Mary of Modena: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Where Mary Lived with James in the Years Around 1680 Mary of Modena lived from 5 October 1658 to 7 May 1718. Also known as Queen Mary of England, Scotland and Ireland she became the second wife and Queen Consort of James VII/II and was the mother of James Francis Edward Stuart, the "Old Pretender". The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline. Born Mary Beatrice Eleanor Anne Margaret Isabel d'Este, Mary was the eldest child and only daughter of Alfonso IV, Duke of Modena and his wife, the former Laura Martinozzi. On 20 September 1673 Mary was married by proxy in a Catholic ceremony to James, Duke of York, later to be James VII/II. On 21 November 1673 they were married in person in a Protestant ceremony in England. Mary was James' second wife. His first wife Anne Hyde had died leaving him with two Protestant daughters, Mary (later Queen Mary II ) and Anne (later Queen Anne ).

Mary of Modena was viewed by many English Protestants as an agent of Pope Clement X, who had been instrumental in effecting her introduction to James. James' recent conversion to Catholicism had dismayed many of his subjects, and his marriage to Mary was seen by many as a prelude to the reversal of the Reformation and the re-establishment of Great Britain as a Catholic nation. One result was the need felt by King Charles II to keep James well clear of London. This resulted in James' appointment as King's Commissioner to Scotland from 1680 to 1682, though he and Mary had been living in Edinburgh for some time previously. Mary and James had a number of stillborn children, but on 10 June 1688, Mary gave birth to a healthy boy, James Francis Edward Stuart who, all else being equal, would in due course succeed James VII/II as James VIII/III. All else was not equal, however, and the prospect of a Catholic Stuart dynasty spurred the Protestants into action.

On 30 June 1688 a group of Protestant nobles asked William, Prince of Orange, by now married to James' elder daughter Mary, to come to England with an army to overthrow James. James was confident he would prevail, and turned down offers of military assistance from Louis XIV of France. But when William of Orange landed in Brixham in south west England on 5 November 1588 at the start of the "Glorious Revolution", much of James' army switched allegiance to him; and even James' younger daughter Anne came out in support of William and Mary. On 10 December 1688 Mary of Modena fled to France with her son James. The following day James VII/II tried to follow. He was caught in Kent, but William allowed him to leave on 23 December 1688. James was welcomed by Louis XIV, who offered him a palace and a large pension. James and Mary had one further child, Princess Louisa Maria, who died of smallpox at the age of nineteen.

Their son, James Francis Edward Stuart would become the figurehead of decades of Jacobite rebellion in Britain, and in Scotland in particular, that would only end at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Mary herself died at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris in 1718. Mary of Modena | queen of England | Britannica.com queen of England Alternative Title: Marie Beatrice d’Este Mary of Modena Sir Edward Petre, 2nd Baronet Mary of Modena, original name Marie Beatrice d’Este (born October 5, 1658, Modena , Modena [Italy]—died May 7, 1718, Saint-Germain-en-Laye , France ), second wife of King James II of England; it was presumably on her inducement that James fled from England during the Glorious Revolution (1688–89). Mary of Modena, detail of an oil painting by Willem Wissing, c.

1685; in the National Portrait … Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London The daughter of Alfonso IV , duke of Modena, she grew up a devout Roman Catholic. The match with James was arranged through French diplomatic channels; they were married by proxy in September 1673, and she arrived in England in November. Although the English public regarded her as an agent of French and papal interests, her influence on her Roman Catholic husband’s political thinking appears to have been negligible. Between 1675 and 1682 Mary gave birth to five children, none of whom survived—with the blame popularly assigned to James’s affliction with venereal disease in the 1660s. When her second son, James Francis Edward, was born on June 10, 1688, a month earlier than anticipated, it was widely, and falsely, rumoured that the child was not really hers but had been imposed upon the nation to ensure a Catholic succession to the throne. This suspicion gave the Protestant ruler William of Orange , stadholder of Holland, a pretext to invade England in November 1688.

Mary escaped to France with her son on December 11, and James followed shortly afterward. Learn More in these related articles: Queen Mary of Modena - Donald E. Wilkes, Jr. Collection - LibGuides at University of Georgia School of Law Donald E. Wilkes, Jr. Collection Search Donald E. Wilkes, Jr. Collection: Queen Mary of Modena The Law Library thanks Research Assistant Savanna Nolan, (J.D. '13) for her assistance with this project. By Chauncey Arnold Mary of Modena (1658-1718) Mary Beatrice of Modena, the wife and consort of James II of England, was England’s only Italian queen and had the misfortune of being the better half of one of its most maligned monarchs. Mary’s most notable contribution to the Glorious Revolution was to give birth to a healthy son, thereby forcing opponents of James II and his Catholic rule to set in motion events which altered the course of English history. Even though the history of her era tends to relegate women into the background of major events, Mary secured her place in English history by performing that most womanly of tasks—giving birth.

Though it was a defining act of her life, this birth was not Mary’s sole contribution to history. Debate exists as to exactly how much influence Mary had at James’ court, but the fact remains that she was a unique and captivating addition to the illustrious line of English queens. HER CHILDHOOD & MARRIAGE TO JAMES II (1658-1673) Her Illustrious Italian Family Mary Beatrice was born in Modena, Italy on September 25, 1658. She was raised primarily by her mother, Laura, the Duchess of Modena, because her father died in 1662. Laura was from the great Roman House of Martinozzi and the niece of the famous Cardinal Mazarin. She had married Alfonso IV d’Este, Duke of Modena, whose family had produced four Cardinals. Thus, through both sides of her family, Mary Beatrice had an intimate connection to the Papal Court. In addition, Laura had been educated and married in France, and so Mary Beatrice also had close ties to Louis XIV.

Her Religious Devotion and Desire for the Convent Mary Beatrice wanted to join the convent for the Sisters of the Visitation, which was next door to the Modena’s castle. Throughout her life, she was first and foremost a devoted and pious Catholic. She was quite scared of the rumored debauchery that took place at Charles II’s court in England and she was reluctant to marry the forty-year-old Duke of York, which would also require her to move to a kingdom where her Catholic devotion was persecuted. When Mary Beatrice was on her way to England, she wrote to the Reverend Mother of the Convent, saying: “My dear Mother, remember your daughter, although she is far away; I assure you my heart ever remains close to yours…Pray to God for me…I have many distractions,…though I certainly do not desire them.” (Haile, 34) Mary Beatrice was eventually able to attain the religious seclusion she desired, during the last years of her life. Seeking Her Hand After James II’s wife, Anne Hyde, died, many princesses were sought for his new bride. James was adamant that his bride be Catholic, although such a choice would probably be abhorrent to the English people.

The Earl of Peterborough, the Duke of York’s marital negotiator, was incredibly flattering in his description of Mary Beatrice: “Tall and admirably shaped; her complexion was of the last degree of fairness, her hair black as jet; so were her eyebrows and her eyes, but the latter so full of light and sweetness, as they did dazzle and charm too…” (Hopkirk, 13) Even though she stood up to several formidable people—including her mother, her uncle, and two Cardinals, Mary Beatrice’s resistance to the marriage was finally broken down by none other than Pope Clement X. He wrote a note to her in Latin in his own hand, saying that her marriage to James was the greatest thing she could do for the Catholic faith: “For although We appreciated that this [resistance] was due to your desire, most laudable in itself, to embrace religious discipline;…We therefore…earnestly exhort you…to reflect upon the great advantage which would accrue to the Catholic faith in the aforementioned Kingdom through your marriage.” (Hopkirk, 14) Facing such a request from the Pope, Mary Beatrice had no choice but to acquiesce.

Her Secret Marriage & Arrival in England Mary Beatrice was married by proxy in Modena, on September 30, 1673. She was terrified at leaving Italy and even though she was already married, she could not be persuaded to go to England unless her mother came with her. When she arrived in England, James gave her a ruby ring, which she regarded as her most prized possession for the rest of her life. She was then married in person to James in Dover, England, on November 21, 1673. HER ADAPTATION TO ENGLAND (1673-1685) The New Wife: A Proper Handsome Lady The English aristocrats were highly concerned about James’ marriage to this Italian Catholic girl. As one historian has observed: “That James should have married not only a Papist, but such a particularly Papistical Papist and a protégée of the King of France into the bargain, without first informing Parliament of his intentions, was regarded with righteous indignation.” (Hopkirk, 18) However, people soon warmed to the new Duchess of York.

Mary Beatrice was slow to admire her husband, but she was immediately fond of Charles II, who also liked her and decided that she was much better than his brother deserved. Upon her arrival, she was honored by the famous poet Edmund Waller, who gave tribute to her through such lines: “Thus we write then: your brighter eyes inspire; A nobler flame, and raise our genius higher;…Your matchless beauty gives our fancy wing; Your judgment makes us careful how we sing…” (Bevan, 21) This gesture meant a lot to Mary Beatrice, as she later became a patron of the arts, encouraging the best Italian artists to come to England. The English people eventually welcomed her, despite her adherence to the Catholic faith. As historian James Macpherson described: “As for the people, their prejudices were gradually removed by her behaviour. The uneasiness conceived on account of her religion was soon forgot; she was universally esteemed and by many beloved. Her beauty rendered her the favourite of the populace.” (Haile, 51) Thus, despite many fears about her arrival, both English nobles and the population in general liked Mary Beatrice, much better than they liked James II.

Her Relationship with James Even though she was initially repulsed by his age, Mary Beatrice grew to love James. As she wrote in a letter a few years after James’ death: “I became very fond of my husband…It was sinful for any one to love an earthly creature as I loved him, but the fault brought its own punishment in the pain I suffered on discovering that I was not the exclusive object of his regard.” (Hopkirk, 27) James was a notorious adulterer, although his brother Charles often mocked his choice in mistresses, finding them very ugly. Despite her disappointment in his fidelity, Mary Beatrice was very complementary of James’ faith. She writes to the Reverend Mother in Modena: “May it be a consolation to you, dear Mother, to know that the Duke is a very good man and wishes me well and would do anything to prove it to me; he is so firm and steady in our holy religion (which as a good Catholic he professes) that he would not leave it for any thing in the world.” (Haile, 44) Throughout the years of his reign and then exile, Mary Beatrice was loyal to James and always a dutiful wife.

Her Relationship with Mary & Anne When Mary Beatrice arrived in England, she was fifteen. Her stepdaughters Mary and Anne, were thirteen and eleven, respectively. James was actually hopeful that the girls would be playmates. Even though Mary Beatrice was genuinely fond of them and shared a cordial correspondence with Mary when the latter moved to Holland, neither daughter ever completely warmed up to their new stepmother. After Mary married William of Orange, Mary Beatrice always addressed letters to her as “My dear Lemon” as an affectionate joke. Her relationship with Mary basically dissolved when William began making preparations to enter England, even though Mary Beatrice was slow to make accusations against her family. She writes to Mary: “The second part of this news I will never believe, that is that you are to come over with him [William]; for I know you to be too good, that I don’t believe you could have such a thought against the worst of Fathers, much less perform it against the best.” (Haile, 198) Her relationship with Anne was much more strained, mostly as a result of Anne’s hatred for the Catholic faith.

In later years, Anne played a pivotal role in spreading the rumor that the birth of the heir James Frances Edward was fake. Her Life as Duchess of York Her natural ally in the English court should have been Catherine of Braganza, Charles II’s Portuguese Catholic wife. However, Mary Beatrice, in devotion to her family and her husband, unwittingly offended the Queen. First, Hortense Mancini, a great beauty who was Mary Beatrice’s cousin and also niece to Cardinal Mazarin, came to Charles’ court in the hopes of seducing him and undermining his current favorite mistress. Mary Beatrice was required to call on her regularly, as Hortense was family. James then encouraged Mary Beatrice to visit with the favored mistress, the French Louise de Kerouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, who at the time had the most influence over Charles and was known to be a formidable adversary if she felt slighted. The Queen, who loved her husband and hated his mistresses, viewed these visits as an insult and it chilled relations between herself and Mary Beatrice. In addition, the Queen was jealous of the obvious affection that Charles harbored for Mary Beatrice.

As the Queen was barren and not as a pretty as Mary Beatrice, she always remained cold to her sister-in-law, even though as foreign-born princesses and Catholics, they should have been good friends. In fact, many Protestant courtiers took advantage of this jealousy to prevent any alliance between the two ladies. As one courier observed: “It is certain there were those who knew how to seize the occasion, and from hand to hand sowed tares between two Princesses who for every reason of justice and mutual interest should be more closely united in affection than they are.” (Haile, 55) Mary Beatrice’s greatest disappointment in the relationship was that she was not able to worship Mass with the Queen in her private chapel. Her Fertile Womb Over the years and despite many miscarriages, Mary Beatrice gave birth to six healthy children. Unfortunately, only two made it to adulthood. Mary Beatrice’s first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, but fortunately, she gave birth to a girl, Catherine Laura, soon after on January 10, 1675. Sadly, this baby girl died a little under a year later on October 3, 1675.

Her next child was a girl, Isabella, who was born on August 18, 1676. This girl lived a little longer, but died too early on March 2, 1681 while Mary Beatrice was away in Scotland. Mary Beatrice gave birth to her first son, Charles, on November 7, 1677. He died tragically soon on December 12, 1677, after catching smallpox from his half-sister, Anne. Mary Beatrice wrote to her brother on the death of her son, displaying her usual piety: “You can imagine in what affliction I am, and great as was my joy when he was born, so much the greater is my anguish at his loss, but we must have patience, G-d knows what He does.” (Haile, 67) Her third daughter, Charlotte Maria, was born on August 16, 1682, and died very shortly thereafter on October 6, 1682.

Her second son, whose birth initiated the Glorious Revolution and who grew to be known as “The Old Pretender”, was born on June 10, 1688. He died at the ripe old age of seventy-eight, after many futile years of trying to reclaim the English throne. Mary Beatrice’s last child, Louisa Maria, was born during the exile in France. Sadly, even though she was one of the children that made it to adulthood, she died of smallpox at the age of twenty on April 8, 1712. Thus, the only child to survive Mary Beatrice was her most famous son, James Frances Edward. Even though contemporaries cast aspersions on the nature of James Edward’s birth, as noted above, there is ample evidence that Mary Beatrice was capable of producing a male heir. Her Catholicism Though Anne and other members of the English court liked to blame James’ excesses on Mary Beatrice’s influences, this is not accurate. As Mary Beatrice had been raised in the Catholic faith, she was much more reasonable than her husband, who as a convert was zealous and prone to extremism.

The only hint of political scandal for Mary Beatrice was during the Popish Plot of 1678 controversy. Mary’s secretary, Edward Coleman, was fired for allegedly leaking military secrets to the French. Most importantly, Coleman’s papers were used to prove Titus Oates’ previously unsubstantial claims of a Catholic conspiracy to kill Charles II. Mary Beatrice had her chaplain, Dom Giacomo Ronchi, write an account of Oates’ Popish Plot to her brother. Regarding Coleman, he wrote: “Among the papers seized at Mr. Coleman’s house are said to be copies of letters from the Duchess of York to the Pope. She however is perfectly tranquil, knowing that she has never written any but letters of compliment to His Holiness…Coleman was hanged, drawn and quartered last Tuesday. He denied to his last breath that he had taken part in any conspiracy against the King.” (Haile, 78) Mary Beatrice did not seem to know what Coleman had done, and felt sorry for what befell him. In March 1679, Mary Beatrice and James had to leave England as a result of political tensions, going first to Brussels and then settling in Scotland.

Eventually, they were allowed to return to England when things had calmed down. Mary Beatrice’s devotion to Catholicism was intense, but she attempted to temper James’ more extremist leanings and policies, even though she was mostly unsuccessful. QUEEN OF THE THREE KINGDOMS (1685-1688) Her Coronation Mary Beatrice was officially crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey, on April 23, 1685. However, the night before she and James had been secretly anointed and crowned in the Chapel Royal of St. James’s by James’ chief confessor. This was a relief to Mary Beatrice, who was worried about having to be crowned under Anglican services at the Abbey Church of St. Stephen (Bevan, 73). Mary Beatrice made this observation about the public coronation in her later years: “There was a presage that struck us and everyone who noticed it.

They could not make the crown stay firmly on the King’s head; it appeared always on the point of falling, however carefully they fixed it.” (Hopkirk, 85) As a result of numerous miscarriages and tragedies, Mary Beatrice was childless and James II was without a Catholic heir when they were crowned King and Queen of England. Her Court Mary Beatrice liked to conduct herself as modestly as possible. One notable exception was when she strenuously and publicly opposed James II’s devotion to his mistress, Catherine Sedley. Catherine Sedley had been a lady-in-waiting for Mary Beatrice, and she had seduced James while he was still Duke of York, bearing him several bastard children. When James was first crowned, he made Mrs. Sedley leave Whitehall, but she still remained in London. Even though Mary Beatrice knew of the affair and had long disapproved of it, she was forced to tolerate it. The breaking point came when James named Catherine the Countess of Dorchester. At this point, Mary Beatrice’s Italian pride could not allow her to tolerate such an insult. She threatened to renounce her throne and join a convent if James did not get rid of Catherine.

She cried out to James at dinner one night, “Give her my dower; make her Queen of England, but let me never see her again!” (Bevan, 78) Mary was joined by several Catholic politicians including Father Petre in condemning Catherine. They were worried that Catherine, a Protestant, was being supported by English Protestants to undermine the influence of Mary Beatrice, the Catholic wife. Furthermore, James’ flagrant adultery with a heretic mistress was hurting the Catholic cause by making him look as equally dissolute as his brother. Therefore, James banished Catherine Sedley to Ireland, with a generous yearly pension. This was the only instance where Mary Beatrice publicly stood up to James, and the event is evidence of both her devotion to James and to her religion. Her Role in Court Politics There is no evidence that Mary Beatrice had any substantial role in the English court, policy-wise. Even though Monmouth wrote her a letter after his failed rebellion, begging her to save him from execution, she neither had the inclination nor the political sway to help him.

She wrote in her reply to him: “had he offended against herself alone, she would gladly have forgiven him, but since he was a traitor to both King and country, she could not and ought not to interfere.” (Hopkirk, 88) She also failed to prevent Father Edward Petre being appointed to the Privy Council. Even though Father Petre had supported her when she demanded James dismiss Catherine Sedley, Mary Beatrice though Father Petre was too extreme and did not like him. As an observe noted, Father Petre was appointed: “contrary to the Queen’s advice…for, as soon as she heard what was designed, she earnestly beg’d[sic] of the King not to do it, that it would give great scandal not only to the Protestants but to thinking Catholicks[sic] and even to the Society itself, as being against their rule.” (Hopkirk, 98) Mary Beatrice also did not trust Lord Sunderland, James’ chief minister. Thus, contrary to some historical claims, it seems that Mary had little sway with James when it came to important political decisions.

Her Most Important Pregnancy In 1687, Mary Beatrice found herself with child, after five years of being barren. Even though she was still well within childbearing age, immediately rumors started to circulate that the pregnancy was false. The biggest promoter of these rumors was Mary Beatrice’s own stepdaughter, Anne. Anne wrote to her sister Mary: “Whenever one talks of her [Mary Beatrice] being with child, she looks as if she was afraid one should touch her. And whenever I have happened to be in the room as she has been undressing, she has always gone into the next room to put on her smock…when she is brought to bed, nobody will be convinced ‘tis her child, except it prove a daughter. For my part, I declare I shall not except I see the child and she parted.” (Hopkirk, 119) This characterization of Mary Beatrice was extremely unfair because her natural modesty made it likely that she would hide herself from people watching her undress. Furthermore, she had given birth to many children before this, including a son, so this pregnancy should not have been shocking to anyone.

THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION (1688) The Birth of James Frances Edward James Frances Edward was born on June 10, 1688. Mary Beatrice was highly embarrassed by the Privy Council meeting on October 22, 1688 to hear testimonies to prove the validity of the birth. Shortly after the birth, William received a letter from the Immortal Seven, asking him to invade England. Perversely, Mary Beatrice’s desire to provide her husband with a Catholic heir was the act that provoked his enemies to take his throne. Her Appointment to Run Affairs in London On November 17, 1688, James left London to join his army that was advancing to meet William when he landed. Mary Beatrice and part of the Privy Council were left in charge of the government. James had also signed a will that named Mary Beatrice as Regent if he died. Immediately leading up to William’s invasion, France and the Pope had been at odds with each other. Mary Beatrice was highly concerned about these events and, though she was worried about James safety in going to war, she underestimated the gravity of the situation in England.

She wrote to her uncle, the Cardinal d’Este about it: “Uncle, I can give you good news on the Pope’s consent to the mediation of the King my lord in the differences between France and the Holy See…When by the Grace of G-d this war, which cannot apparently last long, shall be happily ended, we can more freely apply ourselves to this mediation. But, dear Uncle, we have too many affairs of our own at present to think of others.” (Haile, 209) Mary Beatrice was soon struck with the reality of the situation in England. When James returned a little over a week later, he decided that she needed to flee with their young son to France. Her Flight to France On December 10, 1688, Mary Beatrice left Whitehall with her infant son, a few trusted servants, and escorted by the Comte de Lazun. Mary was disguised as a laundress. Though she safely made it into France, she was concerned about James being able to meet her.

She wrote to her brother: “Having fled by night with my child, with a frightful but favourable wind, we arrived in little more than twenty-four hours from London to Calais…my only consolation is that my son is well, and thrives amid these troubles;…I am entreated by all to go to Paris, and speak to the King of France, from whom I am certainly receiving a thousand benefits; but I am resolved not to leave the coast until I have news of my king….what a great consolation it would be to have you beside me in so hard a trial, but I have desired it so often without being able to obtain it, that I dare not hope for it now!” (Haile, 222) She also wrote to Louis XIV, asking for his help: “Sire, a poor fugitive Queen, bathed in tears, has not reared to brave the perils of the sea, to seek consolation and refuge from the greatest king and most generous monarch in the world. Her ill fortune has procured her a happiness which the most distant nations have ambitioned.

Necessity does not lessen it…It lies entirely in my heart, and it is a pleasure to me, in the midst of all my grief, to come under the shadow of your protection. Sire, your very affectionate servant and sister, The Queen of England” (Haile, 221) Fortunately, Louis XIV sent for her soon after her landing and brought her to Paris to wait for James. HER TWILIGHT IN FRANCE (1689-1718) Her New Home in Louis XIV’s Court Louis XIV gave Mary Beatrice and James II his palace at St. Germain-en-Laye for their place of residence as long as they lived in France. Upon her arrival in Paris, the French court immediately loved her. They admired her dignity in the face of all that had happened to her. On June 28, 1692, she gave birth to a daughter, Louisa Maria. She and James hoped that this birth would dispel any beliefs that James Frances Edward had been illegitimate, but no apologies were forthcoming. The French court, captivated by any new fashion, was fascinated with the baptism dress of the little girl.

At this point in time, Louis XIV had a morganatic marriage with the Marquise de Maintenon, a devoted Catholic and former nanny to his children. Because of their mutual religious devotion, both ladies got along with each other. However, because the status of Madame Maintenon was not officially “Queen”, Mary Beatrice was ostensibly the highest ranked woman in Louis XIV’s court. The most illuminating evidence that Mary Beatrice had no political aspirations is that she did not take advantage of this position in any way, except to ensure that the nearby convent for Sisters of the Visitation at Chaillot received regular funding. Her Devotion to the Convent During her new life in France, Mary Beatrice was finally able to achieve her childhood dream and devoted herself to the Convent of the Visitation at Chaillot. She became friends with the nuns, who recorded many of her memories and preserved many of her letters.

In discussing her devotion to the convent, Mary Beatrice wrote: “I believe that a heart full of divine love is at peace and content in any kind of state, wherein it cannot but be well;…it is the one thing necessary, having which all that the world calls misfortunes and disgrace cannot cause unhappiness.” (Haile, 390) For the rest of her life, Mary Beatrice would often retreat to worship within the convent’s walls, even though she was never able to fully seclude herself as she desired. Her longing for solitude and religious contemplation is understandable, given that this was the best way she felt she could handle all the things that had happened to her. Her Opposition to Her Son’s Reclamation of the Throne When James died on September 16, 1701, Mary Beatrice became de jure Regent of England, Scotland, and Ireland for the next five years, until James Edward reached maturity. In 1702, Mary Beatrice strongly opposed James Edward venturing to Scotland to oppose the accession of Anne. She was against this action because she felt it was silly for James Edward to push for his restoration while she was still Regent.

Though she never gave up hope he would eventually become King, when James Edward came of age, Mary Beatrice stopped worrying as much about his pursuit of the throne and instead just became concerned with his finding a good wife. Her Last Years After resigning herself from any more political activity, Mary Beatrice became fully devoted to the Convent and the sisters. In 1712, Mary’s only surviving daughter, Louise Maria, died of small pox. Mary herself was suffering from breast cancer tumors and sought to lose herself in religious devotions. Mary Beatrice finally died of breast cancer at St. Germain-en-Laye, France on May 7, 1718. She was buried in the Convent of the Visitation at Chaillot, which was eventually destroyed during the French Revolution. One French courtier wrote: “The good and pious Queen of England died yesterday…Surely she must be in heaven.

She kept nothing for herself and gave all she had to the poor;…I am convinced…that she is more to be regarded as a saint than her husband.” (Hopkirk, 294) Upon searching through her belongings, a prayer was found that Mary Beatrice wrote in her own hand: “Lord, give me grace to drink the chalice Thou hast prepared for me.” (Hopkirk, 297) This small note is illustrative of the immense dignity and elegance with which Mary Beatrice conducted herself throughout her tumultuous life. Bibliography: Barclay, Andrew. “Mary of Modena”, in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Lawrence Goldman, ed., Oxford University Press, 2004. Rev. ed. of: Dictionary of national biography. 1885-1901). Beven, Bryan. I Was James the Second’s Queen, (London: Heinemann Ltd., 1963). Haile, Martin. Queen Mary of Modena: Her Life and Letters, (London: J.M. Dent & Co., 1905). Hopkirk, Mary.

Queen Over the Water: Mary Beatrice of Modena, Queen of James II, (London: John Murray, 1953). Oman, Carola. Mary of Modena, (Great Britain: Hodder and Stoughton, Ltd., 1962). Last Updated: Jul 6, 2016 10:36 AM URL: Matt & Andrej Koymasky's Crowns Collection U.K. - London - London Tover - Jevel House NOTES The Diadem of Mary of Modena, Queen Consort of King James II of England (who was also James II of Ireland and James VII of Scotland). This diadem was made for Queen Mary of Modena, second wife of King James II, to wear in the procession through the Abbey before her coronation in 1685. The small design of the Cap - or "Diadem" - was to enable it to be worn on the high hairstyles of the period. The diadem was worn on Mary's way to the abbey and the crown was worn on her return.

The diadem, not being a crown, has no arches and is in fact a broad gold circlet encrusted with diamonds, the top edge being bordered with a row of large pearls. It is fitted with a cap of purple velvet, bound at the rim with miniver. Both the crown and the diadem are small .ï¿½ They were worn on top of the head.ï¿½ Both have been worn by several monarchs over the years but have not been used since the time of Queen Adelaide. Born to rule: two public talks look at royal births of the past <div class="field field-name-field-news-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img class="cam-scale-with-grid" src="" alt="" title="Porträt des Eduard VI. als Kind by Hans Holbein the Younger (1498-1543), Denver Art Museum, Credit: Wikimedia Commons" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Birth is a momentous event in anyone’s life.

When the people involved were absolute monarchs, births had the capacity to shape the narrative of nations. Past royal births are both examples of this most universal of experiences and potent indicators that historians can use to investigate our culture, politics and mores.</p> <p>As the arrival of the latest royal baby approaches, two public lectures will unravel some of the problems and pitfalls surrounding births of Tudor and Stuart monarchs. The lectures — titled Born to Rule — will shine a light on the history of fertility, pregnancy and childbirth in Britain in the 15th to 17th centuries.</p> <p>The talks will be given by historians working with the Generation to Reproduction Project at Cambridge University’s Department of History and Philosophy of Science. This cross-disciplinary research group is funded by the Wellcome Trust to investigate the history of reproduction over the long term.</p> <p>On Tuesday 18 June, Peter Jones, a principal investigator in the Generation to Reproduction project, will talk about Henry VIII’s fertility struggles.

Henry forged multiple marriages in the pursuit of a single goal – a healthy male heir who would ensure the continuation of a fragile dynasty.</p> <p>“Throughout his reign Henry VIII was obsessed by the need to produce a male heir and, ideally, a spare to take the ruling Tudor line forward. Henry’s domestic and foreign policies were shaped by this quest to reproduce and he directed an impressive battery of resources – medical, religious and political – at achieving this aim. Nothing was spared: neither family relationships nor religious affiliations,” said Jones.</p> <p>Because he broke from Rome, in order to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, it is often assumed that Henry VIII was irreligious. But the evidence for his personal beliefs suggests that he was very devout – and in his quest to sire a child he bought into the quasi-magical practices current at this time.</p> <p>“When Katherine of Aragon bore him a son – an infant who lived only six weeks – he jumped on a horse and rode from Richmond to the Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk where he said prayers of thanks to the Virgin Mary and left a necklace as a thank-offering.

Though he’s commonly remembered for his dissolution of the monasteries, he remained pious to the end of his life,” said Jones.</p> <p>“Henry VIII also clearly believed, as many people did, in the power of rituals involving amulets and prayer rolls. He owned and wrote on such a roll – a manuscript inscribed with devotional prayers – which was to be wrapped around women during childbirth to protect mother and child. He refused to crack down on these superstitious practices.”</p> <p>For many years there was speculation that Henry’s own fertility problems had been caused by syphilis, a retrospective diagnosis which tapped into his reputation as a womaniser. Medical historians now reject this view: there is insufficient evidence of symptoms of the disease.</p> <p>A more recent explanation for his shaky fertility is that he carried the gene for the Kell antigen on red blood cells. Most people are Kell-negative and if Henry’s wives were Kell-negative, they would become sensitised once they had conceived a Kell-positive baby.

Subsequent Kell-positive pregnancies would be at risk as the mother’s antibodies attacked the baby as a foreign body.</p> <p>“Interestingly, while in the modern era infertility was often blamed on the woman, there is evidence that in Tudor circles fertility was seen as a matter of balance between men and women. There are, for example, records of tests in which herbs were put into pots of urine from both the man and woman to see which herb grew and thus which partner was fertile. It was more of an open question than a simple assumption that fertility problems stemmed from the woman,” said Jones.</p> <p>The childbirth drama that unfolded some 150 years later is the subject of the second talk. On Tuesday 25 June, Mary Fissell of John Hopkins University (currently a visiting scholar at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science) will present the gripping story of the birth of James Francis Edward in 1688.

The arrival of the so-called “warming pan baby” – a reference to the feverish speculations surrounding his true parentage – is an early example of the media circus that surrounds royal infants.</p> <p>The birth of James Francis Edward in 1688 at St James’s Palace is said to have been witnessed by no fewer than 42 eminent public figures, assembled to act as verifiers of the legitimacy of the child as legal issue of James II and his second wife, Mary of Modena. “The pressure on Mary of Modena to produce the sought-after male heir was horrific. She experienced a series of stillbirths and this latest pregnancy had been the source of successive waves of gossip. A fascination with celebrity is nothing new,” said Fissell.</p> <p>“People doubted that Mary was genuinely pregnant and, once she went into labour, there were reports that the baby who emerged had been smuggled into the bedchamber in a warming pan, or that it had been sneaked into the bed through a secret door in the bedhead.

The routes through which these rumours spread were the cheap broadsheets that were being produced in huge numbers, and read by an ever more literate population, often in the newly popular coffee houses, which were incubators for rumour.”</p> <p>The warming-pan scandal put a permanent question-mark against baby James’s legitimacy. He never became king. His half-sister, Mary and her husband William of Orange, seized the throne in 1688, in part claiming that succession had failed because James was not the legitimate heir. The deposed King James II and his wife Mary of Modena fled to France from whence their son mounted invasions to reclaim the throne. Later known as the Old Pretender, he was the father of the Young Pretender or, more famously, Bonnie Prince Charlie.</p> <p>Procreation was a matter of mystery and fear as well as a matter for celebration. “There was no sex education and the process of pregnancy and childbirth was usually a woman’s preserve, unless an emergency required a doctor being brought in. Childbirth was feared, perhaps disproportionately so – but most women would know, or know of, someone who had died in childbirth.

One family alone in London had a monopoly in the use of forceps which were a closely guarded secret,” said Fissell.</p> <p>“My interest in the drama of the warming-pan birth – apart from it being a really good story – is the way in which it was a royal birth but also an ordinary birth, revealing so much about the tussle for power in gender relations. During the Civil War women had risen to unforeseen prominence and with the restoration of the crown there were moves to keep them in check. Ballads, for example, portray them as sexually suspect and promiscuous, meaning that no man was safe from their mischief.”</p> <p>The talk ‘Henry VIII: the Quest for an Heir’ is on Tuesday 18 June, followed by ‘Mary of Modena: a Royal Scandal’ on Tuesday 25 June. Both lectures will take place in the Little Hall, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge at 5pm.

Free and open to all, no need to book.</p> <p>More about the Generation to Reproduction group at Cambridge University can be found at <a href=""> <p>For more information on this story contact Alex Buxton, Office of Communications, University of Cambridge, <a href="mailto:amb206@admin.cam.ac.uk">amb206@admin.cam.ac.uk</a>, 01223 761673</p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-summary field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><p>The hype surrounding the birth of a royal baby is nothing new. Two public lectures (18 and 25 June) will explore the Tudor and Stuart obsession with producing a male heir.

</p> </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-quote field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Henry VIII was obsessed by the need to produce a male heir and, ideally, a spare to take the ruling Tudor line forward.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-quote-name field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Peter Jones</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-credit field-type-link-field field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wikimedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-desctiprion field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Porträt des Eduard VI.

als Kind by Hans Holbein the Younger (1498-1543), Denver Art Museum</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cc-attribute-text field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><a href=""><img alt="" src="" style="width: 80px; height: 15px;" /></a></p> <p>This work is licensed under a <a href="">Creative Commons Licence</a>. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-cc-text field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes</div></div></div> Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:00:00 +0000 amb206 BBC - History - James II z James II © James was a Stuart king of England, Scotland and Ireland who in 1688 was overthrown in the 'Glorious Revolution' by William III.

James was born on 14 October 1633 to Charles I and his French wife, Henrietta Maria and was named after his grandfather, James I and VI. During the English Civil War he was captured but fled to exile on the continent. He distinguished himself a soldier, returning to England at the Restoration of his brother, Charles II, in 1660. He commanded the Royal Navy from1660 to1673. In 1660, James married Anne Hyde, daughter of Charles II's chief minister and they had two surviving children, Mary and Anne. In 1669, James converted to Catholicism and took a stand against a number of anti-Catholic moves, including the Test Act of 1673. This did not impede his succession to the throne on Charles' death in 1685. Later that year James faced rebellion, led by Charles II's illegitimate son the Duke of Monmouth. The rebellion was easily crushed after the battle of Sedgemoor in 1685, and savage punishments were imposed by the infamous lord chief justice, Judge Jeffreys, at the 'Bloody Assizes'. Monmouth himself was messily beheaded.

This, together with James's attempts to give civic equality to Roman Catholic and Protestant dissenters, led to conflict with parliament. In 1685, James prorogued it and ruled alone. He attempted to promote Catholicism by appointing Catholics to military, political and academic posts. In 1687, he issued a Declaration of Indulgence aiming at complete religious toleration and instructed Anglican clergy to read it from their pulpits. In June 1688, James's second wife Mary of Modena, gave birth to a son, James Francis Edward. Fearing that a Catholic succession was now assured, a group of Protestant nobles appealed to William of Orange, husband of James's older, and Protestant, daughter Mary. In November, William landed with an army in Devon. Deserted by an army and navy who he had completely alienated, James completely lost his nerve and fled abroad. In February 1689, parliament declared that James's flight constituted an abdication and William and Mary were crowned joint monarchs. In March 1689, James landed in Ireland where, with French support, he raised an army.

He was defeated by William at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. James died in exile in Saint-Germain in France on 16 September 1701. BBC - History - Historic Figures: Mary II (1662 - 1694) Historic Figures z Mary II © The daughter of James II, Mary and her husband William of Orange became co-rulers of England after the 'Glorious Revolution'. Mary was born on 30 April 1662, the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York and his first wife Anne Hyde. James converted to Catholicism at the end of the 1660s, but Mary and her sister Anne were raised as Protestants. In November 1677, Mary married her Dutch cousin William, Prince of Orange and went to the Netherlands to live with him. In 1685, Mary's uncle Charles II died and her father became king. His pro-Catholic policies provoked a constitutional crisis. In June 1688, James's second wife gave birth to a son who, it was feared, would inherit the throne as another Catholic monarch.

James's opponents invited William of Orange to England and he landed with an army in November 1688. James fled the following month. Mary insisted that she and William rule as joint monarchs and in April 1689, they were crowned together in Westminster Abbey. The new king and queen accepted legislation to ensure such a crisis could not recur. The Bill of Rights of 1689 limited the sovereign's power, reaffirmed parliament's claim to control taxation and legislation, and provided guarantees against the abuses of power which James II and the other Stuart kings were perceived to have committed. Catholics were excluded from becoming monarch. The Toleration Act of 1689 gave Protestant non-conformists, but not Catholics, freedom of worship. While William was directing military campaigns in Ireland (1690 - 1691) and on the Continent (1692 - 1694), Mary governed as regent, but she relied entirely on her husband's advice. In the periods when William was in England she willingly retired from politics. Mary enjoyed great popularity, but continued to be deeply troubled by her estrangement from her deposed father.

She died of smallpox on 28 December 1694 leaving William to rule alone. Their childlessness, and that of Mary's sister Anne, again threw open the question of the succession. The 1701 Act of Settlement was designed to secure the Protestant succession to the throne by nominating Princess Sophia, Electress of Hanover, who was descended from James I, and her heirs as successors to the British throne. Queen Mary II: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland Note About Image Copyright Mary II lived from 30 April 1662 to 28 December 1694. She became Queen Mary II of England and Ireland on 22 January 1689, and of Scotland on 4 April 1689. In each case she ruled as joint monarch with her husband, William of Orange, until her death. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline. Mary was born at St. James Palace in London on 30 April 1662. She was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York (the future James VII/II ) and of his first wife, Lady Anne Hyde. Mary's uncle was King Charles II.

Mary was one of eight children, but only she and her younger sister Anne (who would succeed William of Orange to the throne) survived childhood. In 1677, at the age of 15, Mary was betrothed to the Protestant, William, Prince of Orange. William was Mary's first cousin, being the son of her aunt and Prince William II of Nassau. Mary's father and uncle had initially preferred a match with the heir to the French Throne, the Catholic Dauphin Louis, but this proved highly unpopular with the English Parliament. In the end it was largely pressure from Parliament that forced Charles and James to agree to a marriage between Mary and William. The wedding went ahead in London on 4 November 1677. Mary is said to have wept throughout the ceremony. Mary went to live in the Netherlands, as William's consort. She had three pregnancies which ended in miscarriage or stillbirth. And while her outgoing personality made her very popular with the Dutch, her husband seemed to prefer the company of Elizabeth Villiers, one of Mary's ladies-in-waiting. Mary's father became James VII/II in 1685, an unpopular Catholic King ruling a virulently anti-Catholic nation.

Matters came to a head in 1688 when James put seven Bishops on trial for seditious libel. And then on 10 June, James' Catholic second wife, Mary of Modena, gave birth to a son, James Francis Edward Stuart, and Protestants found themselves looking at the prospect of a Catholic dynasty. By Now, William of Orange was regarded across Europe as something of a Protestant hero, and on 30 June 1688 a group of Protestant nobles asked him to come to England to overthrow James. When William of Orange landed with a Dutch army in Brixham in south west England on 5 November 1688 at the start of the "Glorious Revolution", much of James' army switched allegiance to him; and James' younger daughter Anne came out in support of William and Mary. Mary herself was criticised for her apparent indifference to her father's plight, though in reality she was deeply affected by the way events had moved.

On 22 January 1689 an English Convention Parliament declared William III and Mary II to be rightful joint monarchs: while on 4 April 1689 a Scottish Convention declared William II of Scotland and Mary II to be joint monarchs of Scotland. A Jacobite uprising in Scotland was fairly quickly quelled, though William took rather longer to put down a rebellion started by James VII/II in Ireland. In December 1689 William and Mary approved one of the most important constitutional documents in English history, the Bill of Rights. This established restrictions on the royal prerogative, declaring, amongst other things, that the Monarch could not suspend laws passed by Parliament; levy taxes without parliamentary consent; infringe the right to petition; raise a standing army during peacetime without parliamentary consent; deny the right to bear arms to Protestant subjects; unduly interfere with parliamentary elections; punish members of either House of Parliament for anything said during debates; or require excessive bail or inflict cruel or unusual punishments. The Bill of Rights also addressed the question of succession to the Throne and, in particular, it prohibited any Catholic becoming Monarch, or any Monarch marrying a Catholic: prohibitions that remain in force today.

During William's absences fighting in Ireland, Mary proved a strong ruler, arresting a number of the aristocracy (including her own uncle) for plotting the return of James VII/II. Her treatment of the Duke of Marlborough caused a rift with her sister, Anne, which was never to heal. She also took the lead in the government of the Church, with all matters of ecclesiastical patronage passing through her hands. Mary died, still childless, of smallpox on 28th December 1694, and she was buried at Westminster Abbey. After her death, William III/II continued to rule as king.

Question: Mary of Modena was the second wife of which of our monarchs?
Answer: James II