STUART, CHARLES EDWARD Louts Pnit.tr CA:slat Hi.ofteD called the YOUNG PRETENDER ( 1720 SS ) . A claimant to the British throne. lle was the eldest son of dames Edward, known as the Old Pretender, and was horn at Rome. After some military service on the Continent, Charles, encouraged by the French Government, decided to make an armed attempt to obtain the MI iSh Crown. The French aid, however, did not ma terialize, and Charles landed almost alone on August 2, 1745, on an islet. in the Hebrides. The Highland clans 'locked to his standard, and Charles pressed on to Perth. where he was joined by Lord George Murray. The troops of the Gov ernment were defeated at Prestonpans on Sep tember 21, 1745, and Carlisle was taken in November. Lord George Murray completely out mameuvred his opponents, and soon had a clear road to London. In the first days of December the Highlanders were in Derby. Panic prevailed in London. But England did not rise in behalf of the Stuarts as had been expected, and Murray was cut off from his base of supplies. In conse quence the retreat began on December 6, and the Duke of Cumberland pursued. On April 10
(new style April 27), 1740, the rebels were totally defeated at Culloden Moor. From April to September Charles Edward lay concealed in the Highlands and on the Hebrides with a price on his head, and hunted by the soldiers, but safe in the devoted loyalty of the clansmen. He finally reached France after many hairbreadth escapes. Thereafter his life was chiefly marked by its dis-soluteness. It seems that lie was in London in 1750, and again in 1752 and 1754, in the vain hope of fomenting another rising. In 1772 Charles married Louisa. Princess of Stol berg (see ALBANY, LOUISA MARIA CAROLINE) , but 'he was unable to tolerate his brutality, and they separated in 1780. Thereafter Charles lived chiefly at Florence in the company of a daughter born to him by Miss Walkonshaw, his mistress. He died at Rome. Consult: Ewald, Life and Times of Prince Charles Stuart, Count of Albany (London. 1$75) ; Lang, The Prince Charles Ed ward (iii., 1900).