The Stuart family had held the throne of Scotland for centuries and the throne of England since 1603 but the crowns had been lost to them when King James II was driven into exile as a result of the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688. Charles Edward Stuart, known as "The Bonnie Prince", "Bonnie Prince Charlie" or "The Young Pretender" was the grandson of James II and the last protagonist in a decades long struggle to uphold the ancestral claims of the Stuart family.
Certainly one of the most highly romanticized episodes of history, the 1745 "Jacobite Rebellion" met initial success as Bonnie Prince Charlie and a small Scottish volunteer army defeated the British at Prestonpans, drove them out of Scotland and began a long march deep into England. In spite of reports that his army was greatly outnumbered and despite the fact that promised military support from France had not appeared, the Prince still strongly favored making the final push toward London, a mere 130 miles away. But being alone in his opinion he sorrowfully heeded the advice of his military commanders and a long retreat back to Scotland was begun which culminated in defeat at the Battle of Culloden.
The aftermath of this battle constitutes a sad chapter in British History as the Scots were punished severely with little effort made at discriminating between those who had supported the Stuarts, those who had supported the English and those who had simply stood aside. People were imprisoned or worse, lands and goods were confiscated and the wearing of kilts or tartans and playing of bagpipes were all banned on pain of death. As a result, huge numbers of Scots emigrated to America, with the Carolinas being their particularly favored destination.
And what of Bonnie Prince Charlie? Traveling surreptitiously across Scotland, he was the object of a massive manhunt. Flora MacDonald (who had never previously met the Prince) hid him away at great personal risk until with her aid he was able to make good his escape out of the country - never to see Scotland again.
And what of the brave lass who helped the Bonnie Prince in his hour of distress? Flora's role in aiding the Prince was afterwards discovered and she was imprisoned in the Tower of London before emigrating to North Carolina. Becoming an instant celebrity and heroine of Scotland, Flora MacDonald is one of the legendary ladies of history.
Flora MacDonald
The Bonnie Prince
(Invitations to Scottish & Historic Events will be given due consideration.)
