James Francis Edward Stuart

James Francis Edward Stuart, known as the Old Pretender, ( born June 10, 1688 St. James 's Palace, † January 1, 1766 in Rome) was pretender to the Scottish and the English throne. He was the son of James II of England and his second ( Catholic ) wife Mary of Modena. He was accompanied by his supporters, the Jacobites as James III. called of England and VIII of Scotland James.

Life

James II had two adult daughters from his first marriage, Mary and Anne, who had been brought up a Protestant. Since it was expected that they would follow him on the throne, the British accepted his rule, although he was a Catholic. As him but its Catholic second wife Mary of Modena on June 10, 1688 a son, James Francis Edward gave birth, feared a large part of the English ruling class its successor, as the newborn heir to the throne was not a member of the Anglican Church. So there was the prospect of a permanent Catholic rule in England. Immediately after the birth of the prince appeared doubts about his legitimacy; he was not a biological son of Jacob, but a changeling by the Jesuits of the mother child in reality. Since there were no neutral witnesses to the birth from the view of the noble opposition (although important role support and many noblemen were traditionally present and this was also logged), and Mary and Anne were convinced of the truth of these rumors. Already on June 30, 1688 called for seven British magnate Jacob's son William of Orange in a letter to intervene in England. Therefore, the Queen gave birth to her son in December 1688 to France in safety.

There, in the Saint- Germain -en- Laye, James Francis Edward Stuart grew up with his youngest sister Louisa Maria and was recognized by Louis XIV as the rightful heir to the throne of James II. Thus, the Jacobites formed as the group that supported his claim on the throne. After the death of James II he was in 1701 by his followers entitled James III. proclaimed by England and James VIII of Scotland to the King.

In March 1708 he was on the Firth of Forth to land, to make his throne claims against the ruling Queen Anne asserted. However, because of his Catholic faith, he was rejected and instead, when Anne died, called to the Act of Settlement of 1701 George I of Hanover into the country, the 1714 king and founded the Hanoverian line of the British royal family.

After the death of Louis XIV, the Jacobite Exilhof 1719 moved finally to Rome. On September 3, 1719 James Francis Edward married the granddaughter of John III. of Poland, Maria Clementina Sobieska. From this marriage came the sons of Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart, the future cardinal and bishop of Frascati, who also like his older brother laid claim to the British throne. James Francis Edward Stuart himself left Rome only rarely and, after his death, an official state funeral. Together with his wife and sons, he is buried in St. Peter's Basilica. During his time in Italy he was permanently monitored by agents of the British Crown, including Philipp von Stosch.

Progeny

James Francis Edward Stuart and Maria Sobieska had two sons:

• Charles Edward Stuart (1720-1788; " Bonnie Prince Charlie" )
• Henry Benedict Stuart (1725-1807)