The Cardinal Prince: Henry Benedict Stuart's Enduring Legacy
Exploring the life of the last Jacobite claimant, from Roman exile to ecclesiastical eminence.
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Introduction
The Last Jacobite Claimant
Henry Benedict Thomas Edward Maria Clement Francis Xavier Stuart, known historically as the Cardinal Duke of York, held a unique position in 18th-century European history. As the younger grandson of King James II of England, he was the third and final Jacobite heir to publicly assert a claim to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland. Unlike his father, James Francis Edward Stuart (the "Old Pretender"), and his elder brother, Charles Edward Stuart (the "Young Pretender" or "Bonnie Prince Charlie"), Henry chose a life of ecclesiastical service, making no active effort to seize the thrones.
A Life in the Papal States
Henry spent his entire life within the Papal States, rising through the ranks of the Roman Catholic Church. He became one of the longest-serving cardinals in history, eventually attaining the esteemed positions of Dean of the College of Cardinals and Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia and Velletri. While Jacobites recognized him as "Henry IX and I" after his brother Charles's death in 1788, the Papacy consistently referred to him as the "Cardinal Duke of York," a title also widely used and granted to him by his father within the Jacobite peerage.
Early Life
Birth in Roman Exile
Born in exile at the Palazzo Muti in Rome on March 6, 1725, Henry's birth occurred 37 years after his grandfather, James II and VII, lost the British thrones, and a decade after his father's unsuccessful attempt to reclaim them. He was baptized on the very day of his birth by Pope Benedict XIII, underscoring his deep connection to the Catholic Church from infancy. His parents were James Francis Edward Stuart, known to his adversaries as "the Old Pretender," and Princess Maria Klementyna Sobieska, a granddaughter of the distinguished Polish King and Lithuanian Grand-Duke, John III Sobieski.
Character and Early Endeavors
Accounts describe Henry as an intelligent child, demonstrating superior literacy skills compared to his elder brother, Charles. He was characterized as more introverted and cautious in his approach to challenges, possessing a pious and mild-mannered disposition. In 1745, at the age of 20, Henry traveled to France to support his brother, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, in preparing for the Jacobite rising of 1745. He was nominally placed in command of a French Royal Army cross-channel invasion force of approximately 10,000 men, though this force never departed from Dunkirk. Subsequently, he served under Maurice de Saxe during the siege of Antwerp. Following the decisive defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Henry, then 21, returned to Italy, his direct involvement in military campaigns concluded.
Ecclesiastical Career
Rapid Ascent in the Church
Henry's ecclesiastical journey began swiftly. On June 30, 1747, Pope Benedict XIV conferred the tonsure upon him and, in a special consistory held on July 3, 1747, created him Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Campitelli. He was promoted through the four minor orders by Benedict XIV on August 27, 1747, and received the subdiaconate on August 18, 1748, followed by the diaconate on August 25, 1748. His elder brother Charles, then in France, expressed disapproval of these ecclesiastical honors, believing they would exacerbate religious prejudice against the Stuart cause. Despite Charles's hopes for a politically advantageous marriage for Henry, his brother was ordained a priest on September 1, 1748, solidifying his commitment to the Church. Later that month, Henry was elevated to Cardinal-Priest, retaining his diaconal church, and in 1751, he was appointed Arch-Priest of St. Peter's Basilica.
Substantial Revenues and Influence
Cardinal Stuart enjoyed immense wealth derived from numerous ecclesiastical preferments. His income from abbeys and other pluralities across Flanders, Spain, Naples, and France amounted to a substantial 40,000 Pounds in British currency of the era. He also held sinecure benefices that generated revenues from Spanish America, including significant contributions from territories in Mexico. King Louis XV of France further compensated the Cardinal with the abbeys of Auchin and St. Amand, a gesture made after having to evict Henry's brother, Charles, in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. In December 1752, his titular seat was changed to Santi Apostoli. In 1758, the Pope appointed him Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals, an office that entailed managing all property, fees, funds, and revenue belonging to the College, celebrating requiem Masses for deceased cardinals, and overseeing the registry of the Acta Consistoralia. He participated in the 1758 papal conclave, which ultimately elected Pope Clement XIII. In October of that year, Henry was made titular Archbishop of Corinth. The following year, he relinquished the title of Santa Maria in Campitelli to assume that of Santa Maria in Trastevere, though he retained the Church of Santi Apostoli *in commendam*.
Dean of the College
On July 13, 1761, Henry was made Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati, a significant promotion within the College of Cardinals. He would reside and work in Frascati for many years, regularly commuting to Rome where his position as vice-chancellor afforded him access to the Palazzo della Cancelleria. His final major ecclesiastical advancement came on September 26, 1803, when he was appointed Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, consequently succeeding to the See of Ostia and Velletri. Notably, Henry was the last claimant to the British throne to perform the traditional "Royal Touch," a practice believed to cure the King's Evil (scrofula). Throughout his long life, he was described as a beatific, abstemious, and wealthy celibate aesthete, maintaining an "inoffensive and respectable" demeanor until his passing.
Later Life
Financial Hardship and British Aid
The tumultuous period of the French Revolution brought significant financial challenges to Cardinal Stuart. He lost his French Royal benefices and made considerable personal sacrifices, dedicating many of his remaining resources to assist Pope Pius VI during the revolutionary upheaval. Further compounding his difficulties, his property in Frascati was seized by the French, leading him into a state of poverty. This dire situation necessitated the sale of the historic Stuart Sapphire. In response, the British Minister in Venice facilitated an annuity of £4,000 from George III of Great Britain. While the British government framed this as an act of charity, Henry and his Jacobite supporters viewed it as a partial payment of funds legally owed to him, specifically referencing the long-unreturned English dowry of his grandmother, Mary of Modena.
Shifting Allegiances and Irish Proposal
The Vatican's stance on the British monarchy evolved during this period. While it had previously recognized James Francis Edward Stuart as James III and VIII, it did not extend this recognition to his son, Charles, who had converted to Anglicanism in 1750. However, the Vatican had also not overtly recognized the Hanoverian monarchs. This changed in November 1792 when the Vatican first referred to George III as the King of Great Britain and Ireland, rather than merely the Elector of Hanover. This diplomatic shift prompted a protest from Henry, who suggested the perceived insult might prevent him from visiting Rome again. Intriguingly, despite their general anti-clericalism and hostility towards the Bourbon monarchy, the French Directory, in 1798, proposed elevating Henry as "King of the Irish" (Henry IX) to the United Irishmen. This occurred during General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert's landing in County Mayo to support the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the hope of rallying the Catholic population. However, Wolfe Tone, the Protestant republican leader, ultimately vetoed this scheme.
Final Years and Passing
Henry returned to Frascati in 1803. In September of that year, he assumed the prestigious role of Dean of the College of Cardinals, thereby also becoming the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia and Velletri, though he continued to reside in the episcopal palace at Frascati. He passed away there on July 13, 1807, at the age of 82. His death coincided with the 60th anniversary of his appointment as Cardinal Deacon of his titular church and the 46th anniversary of his elevation to the rank of Cardinal Bishop, marking the end of a remarkable life intertwined with both royal lineage and ecclesiastical power.
Personal Life
Historical Speculation
Modern historians have engaged in speculation regarding Henry Benedict Stuart's personal life, particularly concerning his sexual orientation. Some have suggested he may have been homosexual. Contemporary accounts, such as those from Hester Lynch Thrale (1741–1821) and the diplomat and writer Giuseppe Gorani (1740–1819), contribute to this discussion. Gorani, while admitting insufficient evidence to confirm his suspicions definitively, noted the presence of numerous handsome clerics within Henry's palace. The historian Andrew Lang also referenced a comment by Henry's father, James, suggesting that his younger son would never marry, despite various marital arrangements having been considered for him.
Significant Attachments
Gaetano Moroni provides the most extensive account of Henry's deep attachment to his majordomo, Giovanni Lercari (1722–1802), whom Henry was said to have "loved beyond measure." This relationship led to significant tensions with his father, James, who, in 1752, attempted to have Lercari removed from Rome. Henry's strong reaction, including his refusal to return to Rome from Bologna without Lercari, nearly resulted in a public scandal, which was narrowly averted through the intervention of Pope Benedict XIV. Ultimately, it was agreed that Lercari would leave the household, and he later became Archbishop of Genoa. Following James's death in 1766, Henry developed a close relationship with Angelo Cesarini, a nobleman from Perugia. Under Henry's patronage, Cesarini received various honors, became a canon of the cathedral in Frascati, and in 1801, was appointed Bishop of Milevi. Henry died with Cesarini at his side, a testament to their close bond over 32 years. Cesarini was subsequently buried in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella. These relationships, as noted by historians, may have contained a romantic element.
Legacy
Succession and Royal Bequests
In his will, which he signed as "Henry R" (Rex, or king), Henry Benedict Stuart designated his nearest blood-relative and friend, King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia, as his successor to all his claimed British rights. Like his successors, Charles Emmanuel neither formally asserted nor renounced these Jacobite claims. A significant act in his will was the bequest of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom to the Prince of Wales, who would later become George IV. This gesture symbolically brought the Jacobite cause to a definitive close, acknowledging the de facto Hanoverian succession while preserving a sense of dynastic continuity.
Final Resting Place
Henry Benedict Stuart, along with his brother, father, and mother, is interred in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. A grand monument dedicated to the Royal Stuarts stands prominently on one of the columns within the basilica itself. This impressive memorial was designed by the renowned sculptor Antonio Canova and was originally commissioned by Angelo Cesarini, the executor of Henry Benedict's estate. Among the notable subscribers who contributed to its creation was George IV, the very recipient of the Stuart Crown Jewels. The monument underwent restoration in the 1940s, funded by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, ensuring its preservation for future generations and serving as a lasting tribute to the exiled Stuart line.
Ecclesiastical Titles
Cardinalatial Appointments
Throughout his extensive ecclesiastical career, Henry Benedict Stuart held a series of significant cardinalatial titles and appointments, reflecting his steady ascent within the Roman Catholic hierarchy. These included:
Arms and Pretensions
During the period when his father and brother asserted their claims to the British throne, Henry Benedict Stuart also claimed a coat of arms. This consisted of the traditional arms of the kingdom, but "differenced" by a *crescent argent*, or a white crescent. This heraldic modification served to distinguish his arms as a junior member of the royal line while still signifying his connection to the royal claims. Despite his deep involvement in the Church, this symbolic assertion of royal lineage underscored his unique dual identity as both a powerful cardinal and a claimant to a distant throne.
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References
References
- Macleod 2000, pp. 371â373.
- Lees-Milne 1984, p. 75.
- Haggard 1840, p. 151.
- Fothergill 1958, pp. 205â206.
- Pittock 2006, p. 210.
- Aston 2002, p. 220
- Piozzi 1942, p. 874â875 (dated 29 March 1794).
- Gorani 1793, pp. 100â103.
- McLynn 1991, pp. 468â469.
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