Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-03-04
HEIRS OF THE HOUSE OF STUART
How the Question OF Right to the Eng
Iish Throne Is Complicated

liSh Throne Is Complicated.
There is a historical hlunder which ever
and anon comes up and which though of
no practical significance. yet cannot he
without an imaginative influence on Anglo
Saxons 1t respects the question. Who is
the representative of the Stuarts: The
statement is often made that it is the king
of Italy but this is a mistake. Its latest
appearance is in very interesting article
on Queen Margaret, which says that but
for the law excluding Roman Catholic
lines, King Humbert and Queen Margaret
would now be king and queen of England
1t is worth noting that even the eminent
historian, Mr. Freeman, has casually fallen
into the same error in an incidental allu
sion, knowing that by female succession
the Stuart representation had passed into
the house of Savoy, and not having CHANGED
to note that by female succession it had
passed out of the house OF Savoy
When by death of Henry Stuart Cardi
nal York, in 1907, the house of Stuart. and
with it all the heirs OF James H. became
extinct, then as his elder sister, Mary, had
no grandchildren the Stuart representa-
ton devoved ON King Victor Emmanuel
| of Sardinia, as the heir of James younger
sister, Henrietta, duchess of Orleans Vic
tor Emmanuel's heir for the throne OF s;ar
DINA. as he had no sons, was his brother
Charles Felix, but for the Stuart represen
tatlon, which of course followed the Eng
lish rule, it was his eldest daughter, Mary
Beatrice. Her heir was her eldest son
Francis V, the last duke of Modena, whom
Disraeli. in ''Endymion,' represents as
actually receiving the homage Of some
English idiots as their true sovereign.
AT his death without issue in 1873, the
Stuart claims (now Of course purely IDEAL
passed to his next brothers QFertiinand' 81
only child, the Archduchess Maria Theresa
wife of Prince Lewis of Bavaria. who is
thus the representative of the Stuarts the
Tudors and the Plantagenets The eldest
OF this lady's four or five sons bears the
sign of his famous~descent in his name OF
"Prince Rupert" Thus the ideal claims
of the ancient English royalty having
passed from the house of Savoy into the
Modenese branch of the house of Haps
burg Lorraine, will, in the next generation
be settled in the house of Wittelsbach and
ascend the throne of Bavaria, supposing
that monarchy to be then in existence
On the death of Charles Felix in 1881. til
Sandman crown passed to the branch G
Savoy Carignano. which parted from I'll
elder line u generation before Henrett.
Stuart was horn. King Humbert, there
fore, and his cousin and wife. Queen MAJ
garet. are not only not the representative,
of the Stuarts but, as pointed out in Cham
bers' Encyclopedia. they are not descend
ants of the Stuarts.
Queen Victoria is guilty of Il singular
absurdity in one of her books when she
proudly calls herself, with true royal ami
feminine Toryism, the representative OF
IL, nh fr,,
the very reason that its elevation signal
ICED the national rejection Of the Stuarts
The act of settlement shows that she is not
only not the representative of Charles
but is not even the representative of his
sister Elizabeth until all the posterity o!
SIlizabeth's sons shall be extinct, for the
act passes over the sons and over the eldest
daughter, the Abbess of Maubisson, and
dxes on the youngest daughter, Sophia, ils
being Protestant. The present dynasty
therefore, reigns by no Anticipated right o.
descent, but by true act of national elec
zion. Victoria is not the representative OF
she Stuarts but, which is an infinitely
higher dignity. she is by Il free act of ma
eional-. choice, the representative of ths.
majesty of mighty England
may remark that the present represen
t.ative of Elizabeth Stuart. Queen Victo
cas- ancestress. is said to be, curiously
enough. the Count of Paris. DIR. Charles
=. Starbuck in Boston Advertiser.