Michel Roger Lafosse facts for kids

Michel Roger Lafosse, born in Watermael-Boitsfort, Brussels, Belgium, in 1958, is also known as Michael James Alexander Stewart of Albany. He says he is a descendant of Charles Edward Stuart, often called "Bonnie Prince Charlie." Lafosse claims he should be the rightful king of Scotland.

Since 1979, he has called himself "HRH Prince Michael James Alexander Stewart, 7th Count of Albany." He states that one of his ancestors used the title "Count of Albany." Lafosse also claims other noble titles, like Comte de Blois and Duc d'Aquitaine.

The Royal House of Stuart and Michael's Claims

The Royal House of Stuart was a very important royal family. The male line of this family ended in 1807 when Henry Benedict Stuart died. Jacobites, who supported the Stuart claim to the throne, called him "King Henry IX." His older brother, Charles Edward Stuart, died in 1788. Charles only had an illegitimate daughter, Charlotte Stuart, Duchess of Albany, and her own illegitimate children. After Henry Benedict Stuart died, the Jacobite claim to the British throne passed to other royal families in Europe. Today, the main Jacobite claimant is Franz, Duke of Bavaria.

Michael Lafosse says that this history is wrong. He claims the Stuart family line did not end with Henry Benedict Stuart. Instead, Lafosse says that Charles Edward Stuart secretly ended his marriage to Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern. Lafosse claims Charles then secretly married a woman named Marguerite O'Dea d'Audibert de Lussan, Comtesse de Massillan. Lafosse states that this secret marriage produced a son in 1786, named Edward James Stuart. Lafosse says he is a descendant of this secret son.

Lafosse states that his parents were "HRH Princess Renee Stewart, Lady Derneley" and "Gustave Lafosse de Chatry, 5th Baron de Chatry." He has shared a long family tree to try and prove his connection to the last Stuart King of Scotland.

However, there is disagreement about Lafosse's parents and ancestors. Lafosse says he was born in the Ville de Bruxelles district. But in 2002, officials in Brussels said his birth certificate was fake. They have a different birth certificate showing he was born in Watermael-Boitsfort to Gustave Joseph Clément Fernand Lafosse, a shopkeeper, and Renée Julienne Dée, a business employee.

Historian Peter Piniski wrote about Lafosse's claims in his book The Stuarts' Last Secret. Piniski says that Lafosse's claim about Prince Charles's secret marriage and child is "heroically unsubstantiated." He points out that Prince Charles was already married at the time, though separated. Piniski also notes that Charles was very ill before he died. Charles's daughter, Charlotte, was with him daily, caring for him. Professor Lenman has called these types of claims "The industry of Stuart charlatanism."

Lafosse also said he was the "President of the European Council of Princes." He claimed he took over from Otto von Habsburg. But Archduke Otto later said he had never been president or even a member of such a group. He had never even heard of it.

Michael's Book: The Forgotten Monarchy of Scotland

Michael Lafosse wrote a book called The Forgotten Monarchy of Scotland: The True Story of the Royal House of Stewart and the Hidden Lineage of the Kings and Queens of Scots. It was published in Shaftesbury, England, in 1998. The book claims to share new stories about Charles Edward Stuart's life when he was living away from Britain.

In his book, Lafosse includes stories of secret marriages and births within the Royal House of Stuart. This includes the secret ending of Charles Edward Stuart's marriage and his new marriage to Marguerite O'Dea d'Audibert de Lussan.

What Michael Does Now

Michael Lafosse was born in Belgium as Michel Roger Lafosse. In the 1990s, he became a British citizen and started using the name Michael James Alexander Stewart of Albany. His website stated that he was a diplomat for a group called the Federation of Autonomous Priories of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta. This group is not the well-known Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He also claimed to be a cultural attaché at their embassy in São Tomé and Príncipe in West Africa. He said he received the United Nations 2001 "Volunteer Service Medal" under the name "Albany."

Lafosse also claimed to be a leader of The Imperial and Royal Dragon Court and Order in Britain and English-speaking countries.

In 2006, a newspaper reported that Lafosse might be sent back to Belgium. This was because he had lost his British citizenship. It was said that he had used a fake birth certificate. Later that year, the newspaper reported that Lafosse had sold his house in Edinburgh and moved back to Belgium to live with his mother.

His most recent book, written with Walid Amine Salhab, is The Knights Templar of the Middle East: The Hidden History of the Islamic Origins of Freemasonry (2006).

See also

• Anthony William Hall, who also made claims about being related to royalty.