New-York tribune., 1907-08-14
NOT LAST OF THE STUARTS."

s.
Last Of the Stuarts'' is a designation which. in
cautiously applied by some of the Londcn news
papers in connection with the centennial anniver
sary the other day OF the death at Rome of Henry
Stuart, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland,
brother of the young pretender. and for many
years Cardinal of York, arch-prieSt of the Great
Basilica of st. Peters at Rome. has brought
perfect storm of protest from all parts of Scot
land, England and Ireland. by people who insist
upon their more less mythical descent from
the Stuarts. and who claim TO be the representa-
tives Of this I'll fated sovereign dynasty of both
England and Scotland.
OF course, there plenty of persons who have
a strain of royal Stuart blood in their veins
through the female side of the house. Indeed,
Carlyle calls attention to the fact that Oliver
Cromwell who brought about the death of the
Stuart King Charles 1 the scaffold at White
hall. was descended through his mother from the
Stuart rulers of Scotland. Many of the pretensons
put forward to descent in the male line from the
Stuarts ridiculous and impudent, and quite a
number of them have been exposed by that gene
illogical iconoclast in London. ]. Horace Round.
But there is doubt about the claims in this
respect of the Earl of Castle Stewart, and of the
Earl of Moray, though / sorry TO say that
cannot say much for Sir Simeon Stuart
True. Henry Stuart, Cardinal of York, whose
tomb and monument by Canova in st. Peters. at
Rome. is of the features OF that magnificent
fame. the last legitimate descendant in the
male line of the Stuart kings OF Great Britain,
who traced their origin to Robert III, eldest son
of Robert II. the first OF the Stuart kings of Scot
land. But he not the last of the latters
descendants. Robert II. IT may be remembered.
had two wives. The first Elizabeth Mure Of
Rowallan. She bore him less than eight chill
dren prior to marriage but none afterward-that is
say, all her children were born out of wedlock.
and consequently. by the law of Scotland OF
those days. i1egitimate. After her death he mar
ried. in due legal form. Eupheunia- daughter of
Hugh Earl of Ross, by whom he had two moro
sons and three daughters Strictly speaking, his
eldest by his second marriage. David, Earl of
Strathearn. should have succeeded TO the crown.
But his father. Robert II, executed in 1873 act
OF settlement. entailing the crown of Scotland on
his by both his unions (thus legitmizing his
children by his first marriagel. according to pri-
ory. and their heirs male, failing whom. his heirs
whatsoever. on the strength of this act of settle
ment mis- eldest by his first marriage succeed
ed him the throne Robert III. and his male
line came TO end with the death Of James V,
who left an only daughter. Mary Queen OF Scots,
of whom Henry. Cardinal of York, WAS the last
legitimate descendant in the male line
Strictly speaking, by King Robert rs Act of
Settlement Mary Queen Of Scots should never
have inherited the OF Scotland. which
should have gone instead to the descendants of
his younger sons by his first and second mar
riages. The second Of these by his first wife
Robert, Duke Of Albany for time Regent
Of Scotland. II is from this Duke Of Albany that
the Earl of Castle Stewart of to-day is lineally
descended, and II he does not retain the dukedom
of Albany one OF the very first dignities of that
rank ever created in Scotland IL is because the
honors and estates Of the second duke were for
fefted 70 the crown at the time Of his execution
his Iineal descendant IN the male line being ere
ated Lord Castle Stewart by King James L OF
England. not in the peerage Of Scotland but In
that Of ireland. Thus II happens that the princf-
pal representative Of the ancient royal Scotch
House Stewart. namely, the Earl of Castle
Stewart has no connection with the peerage OF
Scotland. but IS peer Of the Emerald Isle. where
his ancestral home and estates situated. name
Iy, in County Tyrone
AS for the Earl of Moray. he is descended from
this same Robert, Duke of Albany. representing
a iInior line, whereas Lord Castle Stewart is al
the head of the senior line. Lord Galloways de-
scent from the Stuarts antedates their royal dgni-
~ and their possession of the throne of Scotland
MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.