Bonnie Prince Charlie and the `45

Bonnie Prince Charlie is one of the best-known historical Scottish heroes. He was not, however, Scottish, but was born into the Stuart Dynasty in Rome, Italy on December 31, 1720. His grandfather, James II of England had ruled that country from 1685-1689 at which time he was deposed by the Dutch protestant, William III of Orange. James II had aimed to bring England back into the Catholic fold and in the process had irritated and alarmed the powerful statesmen of the day. Since the exile of James II the so-called 'Jacobite Cause' had striven to return the Stuarts to the English and Scottish thrones. Bonnie Prince Charlie was to play a major part in this ultimate goal.