Frances Theresa Stuart (1647 - 1702)

Born 8 Jul 1647 in Paris, Île-de-France, France

Ancestors

Wife of Charles Stewart KG — married Apr 1667 (to 1672) in London, England

Died 15 Oct 1702 at age 55 in London, England

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Biography

Frances Stuart is Notable.

Born in Paris on 8 July 1647 Frances Theresa Stewart was daughter of Walter Stewart, physician at the exiled court of Queen Henrietta Maria of England and of his wife, whose name is not known. In 1663, after the restoration she was sent to the English court as a maid of honour and became a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Catherine of Braganza. Frances was childish and silly but reckoned the great beauty of the age. Charles II fell in love with her but she steadfastly refused to become his mistress. Gossips said that the King would divorce his childless Queen and marry her. It seems that behaviour at court had reached a very low level. Samuel Pepys recounts that there was even a committee for getting her for the King but that she was advised by the Queen Mother and her own mother and was able to resist. ^[1]

When the second Dutch war ended in 1667 Charles had a commemorative medal struck with Frances' image used for Britannia. The image of Britannia appeared variously on penny and halfpenny coins until the decimalisation of the currency in 1971.

Early in 1667 she became betrothed to twice widowed Charles Stuart, Duke of Richmond, son of George Stuart and his wife, Katherine Howard. ^[2] Gossip said that the King was not pleased and they were forced to elope. ^[3]Frances caught small pox in 1668 and was badly marked. ^[4][5] Her husband died in Denmark in 1672 while serving as ambassador. ^[6]

Frances remained at court even after the death of the King and was present when Mary of Modena, Queen of James II gave birth to a son in 1688. Frances was one of those who signed the certificate.

Frances "La Belle Stewart" died childless on 15 October 1702 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. ^[7][8]

Sources

1. ↑ Diary 6 November 1663. "...Sir H Bennet, the Duke of Buckingham and his Duchesse, was of a committee with somebody else for getting of Mrs Stewart for the King; but that she proves a cunning slut, and is advised from Somerset House by the Queene-Mother, and by her mother, and so all the plot is spoiled and the whole committee broke."
2. ↑ Diary of Samuel Pepys 20 March 1667 "I hear that the Duke of Richmond and Mrs Stewart were betrothed last night"
3. ↑ Samuel Pepys Diary 3rd April 1667 "I hear how the King is not so well pleased of this marriage between the Duke of Richmond and Mrs Stewart, as is talked; and that he (the Duke) by a while did fetch her to the Beare, at the Bridge-foot, where a coach was ready, and they are stole away into Kent."
4. ↑ Samuel Pepys diary 26 March 1668 "My Lord Brouncker sent to Somerset House to see how the Duchess of Richmond do; and word was brought him that she was pretty well, but mighty full of the smallpox, by which we all conclude that she will be wholly spoiled."
5. ↑ Samuel Pepys Diary 30 August 1668 "did see my Lady Richmond, who is of a noble person as ever I saw, but her face worse than it was considerably by the smallpox"
6. ↑ Wikipedia: Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond
7. ↑ The Peerage.com: Frances Theresa Stuart Cites: G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume II, page 183
8. ↑ FindAGrave #20937

• Wikipedia: Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond

• Wikidata: Item Q271155