Maria Clementina Sobieska ( pl, Maria Klementyna Sobieska; 18 July 1702 – 18 January 1735) a titular queen of England, Scotland and Ireland by marriage to

James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales fro ...

, a Jacobite claimant to the British throne. The granddaughter of the Polish king John III Sobieski, she was the mother of Charles Edward Stuart, aka "Bonnie Prince Charlie", and of Cardinal

Henry Benedict Stuart Henry Benedict Thomas Edward Maria Clement Francis Xavier Stuart, Cardinal Duke of York (6 March 1725 – 13 July 1807) was a Roman Catholic cardinal, as well as the fourth and final Jacobite heir to publicly claim the thrones of Great Brita ...

Biography

Early life

She was born on 18 July 1702 in Oława (Ohlau),

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

, then part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

and now in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. Her parents were

James Louis Sobieski James Louis Henry Sobieski ( Polish: ''Jakub Ludwik Henryk Sobieski''; French: ''Jacques Louis Henri de Sobieski'') 2 November 1667 – 19 December 1737) was a Polish-French nobleman, politician, diplomat, scholar, traveller and the son of John II ...

(1667–1737), the eldest son of King John III, and

Countess Palatine Hedwig Elisabeth of Neuburg Hedwig Elisabeth of Neuburg (Polish: ''Jadwiga Elżbieta Amalia Sobieska''; 18 July 1673 – 10 August 1722) was a Polish princess by marriage to James Louis Sobieski. She was the daughter of Philip William, Duke of Neuburg and Landgravine El ...

(1673–1722). Her older sister Maria Karolina (known as ''Charlotte'') was the

Duchess of Bouillon There have been duchesses of Bouillon, in present-day Belgium, since the tenth century. Lady of Bouillon Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty, ?-1100 :''Sold to the Bishopric of Liège'' House of La Marck, ?-1588 House of La Tour d'Auvergne, 1594� ...

by marriage.

Marriage

Being one of Europe's wealthiest heiresses from inheriting vast estates in Poland from her paternal grandfather, she was betrothed to

. King

George I of Great Britain George I (George Louis; ; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. He was the first ...

was opposed to the marriage because he feared that the union might produce heirs to James Francis Edward's claim to his thrones. To placate him, the

Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI Charles VI (german: Karl; la, Carolus; 1 October 1685 – 20 October 1740) was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death, succeeding his elder brother, Joseph I. He unsuccessfully claimed the thron ...

(Maria Clementina's own maternal first cousin) had her arrested while on her way to Italy to marry James Francis Edward. She was confined in Innsbruck Castle but eventually the guards were deceived and, with the help of

Charles Wogan Charles Wogan (1698?–1752?) was a Jacobite soldier of fortune, also known as the Chevalier Wogan. Early life Wogan was the second son of William Wogan and his wife, Anne Gaydon. His great-grandfather, William Wogan of Rathcoffey (1544–1616 ...

, Maria Clementina escaped to

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

, where, for safety from further intrusions, she was

married by proxy A proxy wedding or proxy marriage is a wedding in which one or both of the individuals being united are not physically present, usually being represented instead by other persons. If both partners are absent a double proxy wedding occurs. Marriage ...

to James, who was in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

at that time. Maria Clementina's father, James Louis Sobieski, approved her escape, declaring that, as she became engaged to James Francis Edward, she ought to "follow his fortune and his cause". Maria Clementina and James Francis Edward were formally married on 3 September 1719 in the chapel of the episcopal palace of

Montefiascone Montefiascone is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Viterbo, in Lazio, central Italy. It stands on a hill on the southeast side of Lake Bolsena, about north of Rome. History The name of the city derives from that of the Falisci (''Mons Fa ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, in the Cathedral of Santa Margherita. Following their marriage, James and Maria Clementina were invited to reside in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

at the special request of Pope Clement XI, who acknowledged them as the king and queen of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Titular queen

The Pope provided them with a papal guard of troops and gave them the

Palazzo Muti The Palazzo Muti (officially the Palazzo Muti e Santuario della Madonna dell' Archetto) is a large townhouse in the Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, Rome, Italy, built in 1644. Together with the neighboring Palazzo Muti Papazzurri, it originally form ...

in the Piazza dei Santi Apostoli in Rome to live in, as well as a country villa at Albano. The

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

also provided them with an annual allowance of 12,000 crowns out of the papal treasury. Popes Clement XI and

Innocent XIII Pope Innocent XIII ( la, Innocentius XIII; it, Innocenzo XIII; 13 May 1655 – 7 March 1724), born as Michelangelo dei Conti, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 May 1721 to his death in March 1724. He is ...

considered James and Maria Clementina, both Catholics, the rightful king and queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. Maria Clementina Sobieski Memorial

The married life of James and Maria Clementina proved turbulent and unhappy. Reportedly, James initially had a favourable impression of her because of her beauty, while she disliked him because of his lack of it, as well as his passive nature.Frank McLynn: ''Bonnie Prince Charlie: Charles Edward Stuart'' She befriended the governess of her son, a Mrs Sheldon, who became her confidant and favourite. On the other hand, she disliked the influence of James's favourite

John Hay of Cromlix John Hay of Cromlix (1691–1740) was the Jacobite Duke of Inverness and a courtier and army officer to the King James VIII & III (known as the "Old Pretender"). He was from the Clan Hay. Life His parents were Thomas Hay, seventh earl of ...

and his wife Marjorie, and reportedly, she suspected James of having an affair with Marjorie Hay. In 1725, soon after their second child's birth, James fired Sheldon and appointed James Murray as the guardian of their sons against the wishes of Maria Clementina. She left him and went to live in

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

of St. Cecilia in Rome with her favourite Sheldon and the rest of her personal retinue. She accused her husband of adultery, while he said it was sinful to leave him and her children. Upon the advice of Cardinal Alberoni, who claimed it was her only chance to gain support against her husband, Maria Clementina claimed that James wished to give his son a Protestant education. This claim secured her the support of the Pope as well as the Kingdom of Spain against James and the sympathy of the public when she demanded that James remove the Duke of Dunbar and the Hays from his court and reinstate Sheldon in her position. In April 1726, James granted her sons permission to visit her. The whole affair was seen as a scandal in Europe and reported about by anti-Jacobite agents in Rome. In May 1727, through the mediation of the duke of Liria, James removed the Hay couple from his court, and in January 1728, Maria Clementina and James reconciled in Bologna. In practice, however, Maria Clementina and James lived the rest of their marriage separated: James preferred to reside in Albano, while Maria Clementina lived in the Palazzo Muti in Rome. She was prone to depression, spending much of her time praying and submitting to religious fasting and other Catholic ascetic rituals, which is thought to have played a role in the fact that she never conceived again. Her sexual relations with James soon discontinued; they seldom dined together, and though they were officially reconciled, she preferred to avoid him outside formal occasions. Maria Clementina did perform the ceremonial functions she had as Jacobite queen: in June 1729, for example, she gave an audience for

Montesquieu Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (; ; 18 January 168910 February 1755), generally referred to as simply Montesquieu, was a French judge, man of letters, historian, and political philosopher. He is the princi ...

. Her favourite Mrs Sheldon did not officially reside at the Jacobite court, but she provided her with a residence close to it, and kept her as a confidante. Her relation to her younger son was not close, as he was his father's favourite, but she was close to their elder son Charles, who was his mother's favourite: during an illness of Charles in 1732, for example, Maria Clementina tended to him despite the fact that he fell ill in Albano and she was thus forced to meet James.

Death

Her health was weakened by her ascetic life style and deteriorated as the years went by. Maria Clementina died at the early age of 32 on 18 January 1735. Her doctor named the cause of death as 'scorbutic disease', more commonly known as

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

. She was interred with full royal honours in

St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

. Pope Clement XII ordered that she have a state burial.

Pope Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758. Pope Be ...

commissioned architect

Filippo Barigioni Filippo Barigioni (1690–1753) was an Italian sculptor and architect working in the Late Baroque tradition. Bariogioni was born in Rome. His career was spent largely on papal commissions, including aqueducts and fountains, in and around Rome. ...

to design a monument for her memory,

Pietro Bracci Pietro Bracci (1700–1773) was an Italian sculptor working in the Late Baroque manner. Biography He was born in Rome and became a student of Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari and Camillo Rusconi. His most familiar works are the colossal ''Oceanus' ...

sculpted a statue for it, and it was erected 1742 in the Basilica.

Issue

Maria Clementina and James Francis Edward had two sons: * ''Charles Edward'' Louis Philip John Casimir Stuart (31 December 1720 – 31 January 1788), aka "Bonnie Prince Charlie", married

Louise of Stolberg-Gedern Princess Louise Maximiliane Caroline Emanuel of Stolberg-Gedern (20 September 1752 – 29 January 1824) was the wife of Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobite claimant to the English and Scottish thrones. The unhappy marriage led her to request f ...

and had no issue; had affair with his cousin

Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne (Marie Louise Henriette Jeanne; 15 August 1725 – 1793) was a French noblewoman and member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne. She was the Princess of Guéméné by marriage. Biography Marie Louise was the ...

and had issue; had issue with his mistress

Clementina Walkinshaw Clementina Maria Sophia Walkinshaw (1720 – 27 November 1802) was the mistress of Charles Edward Stuart. Born into a respectable Scottish family, Clementina began to live with the Prince in November 1752 and remained his mistress for eight yea ...

; * ''Henry Benedict'' Maria Clement Thomas Francis Xavier Stuart (11 March 1725 – 13 July 1807), later known as the Cardinal Duke of York, never married.

Ancestry

Gallery

File:Maria Klementyna Sobieska.jpeg, Maria Clementina by Pierre Imbert Drevet. File:Maria Klementyna Sobieska Funeral.jpg, "Pompe funebre" for Maria Clementina at Rome. File:Maria Klementyna Sobieska ~ Tomb.JPG, Maria Clementina's Tomb by Barigioni and Bracchi in St Peter's Basilica, Rome. File:Medal commemorating Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska.PNG, Medal commemorating Maria Clementina from 1719

References

External links

Nuptials of Maria Klementyna Sobieska
at the Wilanów Palace Museum ** Gaetano Platania, ''Angielskie małżeństwo ;arii Klementyny Sobieskiej'', in "Sobótka", 2, 1980, pp. 401–410. ** Gaetano Platania, ''Morte di Maria Clementina Sobieska Stuart: il caso di Michele Marieschi progettista di apparati funebr''i, in ARTE/Documento. Rivista di Storia e tutela dei Beni Culturali, 4, 1990, pp. 164–173. ** Gaetano Platania, ''La politica europea e il matrimonio inglese di una principessa polacca: Maria Clementina Sobieska'', Accademia Polacca delle Scienze-Biblioteca e Centro Studi a Roma, Manziana (Roma), Vecchiarelli editore, 1993. ** Gaetano Platania, ''Viaggio a Roma sede d'esilio. Sovrane alla conquista di Roma: secoli XVII-XVII''I, Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani, Roma 2002, pp. 99–118. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sobieska, Maria Clementina 1702 births 1735 deaths Maria Clementina Maria Clementina Jacobites 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian novelists 18th-century Polish women Burials at St. Peter's Basilica Polish people of German descent