Material and Visual Culture of the Stuart Exile

On 29 October 1753, Charles Edward Stuart’s daughter Charlotte was born, his only child to survive infancy. The birth of an heir would usually be something to celebrate, a symbol of renewed hope for the Jacobite cause, but Charlotte was illegitimate, born to Charles Edward Stuart’s mistress Clementina Walkinshaw rather than to a Jacobite Queen. Charles would not legitimize her until 1784, by which time there was no prospect of a Stuart restoration in the three kingdoms.

It was a far cry from the birth of Charles Edward Stuart himself in December 1720, which had been greeted with delight by Jacobite supporters due to the fact it assured the Stuart succession. In 1721 the first portrait of Charles was painted, with the infant Charles sat beside his mother Maria Clementina Sobieska. Charles would be the subject of numerous paintings throughout his childhood, adolescence and adulthood, including the famous work by Antonio David (right) when Charles Edward was eight years old.

Royal portraits were a key visual tool for the Stuarts in exile, used to demonstrate their legitimacy as the rightful monarchs of Scotland, England, and Ireland. Portraits could then be engraved to enable the creation of prints and miniatures, along with coins and medals, which were then widely distributed throughout the three kingdoms. They were important objects for loyal Jacobite supporters to own, despite the danger of prosecution should they be caught with them. They were likewise important to keep the Stuarts in the eye of the public given how much time had passed since the Revolution of 1688-89 and the fact that few had ever seen James VIII and III or his sons in person.