Stuart, James Francis Edward (1688-06-10 - 1766-01-01)

James Francis Edward Stuart (1688-1766), Prince of Wales and 'The Old Pretender', was the son of the deposed King James II (1633-1701). Born on 10 June 1688, James left England on 23 December 1688 and never returned. He was brought up at the chateau of St-Germain-en-Laye in France. He was declared King James III in England and VIII of Scotland upon the death of his father in 1701, and was recognised as the rightful monarch by France, Spain, and the Pope. In 1708, James made an unsuccessful attempt to invade Scotland and regain the throne. He refused to convert from Catholicism in order to claim the throne, and King George I succeeded to the throne on 1 August 1714. Jacobite supporters attempted an unsuccessful rebellion in 1715. In 1717, the Pope offered James refuge in Rome, where he remained for the rest of his life. He spent much of his last decade as a bedridden invalid, and died on 1 January 1766 at the Palazzo Muti, Rome. He was buried with royal honours in the basilica of St Peter.