Nicolas J.B. de Poilly

Prince Charles Edward Stuart, 1720 - 1788. Eldest son of Prince James Francis Edward Stuart

About this artwork

This fine French print expresses the hopes of the Jacobites in 1744. The handsome young prince is posed commandingly before a fleet sailing across the calm waters of the Channel. By late 1743 the French judged that the time was ripe for an invasion of England; they planned to send for Prince Charles once they had taken London. However, Charles, hearing of this project, left Rome in secret in January 1744 and joined the assembling forces at Gravelines, near Dunkirk. Charles had been appointed regent in December in anticipation of this attempt, and it seemed that the moment for him to regain his father’s kingdoms had finally arrived. In fact, his appearance in France triggered British suspicions, leading to arrests of English Jacobites and troop reinforcements.

Updated before 2020

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