The Lord Stuart de Rothesay | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byGeorge Hayter | |
| British Ambassador toRussia | |
| In office 1841–1844 | |
| Preceded by | The Marquess of Clanricarde |
| Succeeded by | John Bloomfield |
| British Ambassador toFrance | |
| In office 1828–1830 | |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Granville |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Granville |
| In office 1815–1824 | |
| Preceded by | The Duke of Wellington |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Granville |
| British Ambassador toPortugal | |
| In office 1810–1814 | |
| Preceded by | John Villiers |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Sydenham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 January 1779 |
| Died | 6 November 1845(1845-11-06) (aged 66) Highcliffe Castle, Dorset, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | Lady Elizabeth Margaret Yorke |
| Relations | Sir Charles Stuart (father) John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (grandfather) |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay,GCB, PC (2 January 1779 – 6 November 1845), known asSir Charles Stuart between 1812 and 1828, was a British diplomat. He was twiceAmbassador to France and also served asAmbassador to Russia between 1841 and 1844.
Stuart was the son of theLieutenant-General The HonourableSir Charles Stuart, younger son of Prime-MinisterJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. His mother was Louisa Bertie, daughter of Lord Vere Bertie, younger son ofRobert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven. He was educated atEton andChrist Church, Oxford.[1]
Stuart joined the Diplomatic Service in 1801, and was immediately appointed asSecretary of Legation inVienna,Holy Roman Empire, a post he held until 1804. He was then sent to Petersburg and this was followed by an assignment inFrench occupiedSpain in 1808.[2] He served asEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary toPortugal andBrazil between 1810 and 1814.
He was appointed aKnight of theMost Honourable Order of the Bath (KB) in 1812[3] and sworn of thePrivy Council in 1814.[4]
In December 1814Henry Brougham described Stuart toThomas Creevey:
He is a plain man, of some prejudices, caring little for politics and of very good practical sense... He has no very violent passions or acute feelings about him, and likes to go quietly on and enjoy himself in his way. He has read a great deal and seen much more, and done, for his standing. more business than any diplomatic man I ever heard of... He has no nonsense in his composition, and is a strictly honorable man, and one over whom nobody will ever acquire the slightest influence...[5]
BrieflyAmbassador to theNetherlands between February and May 1815, it was during his posting asAmbassador inSpain that Stuart became indispensable to theDuke of Wellington. At the Generals' insistence, he was appointedBritish Ambassador to France. DuringNapoleon's Hundred Days, he leftParis and was inBrussels at the start of the Waterloo Campaign, where during his stay he attended theDuchess of Richmond's Ball.[6] After the fall of Napoleon, he escorted the exiledFrenchKing Louis XVIII back to Paris, and becameBritishAmbassadorthere until 1824. In 1815 he was made a Knight-Grand-Cross in the civil division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (GCB).[7]
From 1825 to 1826 he was once moreEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary toPortugal andBrazil. In 1825 the Portuguese King John VI named Stuart his plenipotentiary with powers to negotiate and sign with Brazil a Treaty on the recognition of that country's independence. Invested with those powers, Stuart signed the treaty recognising Brazilian independence on 29 August 1825, and on 15 November of the same year the Portuguese King ratified the treaty. He was then created 1stCount of oMachico by Decree of 22 November 1825 byJohn VI of Portugal and later 1stMarquess ofAngra by Decree of 1 May 1826 byMaria II of Portugal, then still in Brazil, and was created the 5th Grand-Cross of the PortugueseAncient and Very Noble Order of the Tower and Sword, of the Valour, Loyalty and Merit.[1]
In January 1828 he was once again appointed Ambassador to France and was raised to thePeerage of Great Britain and Ireland asBaron Stuart de Rothesay, of theIsle of Bute, at the same time.[9] He continued as Ambassador to France until November 1830.[10] In 1841 he was madeAmbassador toRussia, a post he held until 1844.[1]
Lord Stuart de Rothesay married Lady Elizabeth Margaret, daughter ofPhilip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke, on 6 February 1816. They had two daughters:
Early retirement from the diplomatic service allowed him to start on a project to build a new family home. By 1830 he had purchased much of the eastern end of the estate, atHighcliffe, Dorset. Highcliffe had previously been owned by his forebears, although the estate had been sold by his father.[11]
Stuart engagedWilliam Donthorne, a founder member of theRoyal Institute of British Architects, to design a new Highcliffe Castle. The castle is built on an L-shaped plan, oriented on a south-east axis. Anoriel window is central on the south east elevation, providing a vista across the landscaped gardens to a panorama of The Needles andIsle of Wight. Carved medieval stonework from the Norman benedictineAbbey St Peter atJumieges and from the Manoir de Radeval orGrand Maison ofLes Andelys, was used in the building of the house. Both of these buildings had fallen into disrepair after the French Revolution. A 16th-century oriel window and a stained glass window are among the castle's other notable architectural features.
After the Castle was completed, Charles became Ambassador to Russia in 1841. However ill-health caused his return to England and he died at Highcliffe in November 1845, aged 66, when the barony became extinct. He was buried at St Mark's Church, Highcliffe and his memorial can still be seen there. Lady Stuart de Rothesay remained a widow until her death in June 1867.[1]
{{cite book}}:|journal= ignored (help);External link in|journal=| Diplomatic posts | ||
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| Preceded by | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Portugal and Brazil 1810–1814 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | British Ambassador to France 1815–1824 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | British Ambassador to France 1828–1830 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | British Ambassador to Russia 1841–1844 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
