Bonnie Prince Charlie wins Battle of Falkirk - 1746

On January 17, 1746 ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ and his Highlanders won the battle of Falkirk. It was to be their last victory in the 'forty-five' Jacobite uprising, as three months later they were defeated at Culloden. Charles Edward Stuart was born on December 31, 1720 and was the second Jacobite pretender to the throne of England. This claim was as the eldest son of James Francis Edward Stuart, himself the son of King James II. Charles is perhaps best known as the instigator of the unsuccessful Jacobite uprising of 1745, in which he led an insurrection to restore an absolute monarchy. The uprising ended in defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Charles's flight from Scotland after the uprising has rendered him a romantic figure of heroic failure in later representations.  

Michael Thomas Barry is the author of Great Britain’s Royal Tombs. It can be purchased from Amazon at the following links: 

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Great-Britains-Royal-Tombs-Monarchs/dp/0764341294/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358443849&sr=8-1&keywords=michael+thomas+barry 

Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Britains-Royal-Tombs-Monarchs/dp/0764341294/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358443891&sr=8-1

King George II of Britain is born - 1683

King George II of Britain is born on November 10, 1683 in Hanover, Germany.

 

He was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. In 1701, his grandmother, Sophia of Hanover, became second-in-line to the British throne. After her death, and that of Queen Anne, in 1714, his father George I, Elector of Hanover, inherited the British throne. In the first years of his father's reign as king, young George was associated with opposition politicians, until they re-joined the governing party in 1720. He ascended to throne of Britain upon the death of his father George I on June 11, 1727 and was crowned at Westminster Abbey in October 1727. As king George II exercised little control over British domestic policy, which was largely controlled by Parliament. As elector, he spent 12 summers in Hanover, where he had more direct control over government policy. He had a difficult relationship with his eldest son, Fredrick, who supported the parliamentary opposition. During the War of Austrian Succession, George II participated at the battle of Dettingen (1743), and thus became the last British monarch to lead an army in battle. In 1745, supporters of the Catholic claimant to the British throne, James Francis Edward Stuart (The Old Pretender), led by James's son Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), attempted and failed to depose George in the last of the Jacobite rebellions. After Prince Frederick died unexpectedly in 1751, George's grandson, George III, became heir and ultimately king. For two centuries after his death on October 25, 1760, history tended to view George II with disdain, concentrating on his mistresses, short temper, and boorishness. Since then, some scholars have re-assessed his legacy and conclude that he held and exercised influence in foreign policy and military appointments.

Michael Thomas Barry is the author of Great Britain’s Royal Tombs: A Guide to the Lives & Burial Places of British Monarchs it can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble through the following links –

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Britains-Royal-Tombs-Monarchs/dp/0764341294/ref=la_B0035CPN70_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352477071&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/great-britains-royal-tombs-michael-thomas-barry/1111224215?ean=9780764341298

Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) Invades England - 1746

On this date in 1745 Charles Edward Stuart invaded England with an army of 5000 that would later participate in the Battle of Culloden (April 16, 1746).

 

Born on December 31, 1720 and commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender, he was the second Jacobite pretender to the throne of Great Britain. This claim was as the eldest son of James Francis Edward Stuart, himself the son of King James II. Charles is perhaps best known as the instigator of the unsuccessful Jacobite Uprising of 1745, in which he led an insurrection to restore an absolute monarchy in Britain, which ended in defeat at the Battle of Culloden that effectively ended the Jacobite cause. Charles's flight from Scotland after the uprising has rendered him a romantic figure of heroic failure in later representations. In 1759 he was involved in a French plan to invade the British Isles which was abandoned following British naval victories. He died on January 31, 1788 and is buried at St. Peters Basilica in Rome, Italy.