John Weesop Esme Stuart Duke of Richmond c

Esmé Stuart, 2nd Duke of Richmond, 5th Duke of Lennox (2 November 164910 August 1660) was the son and heir of James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox (1612–1655), of Cobham Hall in Kent, by his wife Mary Villiers (1622–1685), only daughter of

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham ( ; 20 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and self-described "lover" of King James VI and I. Buckingham remained at the heigh ...

. His father, who had been a loyal supporter of King Charles I during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, died in 1655, and Esmé and his mother went into exile in France. He died of smallpox in 1660, aged 10, in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, when his titles passed to his first-cousin Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox (1638–1672).

Monument

He was buried on 4 September 1660 in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

, in the ''Richmond Vault'' in the

Henry VII Chapel The Henry VII Lady Chapel, now more often known just as the Henry VII Chapel, is a large Lady chapel at the far eastern end of Westminster Abbey, England, paid for by the will of King Henry VII. It is separated from the rest of the abbey by br ...

(that king formerly having been

Earl of Richmond The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of Peerage of England, England. The earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond was initially held by various Breton people, Breton nobles; sometimes the holde ...

) above which survives his simple monument comprising a black obelisk set against a wall and standing on four small skulls, surmounted by an urn containing his heart. On the plinth is an incised ducal coronet and the letters "ES RL" (for Esme Stuart, Richmond, Lennox). The Latin inscription may be translated as:
:''Sacred to his memory. In this urn is enclosed the heart, while below rests the body, of the most illustrious Duke, Esme Stuart. Let him who seeks his parentage know that he inherited from his father James, firstly Duke of Lennox and then of Richmond and Lennox, the same title and rank, while from his mother Mary, only daughter of George, Duke of Buckingham, he derived his life and spirit, which afterwards he breathed out at Paris in the 11th year of his age on 14'' (sic, should be 10) ''day of the month of August, in the year of man's salvation 1660''.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond, Esme Stewart, 2nd Duke of 1649 births 1660 deaths 202

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Esme Stewart Lord high chamberlains of Scotland Esme Stewart, 2nd Duke of Richmond 17th-century Scottish peers Deaths from smallpox in France Barons Clifton Royalty and nobility who died as children