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The Jacobite succession, and the removal of the Stuart monarchy from the throne, is the root of the Jacobite uprisings.
This succession is the line through which supporters of the monarchy, and James II, believed the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland should have descended.
The House Of Stuart, the royal bloodline of Scotland, was displaced from power in 1688. Many attempts were made to reclaim the throne during the 18th and 19th centuries.
However, the family did not succeed. The Protestant House of Hanover claimed the thrones of Scotland, England and Ireland.
Back To The Beginning
The House Of Stuart, otherwise known as the Royal House Of Scotland, dates back to 11th-century Brittany. The original spelling of the name was Stewart or Steuart. It is thought that in the 16th century, French influence led to the absence of the ‘w’ in the name. This is due to the absence of the letter ‘w’ in the French alphabet.
At least four generations of the family were stewards to the counts of Dol. The third son of the fourth steward of Dol, Walter, entered the service of David I, King Of Scots. This occurred in England in the early 12th century.
After some time in service, Walter was appointed David I’s steward. This appointment was formalised to Walter’s family bloodline by King Malcolm IV in 1157.
Exploration of Royal Bloodlines In The Jacobite Succession
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The right to rule was taken from a Catholic king and handed to Protestant powers. The deposition of James II and VII may have been known as the Glorious Revolution, but it was anything but glorious. Thousands of soldiers and clan members lost their lives during the Jacobite uprising.
What Happened To James II, King Of England/ James VII, King of Scots?
Jacobite King James II fled to France in 1688 after being ousted as the King Of Britain.
His throne was given to his Protestant daughter Mary, and her husband, William of Orange. Internationally, only France, Spain and the Catholic Papacy acknowledged James II’s son, James III, upon his father’s death in 1701.
Early Lines Of Succession
Mary was succeeded by her sister Anne, who became Queen in 1702. Shortly after Anne’s accession, the Act of Settlement was passed by the Parliament of England, permanently excluding James’ descendants from inheriting the throne.
The Act Of Settlement extended across English, Irish and Scottish law. In addition to this, the Peace Of Utrecht saw Spain and France switch their loyalties in 1713. From then on, they recognised the House Of Hanover as the legitimate successors to the British crown.
The Settlement Act solidified the Protestant House Of Hanover as the official line of succession to the British throne. This named Sophia Of Hanover, James I/VI’s granddaughter, and her descendants as Anne’s successor.
However, Sophia died before she could accede to the throne. Thus, her crown went to her son, George I, following her death in 1714.
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The Pretenders Seek The Throne
James II’s son was named James and was known as the Old Pretender. The Old Pretender’s son was named Charles Edward Stuart - also known as the Young Pretender, or Bonnie Prince Charlie. Along with Charles’ brother, Henry, Cardinal Duke of York, these key players never accepted the loss of the Stuart crown. They incited military uprisings in 1689, 1715, 1719 and 1745.
The Battle Of Culloden in 1746 was the final blow to Jacobitism and Jacobite succession, and any claims of the Stuart succession to the throne.
With the death of the Young Pretender in 1788, and Henry in 1807, the Royal House Of Stuart lost political importance.
This completely established the House Of Hanover as the royal succession to the British throne.
The Stuart Line And Jacobite succession
1633 - 1701: King of England, Scotland and Ireland (James II and James IV).
1688 - 1766: The Old Pretender (James III and James VIII).
1720 - 1788: The Young Pretender (Charles III).
1725 - 1807: Cardinal Duke of York (Henry IX and Henry I).
1751 - 1819: Charles Emmanuel III - great-great-grandson of Henriette Anne Stuart, who was the youngest daughter of Charles I (Charles IV).
1751 - 1824: Victor Emmanuel, King Of Sardinia (Victor I).
1792 - 1840: Duchess of Modena, Mary Beatrice (Mary III and Mary II).
1819 - 1875: Duke of Modena, Francis Ferdinand (Francis I).
1849 - 1919: Maria Theresa Henrietta Dorothea, Queen-Consort of Bavaria (Mary IV and Mary III).
1869 - 1955: Prince of Bavaria - Rupert Maria Leopold Ferdinand (Robert I and Robert IV).
1905 - 1996: Duke of Bavaria - Albert Leopold Ferdinand Michael (Albert I).
1931: Duke of Bavaria - Francis Bonaventura Adalbert Maria (Francis II).
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Are There Any Jacobites Left?
Since the ousting of James II in 1688, the Stuarts were known as Pretenders.
This meant that they were trying to find their way back to power while being legally excluded from the line of Jacobite succession.
The Pretenders were supported by a loyal following of Jacobites, who fought in many rebellions between 1688 and 1746. These culminated in the devastating Battle Of Culloden which, in effect, ended the Stuarts’ claim to the throne forever.
After the battle, there was only a brief movement where the Jacobites aimed to replace the British Parliament with a Stuart king. This was known as the Neo-Jacobite Revival. The Revival took place between 1886 and 1920, with British peer Bertrum Ashburnham circulating leaflets to recruit Jacobite sympathisers.
Melville Henry Massue joined the movement, and together with Ashburnham, they founded the Order Of The Rose. This attracted Scottish and Irish supporters.
Some of the Order planned to overthrow the Hanovarian monarchy, and put Princess Maria Theresa on the throne. However, they failed to execute this plan.
Concurrent to this, the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement was also reviving sympathy for Charles I. This was kept alive by men like Hurrell Froude and James Yeowell. James was actually known as the ‘last Jacobite in England’.
The passive revival ended in 1914 at the start of the First World War. However, there are still Jacobites in the current day who hope that the Stuart royals will one day return to the throne. They still wish for Jacobite succession to be restored.
Who Is The Current Jacobite Heir?
Following Henry’s death (Henry Benedict Stuart, the Cardinal of York) in 1807, the notional rights of the Stuarts’ claim to the throne passed to Henry’s nearest relative. This was Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia by primogeniture.
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This refers to the right of the firstborn legitimate child, by right or law, to inherit his parent’s entire estate.
Charles (or Carlo Emanuele Ferdinando Maria di Savoia), was the eldest son of Victor Amadeus III, King of Sardinia. From Charles, the throne descended to other members of the House Of Savoy, and then to the Houses of Austria-Estie and Wittelsbach.
The current Jacobite claimant is Franz von Bayern of the House Of Wittelsbach. This is the great-grandson of Ludwig III, the last King of Bavaria. Jacobites would today refer to Franz as James II, as he is directly descended from Princess Henrietta-Anne, the youngest daughter of Charles I.
Final Thoughts
The history of the Jacobite succession is fascinating.
Despite the efforts of many players - such as Bonnie Prince Charlie and James II - the throne was never officially reclaimed by the House of Stuart. The Jacobite uprisings were violent and lasted over a century. There are still Jacobite supporters to this day!
If you’re interested in the Jacobite succession, you might be interested in the Jacobite clans and family names.
Scotland has a rich history, and we highly recommend immersing yourself in it! If you’ve seen the Outlander series, you’ll know a fair amount already. Why not visit Scotland, and take a tour of some unmissable Outlander filming locations?
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In 1315, the sixth steward was also named Walter - as per Scottish naming traditions. Walter married Marjory, the daughter of King Robert I, who was also known as the Bruce.
They had a son whom they named Robert after their royal patriarch. In 1371 Robert ascended to the throne of Scotland and became known as Robert II - the first Stewart king of Scotland.
The direct male line of Stuarts ended in 1542 with the death of James V. This is where a female royal acceded to the throne, starting with James V’s daughter - Mary, Queen Of Scots.
Mary died in 1587 and was succeeded by her only son, James VI - also known as Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. In 1603, James VI inherited the English throne due to his royal lineage as the great-grandson of Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII.
At this point, he became known as James I. James I’s son, Charles I, was executed in 1649. This was for being a “traitor, murderer, tyrant and public enemy.”
This excluded the Stuarts from the throne until the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660. Upon Charles II’s death in 1685, he was succeeded by his Catholic brother, James II.
Jacobite Succession: What Is It?
The Jacobites were the ardent supporters of the Stuart Royal Family and their divine right to the throne of Scotland, as well as England and Ireland.
This is where the name Jacobite comes from. Jacobite means ‘a supporter of James’. It’s derived from the Latin word for James, Jacobus.
James II was ousted from the British throne in 1688 because he was a converted Catholic. The British Parliament and nobles did not want a Catholic King.
The Stuart bloodline was excluded from the line of Jacobite succession. Over a century was spent trying to return the Stuart line as the ruling monarchy