Tuesday, December 23, 2014

The Girl Who Saved a Prince: Part 1


Flora MacDonald
            I am very excited to share Flora MacDonald’s life with you. She would make the ultimate kick-butt disney princess! I read about her in a book called The Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth Ellet. Miss Ellet is an interesting character herself, because she was involved in a public scandal with Edgar Allen Poe! I may even devote an entire blog post to her and this book in the future. In order to do Flora’s story justice, I’ve had to break it up into parts. I would rather keep my posts short for the reader’s sake, but I think you’ll appreciate this story regardless. Finally, Flora has become something of a legend in Scotland. After examining several sources, I have found that some details vary depending on the source. So I could only do my best to piece together a clear and accurate version of her story. I think that maybe some details have been embellished, but nevertheless, the concrete facts of her life are amazing.

            In order to understand the events that shaped Flora’s life, you’ll have to have a grasp of some very complicated politics. Bear with me! It all started with King James VII of England. This was a time when much of Europe was transitioning from Catholic to Protestant. It caused huge (and violent) divisions in countries like France, England and Ireland. In 1688 King James VII lost his throne because of his Catholicism and retreated to Catholic France for protection. James had catholic supporters back in the British Isles called the Jacobites (Jacobus is Latin for James), namely in Scotland and Ireland.
            James had a daughter named Mary and she married a Dutch man known as William of Orange. William of Orange was an ambitious protestant and he was vying for the English crown. The British parliament actually supported him because of his Protestantism and because his wife was so closely tied to the British throne. This lead to the Catholic Jacobite Uprisings in Scotland and Ireland and William set out to squash them. At the same time King James went over to Ireland to gain some territory (I actually have an ancestor who fought successfully against his army in the Siege of Derry). Shortly after, William defeated his father in law in the Battle of the Boyne. James retreated to France, and that was the end of it for a while.
            Now we focus on Scotland. The Jacobites continued to rebel for many years and the Scottish Highlands were divided between those who were loyal to the British and those who were loyal to their exiled King. William and Mary never had any heirs, so now the Jacobites were looking to Mary’s Catholic brother, James Frances Stuart, to lead them in another uprising. He made a very poor attempt in 1715 but he didn’t have money or an army, so he returned to France in shame. Then he married a rich Polish princess and settled in Rome, where they had their son, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart, aka Bonnie Prince Charlie
            Prince Charlie decided to take up the family cause in 1744. His bid was fairly week, just as his father’s had been. He landed in Scotland expecting widespread support and a speedy start to the uprising. Despite some initial setbacks, he did eventually convince several clans to join him and together they assembled an army. A whole bunch of things happened next but I need to get to the point. The uprising ended with the Battle of Culloden, where he and his army of highlanders were brutally defeated. This changed Scotland forever. It marked the end of the clan system and the British outlawed all expression of Scottish culture as a way to control the Scottish people. 2,000 Highlanders died in battle. Hundreds across Scotland were executed, sold into slavery in America, or died in the harsh conditions of prison ships bound for London.
            Surprisingly, Prince Charlie survived and escaped the battle. Two months later he turned up on the Island of South Uist of the Outer Hebrides. This is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. South Uist, and several other neighboring islands were home to the MacDonald clan. At this time Flora MacDonald was 24 and had just completed her education in Edinburgh. She was a native of South Uist, and was the daughter of a Laird (which is the Scottish term for a lord). He had died when she was a child and her mother remarried a man who was an army captain. He was in charge of a company of soldiers who supported the British and were, in fact, on the lookout for Prince Charlie. One source I have, says that Flora’s family was secretly Jacobite. In any case, the clan seems to have been divided in their leanings and I don't think anyone would dare to be openly Jacobite after the battle of Culloden. 
            Charlie traveled to a castle called Ormaclet,
Ormaclet is in ruins today
the home of a MacDonald Laird (it’s a bit confusing, but most people in this area had the same last name because they were all a part of the same clan, even though many of them were only very distantly related). Now, Laird and Lady MacDonald had to act fast to get rid of Charlie because he was being pursued and they risked their lives by sheltering him. It was Lady MacDonald who came up with the best plan. They would disguise Prince Charlie as a woman, specifically a lady’s maid, to smuggle him away. They just had to find a noble woman brave enough to take him on. The first two ladies they approached turned them down. But with Flora’s convenient arrival, they asked her and she accepted. I can’t blame the first two ladies who turned them down. Being caught with the prince would mean punishment by death. Perhaps Flora realized that if she didn’t help him, he would likely be found out and executed, along with Laird and Lady MacDonald. My sources say that she was an altruistic person, concerned only for the safety of another, rather than what the prince represented in terms of politics.
            Flora obtained special travel documentation from her stepfather for herself, two men for protection, and an Irish lady’s maid with the name of Betsey Burke. They then dressed up Prince Charlie as one very ugly, bearded woman. I don’t know how on earth they got him to pass for a woman. He could have at least shaved his beard! But I digress.
            They then set out in a boat for the Isle of Skye, east of Uist, that evening. All night they suffered as they were tossed about in storm. Charlie tried to calm his companions by singing highlander songs, which he had learned during the uprising (A handsome prince, singing gallantly in the face of danger-- I'm telling you, this needs to be a Disney movie!). In the morning they spotted land and approached it. But as they drew near, they saw a band of soldiers on the beach. Immediately, Flora and her companions turned around, which caused the soldiers to start firing at them. Somehow, though, no one was hurt. Several hours later, they safely reached the Isle of Skye and landed near the residence of the Sir Alexander MacDonald, Laird of Sleite.

The home of Sir Alexander MacDonald in the distance
            Flora hid “Betsey Burke” in a cave and then made her way up to the castle. Sir Alexander was not at home but his wife was there entertaining a large company of guests—soldiers searching for Prince Charlie! In fact, Sir Alexander was well known to be loyal to the British. Flora was taking a huge risk. But Lady MacDonald was, in fact, eager to assist Flora. She enlisted the help of her husband’s Bailie(this is a type of civic officer like a magistrate), who was the Laird of Kingsburg. This Laird decided to take them to his family home. You may have noticed by now just how complicated people’s loyalties were. There were many secret Jacobites behind enemy lines. Flora must have known in advance whom she could trust, otherwise I imagine this task would have been impossible.
            So this Laird, who isn’t named in my sources, accompanied them by land to his home. This was on a Sunday and while they made there way to safety, many townspeople were just returning from church. It is said that Flora’s terrifyingly ugly maid, who was tall and had an awkward gate, drew a lot of attention. And when they reached the Laird’s home, his wife was very visibly frightened by him. I can only imagine how hilarious this scene must have been!
            They stayed the night there in Kingsburg, which was on the western edge of the Island and the next day the group made their way to a town on the eastern edge called Portree. Here, someone else would take charge of the Prince and accompany him to another Island. He would eventually make a successful escape to France. On saying goodbye, Prince Charlie thanked Flora, told her that he hoped they would meet again...then he kissed her! My sources don’t specify if this was on the cheek or the lips so use your imagination ;) 

Flora returned home after the escapade, but her adventure was far from over.

***While you're waiting for part 2, you should check out this article from hellogiggles.com about some other real life ladies who could be disney princesses!

**Link to Part 2**

Sources:
The Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth Ellet


http://www.rampantscotland.com/famous/blfamcharlie3.htm


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