Bonnie Prince Charlie: His life, family, legend

by Peter Pininski

Telling a story which has been described as 'one of the best kept secrets in Scottish history', Peter Pininski reveals his research on Bonnie Prince Charlie's 'hidden' grandchildren, one of whom was his own great-great-great grandfather. And in an astounding twist of fate he discovered that his mother was descended down the female line from Cameron of Lochiel, Bonnie Prince Charlie's most staunch ally in 1745/6. He also charts the early life of Prince Charles Edward Stewart, 'the Young Pretender', his multi-cultural upbringing at the exiled British court in Rome and the traits he inherited from his Polish princess mother. The book has been rewritten and updated from the edition published by Amberley in 2010. It features on the cover a portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie that was in a private collection and unknown to the general public until 2018 when it was purchased by the Pininski Foundation.

Genres: Biography, History, Scotland

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Alberto Molinaro]

An example of when history is more intricate and unexpected than fiction! The book's references to lost and then recovered artworks and their unique story is also a great complement.

[Monty Milne]

The main events of the life of "the Young Pretender" are well known, and the story of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion is familiar territory. A relatively brief account such as this could surely give me nothing new, I thought. I was wrong. The Prince's life after the Rebellion is so often little more than a footnote, but here the author gives it greater prominence, to fascinating effect. He makes a conclusive case for the identity of the Prince's (unofficial) children and their descendants, of whom the author - an Anglo Polish nobleman - is one. Of course, had Charles staked everything on a last throw of the dice he would either have displaced the Hanoverian usurper and entered London in triumph - or, more likely, died heroically at the head of his army of highlanders. Instead, forced to turn back by his advisers, he took the first steps on a journey that led almost inevitably to permanent exile, heavy drinking, and somewhat seedy backstairs intrigues, both sexual and political.

I was very amused by the accounts of the Prince's younger brother, "Cardinal King Henry IX", not the first or the last man to enjoy dressing up in the fabulous robes of a prince of the church whilst developing tastes for every conceivable luxury and an appreciation for youthful male beauty so obvious that even his doting mother was scandalised. But the most interesting part is the way Pinninski gives up a glimpse into the after-lives of Charles's children and their descendants. A fascinating and wholly convincing exploration.