Evening star., 1923-05-16
BY MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

BY MARQUIS DE rONInNOAs
Lord Castle-Stewart. who 10 sailing
early next month by the Berengaria
with his American wife and his boy
to stay with her parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
Solomon r. Guggenheim of the firm Of
Guggenheim Bros OF 100 Broadway.
New York. Is the seventeenth earl OF
his line and head OF the, illustrious
and historic family Of Stuart. which
has furnished SO. many rulers to the
Scotch and English thrones.
OF course. there are plenty of per-
sons who have strain Of royal Stu
art blood in their veins. Indeed,
Thomas Carlyle calls attention to the
fact that even oliver Cromwell. who
brought about the death Of the Stuart
king Charles l on the scaffold, was
descended through his mother from
the Stuart rulers Of Scotland.
Many of the pretensions put forwrd
to descent in the male line from the
Stuarts are ridiculous and impudent.
exposed by that genealogical icono-
clast. j. Horace Round. who some
years ago was appointed by the crown
to be adviser and counselor OF the
committee of privileges OF the house
OF lords, which passes on the claims
allegiance.
But there is no doubt whatsoever
a bout the claims Of the present Lord
Castle Stewart and Of his infant son.
viscount Stuart. They are both de-
scended in the male line direct from
Robert Stuart. son of Robert II Of
Scotland and brother Of King Robert
III The second Duke OF Albany was
put to death by his nephew. James I
of Scotland. after the latter's liberia
tion from English captivity and his
dukedom was forfeited to the crown.
But his heir in the male line direct
received first the title of Lord Avon.
dale. then thai Of Lord Stuart Of
Castle Stewart, viecount Castle Stew
art and Earl Of tle-Stewart, in
the peerage. not of Scotland. but of
Ireland That is to say. the acknowl-
OF Stuart has not rood of land in
Scotland and no place among those
peers Of the northern kingdom who,
at each general. election to parlia-
ment assemble in the royal Palace
Of Holy Rood, at Edinburgh, and elect
order In the house Of lords at West
minister.
Lord Castle Stewart. indeed, has not
a seat in the house OF lords and since
Ireland has acquired her legislative
autonomy 1T is very doubtful whether
he any longer possesses any vote. In
the election of what used to be the
twenty.eight' representative peers Of
the Emerald Isle for the upper cham
ber of the imperial Legislature.
Ultra -legitimists agree that Lord
Castle-Stewart has a better claim to
the throne of Scotland than King
George. For the male line Of the
descendants Of King Robert III that
is to say. of the eldest son OF Robert
II, cams to an. end on ths death Of
James v; father Of Mary. Queen OF ths
Scots. and it is held that on hib de-
mise the descendants in the male
younger brother. the first Duke Of
Albany, should have succeeded to the
throne OF Scotland, instead Of James
vs daughter Mary. At that time
eeorss !. Dssn Stuart only through tSe
female line, that is. to say. through
Mary Queen of the Scots, and through
her granddaughter Elizabeth, sister
Of the Inflated King Charles !. and
consort of the last King Of Bohemia,
Lord Castle Stewart on the other
hand can show q direct male line de-
scent from King Robert II.
OF course, King GeroEe holds the
throne, Of Great Britain, Scotland and
ireland, not so much by virtue of
descent, as by that Act OF parliament,
now over two centuries old, and which
ID known as the act Of settlement.
There are two other peers Of the
realm that can show a lineal descent
OF the male line direct from the house
OF Stuart, and who retain its name
As their patronymic. The one 10 the
seventeenth Scottish Earl of Moray.
descended froma younger son inAtead
Of the elder son Of the, first Duke
of Albany. And then there 10 the
eleventh Scottish Earl of Galloway,
whose descent from the 6taArts.
however. antedates their royal dignity
and their possession Of the throne OF
Scotland.
Lord Castle -stewsrt's succession to the