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Princess Louise Maximiliane Caroline Emanuel of Stolberg-Gedern (20 September 1752 – 29 January 1824) was the wife of
Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...
, the Jacobite claimant to the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and
Scottish throne The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have grown ...
s. The unhappy marriage led her to request from the pope a decree of separation, which she was granted. During her years in Paris and Florence, she established famous salons where important artists and intellectuals of the day were invited to gather. She is commonly called the Countess of Albany.


Early life

Louise was born in
Mons Mons (; German and nl, Bergen, ; Walloon and pcd, Mont) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Mons was made into a fortified city by Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut in the 12th century. T ...
, Hainaut, in the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...
(now
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
). She was the eldest daughter of Prince Gustav Adolf of
Stolberg-Gedern The Lordship of Gedern (German: ''Herrschaft Gedern'') was a lordship or herrschaft centred on Gedern near Büdingen in Hesse, Germany. It is first recorded in a document from Lorsch Abbey dating to 780. History The lords of Ortenburg (descended ...
and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Hornes, the younger daughter of
Maximilian, Prince of Hornes Maximilian Emanuel, 3rd Prince of Hornes, Count of Baucignies and of Solre-le-Château (31 August 1695, Brussels – 12 January 1763, Brussels), was a nobleman and Grand Huntsman of Brabant. His father was Philippe Emanuel, 2nd Prince of Hornes, ...
. She had three sisters. When she was only four years old, her father was killed at the
Battle of Leuthen The Battle of Leuthen was fought on 5 December 1757 and involved Frederick the Great's Prussian Army using maneuver warfare and terrain to rout a larger Austrian force completely, which was commanded by Prince Charles of Lorraine and Coun ...
. His death left the family in much reduced financial circumstances. When she was seven, she was sent to be educated at the school attached to the convent of St. Waudru in Mons. The mission of this convent was to provide a home for young ladies of the nobility who had insufficient financial means to live unmarried in the world. During her youth, she was said to be able to play guitar, sing and dance well and to enjoy reading French novels. However, she was said to be anxious to escape the convent because it was not a loving environment. In 1766, the Empress Maria Theresa arranged for the convent to give to Louise one of its endowed
prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...
s. Although technically Louise was a
canoness Canoness is a member of a religious community of women living a simple life. Many communities observe the monastic Rule of St. Augustine. The name corresponds to the male equivalent, a canon. The origin and Rule are common to both. As with the ca ...
(a type of nun), she was not required to stay in the convent cloister and was not bound for life as other types of nuns. Indeed, for most of the canonesses, the acceptance of a prebend was merely a temporary stage until they found appropriate noble husbands. As such, Louise was still allowed to travel in society, with the ability to marry.


Marriage

In 1771, Louise's younger sister (also a canoness at St. Waudru) married the
Marquess of Jamaica A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...
, only son of the 3rd Duke of Berwick (great-grandson of King
James II of England and VII of Scotland James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
). Louise was said to be exceedingly attractive. With a need to find a bride for
Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...
, the Jacobite claimant to the English and Scottish thrones, the Duke of Berwick's uncle, the
Duke of Fitz-James Duke of Fitz-James (French: ''duc de Fitz-James'') was a title of nobility in the peerage of France. It was created by King Louis XIV of France in 1710 for James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, an illegitimate son of King James II of England. This ...
, began negotiations with Louise's mother for a marriage between Louise and Charles. Part of this desire for Charles to marry stemmed from King
Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...
who recognised the succession of the
House of Hanover The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house orig ...
, he also hoped that the legitimate Stuart line would not die out and would be an ongoing threat to the Hanoverians. The negotiations were delicate, since Louise's family had little money of their own and relied totally on the goodwill of the Empress Maria Theresa, who provided financial care for the family. On 28 March 1772, Louise was married by proxy to Charles Edward in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. The couple met for the first time on 14 April 1772, when they renewed their marriage vows in person in the town of
Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza ...
,
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 re ...
. Louise was henceforward recognised by Jacobites as Queen of England, Scotland, France and Ireland. The marriage was reported to have been consummated. Shortly afterwards, the couple travelled to Rome as a party in four State coaches, arriving at 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 ...
on 22 April 1772. The Muti would be her home until she separated from her husband a few years later. On 25 April, Charles presented Louise with wedding gifts for his new bride, said to compose of 40,000
crowns A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
and a gold box, set with
diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...
. Charles and Louise spent the first two years of their married life 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 ...
. While they were not formally received by the Vatican as "King and Queen of England", they were popular in Roman society. They regularly attended operas, concerts and receptions together. On account of her beauty, popular society gave her the nickname the "Queen of Hearts". In spite of the difference in their ages (he was 52, while she was 20), the couple were at first happy together, but there were several shadows on the relationship. There was no sign of Louise conceiving a child and Charles began drinking heavily. Charles had been encouraged in the belief that, if he married, the pope would recognise him as King of England and Scotland, and France might provide funds for another
Jacobite rising , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...
. Louise had virtually been promised that she would be treated as a queen. Instead, Charles found his hopes both of a son and of diplomatic recognition disappointed, while Louise found herself married to an old prince with no prospects. Charles and Louise left Rome in August 1774. They briefly resided at a villa between Parma and Piza, before moving to
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
a few months later. Here they used the title of "Count and Countess of Albany" to avoid difficulties the Italian nobility had with addressing them as "King and Queen of Great Britain". They stayed as guests of Prince Corsini until Charles bought the Palazzo di San Clemente in 1777. It was said that Louise did not enjoy her time in Florence.


Count Vittorio Alfieri

Count
Vittorio Alfieri Count Vittorio Alfieri (, also , ; 16 January 17498 October 1803) was an Italian dramatist and poet, considered the "founder of Italian tragedy." He wrote nineteen tragedies, sonnets, satires, and a notable autobiography. Early life Alfieri was ...
was born into a wealthy aristocratic family in
Asti Asti ( , , ; pms, Ast ) is a ''comune'' of 74,348 inhabitants (1-1-2021) located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and it is deemed t ...
, now in
Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
, in 1749. After several affairs with married women, he decided to devote himself to the writing of poetry and tragedies for the theatre. In 1776, during a stay in Florence, he came across Louise and was much taken by her. He did not follow up at this stage, but contented himself with admiring her from a distance. He left Florence to concentrate on study and furthering his literary ambitions. He returned to Florence in 1777 and this time sought an introduction to Louise. He fell in love with her and now determined to split her from Charles. He became a frequent visitor to the Palazzo di San Clemente and was welcomed unsuspectingly by Charles. There is no evidence of when Louise and Alfieri became lovers, but it was probably in 1778 when Alfieri penned her amorous sonnets, including one inviting her to elope with him.Vaughan, pp37-49 Meanwhile, Louise's husband Charles had become a drunkard again, as he had been a number of years before. In December 1780, Louise left Charles and took refuge in a convent. She claimed, and it is widely believed to be true, that Charles had become physically abusive to her. The key event is said to be when Charles had been drinking following
Saint Andrew's Day Saint Andrew's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Andrew or Andermas, is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle. It is celebrated on 30 November (according to Gregorian calendar) and on 13 December (according to Julian calendar). Saint Andrew is ...
celebrations, and after accusing Louise of infidelities, may have attempted to rape her, resulting in her screaming to the extent that the household servants intervened. Louise received the support of the
Grand Duchess of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was founded in 1569. It succeeded the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy was initially ruled by the House of Medici, until their extinction in 1737. The grand duchy passed to the House of Lorraine, and then, to its cad ...
, the pope, and her brother-in-law the Cardinal Duke of York, all of whom may have been unaware of Louise's ongoing adulterous relationship with Alfieri. Charles and Louise left Florence in 1777 and returned to Rome. She lived briefly at the Ursuline Convent before moving to her brother-in-law's official residence, the Palazzo della Cancelleria. Alfieri followed Louise to Rome, where for two years they carried on their affair in secret. In April 1783, the Cardinal Duke of York finally discovered the truth. In early May, Alfieri left Rome and Louise, in order to avoid being expelled by force. In November 1780, Louise formally left Charles, moving first to a convent and then eventually her brother-in-laws estate. In April 1784, Charles was induced by King
Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what ...
to grant Louise a decree of separation. The couple did not divorce, since no such legal procedure existed in the
Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
, but Louise was thereby legally permitted to live separately from her husband, even though she had been doing so for time. The pope agreed also that Louise should receive half of Charles's pension. In June 1784, Louise left Rome, purportedly to summer at the baths of
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
. In August, she was reunited with Alfieri at Colmar. They spent the next two months together at the castle of Martinsburg. In order to continue to keep their meeting secret from the Cardinal-Duke of York (who was the chief source of Louise's income), they separated again, and Louise spent the winter of 1784/1785 in
Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= 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 150 different nat ...
. She summered in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
before returning to Martinsburg, where she was joined again by Alfieri in September. After two months, Louise returned to Paris. In 1786, the Cardinal-Duke of York learnt of the continued, ongoing relationship between Louise and Alfieri which he thought had ended. This caused a complete rupture between Louise and her brother-in-law. Henceforth, she made no attempt to hide her relationship with Alfieri. From December 1786 onwards, they lived together as a couple, with only occasional and brief separations. On the last day of January 1788, Louise's husband Charles died. This resulted in a substantial improvement in her financial situation, thanks to a previously agreed pension from the King of France. Although Louise now had the freedom to marry Alfieri, they did not regularise their relationship, since Alfieri had always opposed the institution of marriage. They lived at first together in Paris. There, Louise established a famous ''
salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...
'' in her home, to which the most important writers, artists, and intellectuals were invited. They remained in France during the early stages of the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
in 1789, but then proceeded to England for safety. While in England, she was received by the Royal Family but under the title "Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern". Alfieri and her explored London and toured the West Country of England before returning again to France. However, the political situation had worsened for them in France. In 1792, the 10th of August insurrection encouraged them to flee from Paris, only two days before the republican authorities went to their home to arrest them. They escaped first to Germany and then made their way to Florence. Louise and Alfieri then chose to settle in Florence. In 1793, Alfieri purchased Palazzo Gianfigliazzi, a mansion overlooking the River Arno. Here, Louise re-established her famous ''salon'', although perhaps on a somewhat smaller scale than in Paris. Louise continued to live with Alfieri until his death in 1803.


Later life

After Alfieri's death, Louise's companion was the artist François Xavier Fabre. It seems unlikely that their relationship was a romantic one. Louise continued to live in Florence until 1809, when she was summoned to Paris by
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
during France's war with Britain. He asked if she had ever given birth to Charles Edward's child, hoping to find a legal heir who could then be used to cause insurrection in Britain. When she replied "no", the meeting was abruptly terminated. A year later, she was allowed to return to Florence. Louise died on 29 January 1824. She is buried in the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence (in the Castellani Chapel); Alfieri is also buried in the basilica (between the tombs of Machiavelli and
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
).


Ancestry


References


Bibliography

* * * * Vaughan, Herbert M. ''The Last Stuart Queen''. Brentano's, 1911 * *


Further reading

* Crosland, Margaret. ''Louise of Stolberg, Countess of Albany''. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1962. * Lee, Vernon (i.e. Violet Paget). ''The Countess of Albany''. London: W.H. Allen, 1884
Full text
* Mitchiner, Margaret. ''No Crown for the Queen: Louise de Stolberg, Countess of Albany, and Wife of the Young Pretender''. London: Jonathan Cape, 1937. * Vaughan, Herbert. ''The Last Stuart Queen''. London: Duckworth, 1910. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Louise Of Stolberg-Gedern 1752 births 1824 deaths
Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...
Jacobites People from Gedern 18th-century German people 19th-century German people 18th-century German women 19th-century German women House of Stolberg People from Mons Albany German salon-holders