JACOBITISM

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. This is now usually referred to as the first Jacobite Rebellion. 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.

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 the House of Savoy. 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.

• James VII and II 1685-1701
• James VIII and III 1701-1766
• Charles III 1766-1788
• Henry IX 1788-1807

• Charles IV (ex-King Charles Emanuel IV of Sardinia) 1807-1819, who was descended from the youngest daughter of Charles I
• Victor (King Victor Emanuel I of Sardinia) 1819-1824, his brother
• Mary II (Duchess Maria Beatrice of Modena) 1824-1840, his daughter
• Francis I (Duke Francis V of Modena) 1840-1875, her son
• Mary III (Queen Maria Theresa of Bavaria) 1875-1919, his niece
• Rupert (or Robert IV and I, Crown Prince Rupert of Bavaria) 1919-1955, her son
• Albert (Duke Albert of Bavaria) 1955-1996, his son
• Francis II (Duke Francis of Bavaria) 1996-present, his son

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See Also

• British military history
• UK topics