The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-13
THE HOUSE OF STUART.
Historical Errors Concerning It's
Living Representative.
Queen victorIn's Claim to That Tito n
Singular Absurlity-Thc Count of
Paris Alone Entitled to That
Distinction.


GTherc is q historical blundcr which
ever and anon comes up, and which,
though of no practical significance, vet
cannot be without an imaginative in
fiuence on Anglo-Saxons, says DR..
Charles G. Starbuck in the Boston Adj
vertiscr. 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 u,
mistake.
When by death of Henry Stuart Car.
dinal York, in 1907, the house of Stuart.
and with it all the heirs of James H.. );
became extinct, then as his eldest sis-i
ter Mary, had no grandchildren the
Stuart representation dcvolved on
King Victor Emmanuel l. of Sardinia
as the heir of James younger sister,
Henrietta, duchess of Orleans Victori
EmmanucPs heir for the throne of Sar-
DINA, us he had no sons, was his,
brother Charles Felix, but for the
Stuart representation, which, of course, .
followed the English rule, it was his,
eldest daughter, Mary Beatrice. Herr
heir was her eldest son, Francis ", the,
last duke of Modcna, whom Disracli,
in "Endymion," represents as ac-.
tually receiving the homage of some,
English idiots us their true sovereign.
At his death without issue in 1875, the {
Stuart claim (now, of course, purely
ldcaD passed to his next brother Ford
inand's only child, the archduchess Ma
ria Theresa, wife of Prince Lewis. of
Bavaria, who is thus the representative
of the Stuarts, the Tudors and the
Plantagcnets. The eldest of this ladys
four or five som; bears the sign of his
famous descent in the name of "Prince
Rupert" Thus the ideal claims of the
ancient English royalty, having passed
from the house of Savoy into the Mode
nesc branch of the house of IIansbur.r-
Lorraine. will il the next generation
be settled in the house Of Wittclsbach
and ascend the throne of Bavaria, SUD-
posing that monarchy to be then in cx-
istencc.
On the death os Charles Felix in 1881
the Sardiniun crown passed to the
branch OF Savoy Carignano which part
ed from the elder line Il generation be-
fore Henrietta Stuart was born. king
Humbcrt, therefore, and his cousin and
Wife, Queen Margaret, are not only not
the representatives of tho Stuarts, but,
MS pointed out in Chambers Encyco-
pDdia." they are not descendants of the
Stuarts.
Queen Victoria is guilty of n singular
absurdity in one of her books when she
proudly calls herself, with true royal
and feminine toryism, 1.-THE representa-
tive of the Staarts." Her house was
chosen for the very reason that its el--
walton signalizcd the national rejection
of the Stuarts. The act of settlement
shows that she is not only not the rep
rcsentativc of Charles l., but is not
even the representative of his sister
Elizabeth until all the posterity of
Elizabeths sons shall be extinct, for
the act passes over the sons and over
the eldest daughter, the abbcss of
Maubisson, and fixes on the youngest
daughter, Sophia, as being Protest
ant. The present dynasty, therefore,
rcigns by no Anticipated right of de-
scent, but by true act of national
election. Victoria is not the represcn-
tative of the Stuarts, but, which is an
infinitely higher dignity. she is, by
free act Of national choice, the repre-
sentative of the majesty of mighty
England. And perhaps the now dc
caying British monarchy would do we'll
to close its long and bcstaincd, but yet
illustrious, history, with this long and
virtuous reign.
may remark that the present repre-
sentative of Elizabeth Stuart. Queen
Victoria's anccstrcss, is said to be, curl
ously enough, the count of Paris.