See also:age of See also:thirty-six. See A. C.

See also:

Ewald, Life and Times of Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender (2 vols., 1875) ; C. S. See also:Terry, Life of the Young Pretender, and The Rising of 5745; with Bibliography of Jacobite See also:History i689–1788 (See also:Scott. Hist. fr. Contemp. Writers, iii.) (1900); Earl See also:Stanhope, History of England (1836) and Decline of the Last Stuarts (1854); See also:Bishop R. See also:Forbes, The See also:Lyon in See also:Mourning (1895–1896); See also:Andrew See also:Lang, See also:Pickle, the Spy (1897), and Prince Charles Edward (1900); R. See also:Chambers, History of the Rebellion in Scotland, &c. &c. (H. M.

End of Article: CHARLES EDWARD

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