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This article is not about the Jacobite Orthodox
Church.
Jacobitism was the political movement dedicated to the return of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England and Scotland (and after 1707, the United Kingdom). It was so named after James VI of Scotland and I of England whose name in Latin is Iacobus Rex. It must not be
confused with Jacobinism.
Jacobitism was a response to the deposition of James VII and
II in 1688 and his replacement with William of Orange and Mary II. The
Stuarts lived on the European continent after that, occasionally attempting to regain the throne with the aid of France. Within the British Isles, the
primary seats of Jacobitism were Ireland and especially Highland Scotland. There was also some support in Northumberland and other parts of the North of England.
Military Campaigns
The first Jacobite military campaign against the Parliaments of England and Scotland in support of King James VII and II took
place in Scotland in 1689 and reached its zenith when the Jacobites won the Battle of Killiecrankie. Unfortunately for them, their
leader, Bonnie Dundee, John Graham of
Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, was killed in the fighting and support for them petered out.
The second campaign in favour of James VII and II took place in Ireland in 1690 but
ended when the Jacobite forces were defeated at the Battle of the
Boyne. An abortive campaign sponsored by the French in 1708 was thwarted by the
Royal Navy which prevented the French navy from landing the Old Pretender, James VIII and III.
The third campaign, which was in support of the Old Pretender, took place in 1715 but
was short-lived - see Battle of Preston (1715).
This is now usually referred to as the first Jacobite
Rebellion. It was raised by the disgruntled Earl of Mar, Bobbin'
John, in response to having his attempts to gain office in the incoming Hanoverian government rebuffed. It was organised
without reference to the Stuarts in France who were not prepared for it. The Old Pretender's arrival in Britain was delayed by
illness, and he was unable to take advantage of the initiative taken by his followers.
A fourth campaign, sponsored by the Spanish in 1719 was defeated, firstly by storms
which destroyed most of the invasion force before it even set sail and finally at the Battle of Glen Shiel.
The fifth and most nearly successful campaign (usually referred to as the "Second Jacobite Rebellion"), led by the Young
Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, son of the Old
Pretender, in his father's name, took place in 1745. In the 1745 rebellion Jacobite troops
advanced into England as far as Derby before turning back. In
1746 they were finally defeated near Inverness at the Battle of Culloden
by Hanoverian forces made up of English and Scottish troops. The
seemingly suicidal Highland sword charge against cannon and muskets had succeeded earlier in the campaign but failed now owing to
the completely unsuitable nature of the battlefield. This battle crushed the rebellion and effectively ended Jacobitism as a
serious political force in Britain.
Decline of Jacobitism
Jacobitism entered permanent decline after the "Forty-Five" rebellion. In an effort to prevent further trouble, the government
outlawed many Highland cultural practices. Laws required all swords to be surrendered to the government, that no tartans or kilts be worn, that the Gaelic language not be spoken. Government troops were stationed
in the Highlands and built roads and barracks to better control the region. The extent of
enforcement of the prohibitions was variable and sometimes related to a clan's support of the government during the rebellion.
Afterwards, Jacobitism was mainly a subject of romantic poetry and literature, notably the work of Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns. The last Stuart pretender to the throne was the self-styled Henry IX, younger brother of Charles
Edward. After the collapse of the Stuart cause he became a Roman
Catholic priest, and eventually a cardinal. After coming into financial difficulty during the French Revolution, he was granted a stipend by George III. In gratitude he bequeathed the
remaining crown jewels of James VII and II to the Prince of Wales, the future George IV, although he never actually surrendered his claims to the throne.
Following the death of Henry IX, the Jacobite claims passed to those excluded by the Act of Settlement: initially the House of
Savoy, and then, through a daughter, to the House
of Bavaria. Francis, Duke of Bavaria, is the current Jacobite heir. Neither he
nor any of his predecessors since Henry IX's death in 1807 have pursued their claim, although his father was known to wear the
Stuart tartan on occasion.
Jacobite Claimants to the Thrones of England, Scotland, (France), and Ireland
Since Henry's death, none of the Jacobite heirs have actually claimed the throne. They are as follows (given with their
Jacobite titles):
- Charles IV (ex-King Charles Emmanuel IV of
Savoy and Sardinia ( July 13,
1807-October 6, 1819), who was descended from the youngest daughter of Charles I.
- Victor (King Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy and
Sardinia) (October 6, 1819-January 10, 1824), his brother.
- Mary II (Maria Beatrice Vittoria Giuseppina, Princess of Sardinia and
later by marriage Duchess of Modena) (January 10, 1824 - September 15, 1840), his daughter.
- Francis I (Duke Francis V of Modena) (September 15, 1840- November 20, 1875), her son.
- Mary III (Maria Theresia Henriette Dorothee, Princess of Modena and later
Queen consort of Bavaria)
(November 20, 1875- February 3, 1919), his niece.
- Rupert (or Robert IV and I, Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria)
(February 3, 1919- August 2, 1955), her son.
- Albert (Albrecht Luitpold Ferdinand Michael, Duke of Bavaria) August 2, 1955- July 8, 1996), his son.
- Francis II (Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria, Duke of Bavaria) (July 8, 1996-present), his son.
Future descent
Future descent would be: Francis II's heir presumptive is his younger brother
- Prince Max Emanuel Ludwig Maria, Duke of Bavaria. Then his daughter
- Sophie Elizabeth Marie Gabrielle Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, and then her eldest son
- Prince Joseph Wenzel, born 24 May 1995 in London. The first heir in the Jacobite line born in the British
Isles since James VIII and III, The Old Pretender in 1688
External Link
- The Jacobites
- The Jacobite Heritage
See Also
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