In 1503,James IV marriedMargaret Tudor, thus linking the reigning royal houses of Scotland and England. Margaret's niece,Elizabeth I of England died withoutissue in 1603, and James IV's and Margaret's great-grandsonJames VI of Scotland acceded to the thrones of England and Ireland as James I in theUnion of the Crowns. The Stuarts were monarchs of Britain and Ireland and its growingempire until the death ofQueen Anne in 1714, except for the period of theCommonwealth between 1649 and 1660.[note 3]
In total, nine Stewart/Stuart monarchs ruled Scotland alone from 1371 until 1603, the last of whom was James VI, before his accession in England. Two Stuart queens ruled the isles following theGlorious Revolution in 1688:Mary II andAnne. Both were the Protestant daughters ofJames VII and II by his first wifeAnne Hyde and the great-grandchildren of James VI and I. Their father had converted to Catholicism and his new wife gave birth to a son in 1688, who was to be brought up as a Roman Catholic; so James was deposed by Parliament in 1689, in favour of his daughters. However, neither daughter had any children who survived to adulthood, so the crown passed to theHouse of Hanover on the death of Queen Anne in 1714 under the terms of theAct of Settlement 1701 and theAct of Security 1704. The House of Hanover had become linked to the House of Stuart through the line ofElizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia.
After the loss of the throne, the descendants of James VII and II continued for several generations to attempt to reclaim the Scottish and English (and later British) throne as the rightful heirs, their supporters being known asJacobites. Since the early 19th century, when the James II direct line failed, there have been no active claimants from the Stuart family. The current Jacobite heir to the claims of the historical Stuart monarchs is a distant cousinFranz, Duke of Bavaria, of theHouse of Wittelsbach. The senior living member of the royal Stewart family, descended in a legitimate male line from Robert II of Scotland, isAndrew Richard Charles Stuart, 9th Earl Castle Stewart.
When the civil war in theKingdom of England, known asThe Anarchy, broke out between the legitimist claimantMatilda, Lady of the English, and her cousin who had usurped her,King Stephen, Walter had sided with Matilda.[4] Another supporter of Matilda was her uncleDavid I of Scotland from theHouse of Dunkeld.[4] After Matilda was pushed out of England into theCounty of Anjou, essentially failing in her legitimist attempt for the throne, many of her supporters in England fled also. It was then that Walter followed David up to theKingdom of Scotland, where he was granted lands inRenfrewshire and the title for life of Lord High Steward.[4] The next monarch of Scotland,Malcolm IV, made the High Steward title a hereditary arrangement. While High Stewards, the family were based atDundonald, South Ayrshire, between the 12th and 13th centuries.
Both Mary, Queen of Scots, and Lord Darnley had strong claims on the English throne through their mutual grandmother Margaret Tudor. This eventually led to the accession of the couple's only childJames as King of Scotland, England, and Ireland in 1603. However, this was apersonal union, as the three Kingdoms shared a monarch, but had separate governments, churches, and institutions. Indeed, the personal union did not prevent an armed conflict, known as theBishops' Wars, breaking out between England and Scotland in 1639.[5] This was to become part of the cycle of political and military conflict that marked the reign ofCharles I of England, Scotland and Ireland, culminating in a series of conflicts known as theWar of the Three Kingdoms. The trial and execution of Charles I by the English Parliament in 1649 began 11 years of republican government known as theEnglish Interregnum. Scotland initially recognised the late King's son, also calledCharles, as their monarch, before being subjugated and forced to enter Cromwell's Commonwealth byGeneral Monck's occupying army. During this period, the principal members of the House of Stuart lived in exile inmainland Europe. The younger Charles returned to Britain to assume his three thrones in 1660 as "Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland" - with the support of General Monck - but dated his reign from his father's death eleven years before.
In feudal and dynastic terms, the Scottish reliance on French support was revived during the reign ofCharles II, whose own mother was French. His sisterHenrietta married into the French royal family. Charles II left no legitimate children, but his numerous illegitimate descendants included theDukes of Buccleuch, theDukes of Grafton, theDukes of Saint Albans and theDukes of Richmond.
Great-great grandson ofHenry VII of England. King of Scotland alone until inheriting the titles King of England and Ireland, including claim to France from the extinctTudors.
Son of Charles I. Prohibited by Parliament from assuming the throne during a republican period of government known as theCommonwealth of England, but then accepted as king in 1661.
Sister of Mary II. daughter of James II & VII. Name of state changed to Great Britain with the politicalActs of Union 1707, though family has used title since James I & VI. Died childless, rights pass toHouse of Hanover.
List of male-line members of the Houses of FitzAlan and Stuart
Male, male-line, legitimate, non-morganatic members of the house who either lived to adulthood, or who held a title as a child, are included. Heads of the house are in bold.
^Title assumed by James V of Scotland, in correspondence with Irish chieftains, as a challenge to Henry VIII, who had recently been declared 'King of Ireland.'
^TheEarls of Galloway are the senior surviving line of the Stuarts. They are descended from a line which originated from the second son ofAlexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland, and are not members of the Stewart/Stuart royal line; however, they are part of the peerage.
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