In 1745, Charles Edward Stuart – better known today as Bonnie Prince Charlie – led a rebellion with the aim of restoring the Stuarts to the British throne. He and his supporters, the Jacobites, were defeated at the Battle of Culloden and this is usually the end of the Prince’s story. This novel by Marjorie Bowen, however, continues to follow Charles during his exile in France as he plans his next move and tries to gather support for another attempt.

I have read about the Jacobite risings several times before, but until now I knew very little about what happened to Charles in the years following Culloden. This was a great opportunity to learn more! I was struck by the contrast between the attitudes of Charles and his younger brother, Henry of York; while Charles is determined not to give up on the hope of French support and remain in Paris until the time is right for another rebellion, Henry does not share his brother’s passion, preferring to join their father in Rome and pursue a career in the church.

We know from history that the Jacobites did not succeed and that Charles was fated to remain ‘Mr Misfortunate’, but I still found this an interesting read. Originally published in 1919, the writing style does feel very dated today, but it’s perfectly readable and I did enjoy it.