Louisa Maria Stuart Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Louisa Maria Stuart

Princess of England, Scotland, and Ireland

Portrait of Princess Louisa Maria by Alexis Simon Belle, 1704

Born

28 June 1692
Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Died

18 April 1712 (aged 19)
Chateau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Burial

Church of the English Benedictines, Paris

Full name
Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart

Father

Mother

Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart (born June 28, 1692 – died April 18, 1712) was the youngest child of King James II and VII and his wife, Mary of Modena. King James had been removed from his throne in England, Scotland, and Ireland. In English, people called her Louisa Maria, and in French, she was known as Louise Marie.

Her Birth
Her Life as a Princess
Family Tree
Images for kids
See also

Her Birth

Louisa's birthplace, the Château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Louisa Maria was born in 1692, in a place called Saint-Germain-en-Laye in France. This was four years after her father, King James, had left England for good.

The new princess was named Louisa Maria when she was baptized. The name Teresa was added later, when she had her confirmation. Her godparents were King Louis XIV of France and King Louis's sister-in-law, Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine.

King James II had many children from his two wives. But only four of them lived past infancy. His two older daughters, Queen Mary II and the future Queen Anne, lived in England. Only her brother James Francis Edward was close to Louisa. She was also friendly with her half-sister Queen Anne.

Her Life as a Princess

Portrait of Louisa Maria by François de Troy, around 1705.

Louisa was the only full sister of Prince James Francis Edward, also known as the 'Old Pretender', who survived childhood. She was four years younger than her brother. They both grew up together in France.

Louisa's teacher was an English Roman Catholic priest named Father Constable. He taught her Latin, history, and religion. She also had a governess, the Countess of Middleton. The Countess was the wife of Charles, 2nd Earl of Middleton, a Jacobite nobleman. Another Jacobite nobleman living in France, James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth, said Louisa was naturally very friendly.

Portrait of Louisa Maria and her brother James Francis Edward by Alexis Simon Belle, around 1699.

An artistic portrait of James Francis Edward and his sister Louisa Maria was painted in 1699. It shows the prince as a guardian angel leading his sister. This painting is now part of the Royal Collection.

By the summer of 1701, King James was very sick. He had been away from Saint-Germain for medical help. But in June, he and his wife returned home for their children's birthdays. Two months later, James had a stroke. He died just two weeks later on September 16. He was still able to talk when his children visited him for the last time.

Louisa Maria's guardian Antoine Nompar de Caumont, by Alexis Simon Belle.

Soon after King James died, King Louis XIV of France announced that James Francis Edward was the new king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Spain, the Papal States, and Modena also recognized him as king. James and his sister Louisa Maria were moved to Passy. There, they were cared for by Antoine Nompar de Caumont and his wife. Lady Middleton continued to be Louisa Maria's governess.

In 1705, when she was thirteen, Louisa Maria was a special guest at a ball at the Château de Marly. She was ranked very highly, only after King Louis XIV himself, her mother Queen Mary, and her brother James Francis Edward. King Louis considered her brother to be another king.

Louisa Maria loved dancing and going to the opera. She became very popular at the French court.

Louisa felt that the Jacobites who were living in exile had given up a lot for her family. She even paid for the education of many of their daughters. She helped both Roman Catholic and Protestant daughters.

Louisa Maria's half-sister Queen Anne.

In April 1712, both James Francis Edward and his sister became sick with smallpox. James got better, but Louisa Maria died on April 28 (or April 18, using the Old Style calendar). She was buried with her father at the Church of the English Benedictines in Paris.