Young Pretender

(Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charles)

1720–1788

'GENTLEMEN', HE CRIED, 'I HAVE THROWN AWAY THE SCABBARD.'

Charles Edward Stuart is well known for his role in bringing about the last of the Jacobite Rebellions in 1745. Charles was the grandson of the deposed James II, and while Britain was embroiled in the War of the Austrian Succession, sought to reclaim the throne for his father. He was promised a small fleet by the French government, but it did not materialize, and he landed in Scotland with only seven supporters. He was able to raise an army of Highlanders within Scotland, and at first had some success. His cause was not popular within England however, and he failed to gain enough support to successfully resist the British army, led by the Duke of Cumberland, who came against him. His army was thoroughly routed at the Battle of Culloden and he was driven into hiding.

The most romantic part of his story involves the few months that he was in hiding in Scotland, and how he escaped with the help of Flora Macdonald by dressing up as a maid. At the time of the rebellion he was young, charismatic, and brave, and popular among the highlanders, but his later life was not particularly creditable. He also failed to produce a male heir. The Jacobite cause therefore died off during his lifetime and there was no further attempts to reclaim the throne for the descendents of James II.

Key events during the life of Charles Edward Stuart:

Year	Event
1720	Birth of Charles Edward Stuart
	Raised in Rome.
1734	Participated in the siege of Gaeta.
1740	Opening battles of the War of the Austrian Succession.
1745	Charles arrives in Scotland. Victories at Prestonpans and Edinburgh.
1746	Jacobites defeated with great slaughter at he battle of Culloden.
1746	Dramatic escape from Scotland
1766	Death of James III, father of Charles.
1788	Death of Charles Stuart

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Bonnie Prince Charlie  in	Cambridge Historical Reader—Primary  by  Cambridge Press
The '45  in	Stories from English History, Part Third  by  Alfred J. Church
Bonnie Prince Charlie  in	The Hanoverians  by  C. J. B. Gaskoin
George II—The Story of Bonnie Prince Charlie  in	Our Island Story  by  H. E. Marshall
George II.—Prince Charles Came Home  in	Scotland's Story  by  Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
Flight of Prince Charles  in	Historical Tales: English  by  Charles Morris

Image Links
The Young Pretender  in Stories from English History, Part Third	The Exiled Stuarts  in The Hanoverians	The Entry of Prince Charles Edward, the Young Pretender, into Edinburgh  in The Hanoverians
The First meeting of Flora Macdonald and Prince Charles Edward  in The Hanoverians	Flora MacDonald's Introduction to Prince  in  The Story of the English	They took a sad farewell of each other.  in Our Island Story
Gentlemen', he cried, drawing his sword, 'I have thrown away the scabbard.'  in Scotland's Story

Contemporary	Short Biography
George II	Second Hanoverian Monarch of Britain.
Flora MacDonald	Heroine who help Bonnie Prince Charles escape from Scotland.
Pope Clement XI	Pope who supported the Jacobite cause.