Sir, Your assessment of an alternative genealogy for the Royal Family (report, February 14) after the exile of King James II is not the one generally accepted by those interested in the House of Stuart. The direct line of Stuart inheritance ended with the death of Henry (IX), Cardinal York, the brother of Bonnie Prince Charlie.

After that the best line of Protestant descent is from Charles I’s daughter, Henrietta Anne. The entitlement to the throne later passed by marriage to the House of Modena-Este and later to the Bavarian House of Wittelsbach. The current head of that House is Duke Franz.

Yours sincerely,
STEVE LORD
(Author, Walking with Charlie, Pookus Publications, 2003),
2 Mill Street, Eynsham,
Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 4JS.
February 14.

From Mr Ted Morris

Sir, Your claim that the Act of Settlement enshrined the principle of male primogeniture is slightly misleading. Whilst it may have included it in statute for the first time, the principle was an established part of the English constitution. A number of kings succeeded, without a murmur of disagreement, to the throne despite the existence of older sisters, including both Henry VIII and Edward VI.

Most ironically for the purposes of your article, without male primogeniture Charles I would not have succeeded to the throne, which would have passed to his elder sister Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia.

Your own offering of Uberto, a descendant of Charles I, would have found himself in a cadet branch.

Yours faithfully,
TED MORRIS,
5 Salmon Lane,
Limehouse, E14 7NA.
tedmorris@madasafish.com
February 17.

Explore Letters

• Feedback