What would be needed to keep the Jacobites alive as a powerful political and cultural movement well after the 1745 rising? Obviously the first order of the day is to keep the direct Stuart line from James II going, so Bonnie Prince Charlie needs to lock down a good marriage and spawn a few heirs. If Henry Stuart could be convinced to leave the priesthood and sire heirs, that would additionally shore up the Stuart ranks, but not necessarily vital if Mr. and Mrs. Mo Ghile Mear have a few boys.
The trickier problem is how (if at all) can Jacobitism remain a relevant ideology to follow in England, Scotland, and Ireland? Believe me, I'm an ignorant Jacobite-o-boo to boot, but already going into the '45 there was many a problem in the ranks with what exactly the aims of Jacobitism were by the 18th Century. Most of the Scottish rank-and-file were Anti-Unionist Protestants, the Irish wanted their lands back and Catholic emancipation, and by 1745, most English Catholics had thrown in the towel for hopes of the restoration of a Catholic monarch, as seen by the limited welcome and support Charles received from them during his aborted march south.
Perhaps if their are legitimate Stuarts running around by the 1790s - 1800s, if Napoleon is not butterflied away he might see them as a potent weapon to use against the British? Perhaps the development of Irish nationalism can evolve more around installing a Catholic monarch over Ireland rather than the increasingly republican shift (imagine the Stuarts try round 5 in 1798)? Culturally, is there any way the Jacobite romantic revival in the 19th century can potentially spill over into something nasty, especially if there are still Stuart claimants in the mix?
At the very least, what might become of the House of Stuart if it keeps trudging along in exile?
The trickier problem is how (if at all) can Jacobitism remain a relevant ideology to follow in England, Scotland, and Ireland? Believe me, I'm an ignorant Jacobite-o-boo to boot, but already going into the '45 there was many a problem in the ranks with what exactly the aims of Jacobitism were by the 18th Century. Most of the Scottish rank-and-file were Anti-Unionist Protestants, the Irish wanted their lands back and Catholic emancipation, and by 1745, most English Catholics had thrown in the towel for hopes of the restoration of a Catholic monarch, as seen by the limited welcome and support Charles received from them during his aborted march south.
Perhaps if their are legitimate Stuarts running around by the 1790s - 1800s, if Napoleon is not butterflied away he might see them as a potent weapon to use against the British? Perhaps the development of Irish nationalism can evolve more around installing a Catholic monarch over Ireland rather than the increasingly republican shift (imagine the Stuarts try round 5 in 1798)? Culturally, is there any way the Jacobite romantic revival in the 19th century can potentially spill over into something nasty, especially if there are still Stuart claimants in the mix?
At the very least, what might become of the House of Stuart if it keeps trudging along in exile?
