PORTRAIT OF JAMES EDWARD STUART (1688-1766), THE OLD PRETENDER, THREE-QUARTER-LENGTH, IN ARMOUR AND AN ERMINE CLOAK

James Edward Stuart (1688-1766), 'The Old Pretender', was the son of James II and was smuggled out of England prior to the Glorius Revolution of 1688. On his fathers death in 1701 James became claimant to the thrones of Scotland and England and was recognised as James III in France, Spain, The Papal Sates and Modena, who refused to recognise William III, Anne, George I or George II as the legitimate British sovereigns. James attempts to realise his ambitions were thwarted in 1708 and 1715. After the Treaty of Utrecht forced France to expel James the Stuart Court settled in Rome. Following James's failure, attention turned to his handsome and charismatic son, 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', whose rebellion of 1745 came closer to success than his father's. With the failure of this second rebellion, however, the Stuart hopes of regaining the British throne were effectively destroyed. James died in Rome on January 1, 1766, and is buried in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.