Bonnie Prince Charlie, or Charles Edward Louis Philip Casimir Stuart, was the son of the executed English King, James Stuart. Charlie was brought up a Roman Catholic and was taught to believe that the Stuarts were the true ruling family of England and Scotland. From his birth the Prince was at the center of the Jacobite revolt and he was trained in the military arts so that he would be able to lead his own army to war and reclaim his rightful kingdom.

The French agreed to ‘lend’ Charlie their army but when he arrived in France they withdrew their offer, too afraid of England’s power. Nevertheless, Charlie went ahead with his plan to over take Scotland and in the 1745 he landed there with less than a dozen supporters. It was his plan to rally together the Scottish clans, his plan worked as many people believe him to have the divine right of Kings, a power that was invested in him by the God. After defeating the King’s army Bonnie Prince Charlie’s supporters numbered over 6000.

Unfortunately at The Battle of Culloden on the 16th April 1746 the Jacobite army was defeated by William Aufustus, the Duke of Cumberland. Thousands of Jacobites were killed but the Prince managed to escape with a bounty of £30,000 or $1 million on his head. After the battle Charlie fled to the Island of Benbecula, where Flora MacDonald lived.

Flora MacDonald was born in the village of Miltion in the Western Isle in 1722 but soon moved to Skye after her father’s death (Ranald MacDonald of Miltonas) when her mother was re-married to Hugh MacDonald. In 1746 O’Neil, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s servant and faithful follower, approached Flora asking her to help smuggle the Prince off the island to France before being discovered by General Campbell. Flora was reluctant at first for she was not a Jacobite follower but her fiancé Allan MacDonald and O’Neil persuaded her to help Bonnie Prince Charlie escape.


Flora gave her own account of what happened: “After Miss MacDonald (with some difficulty) agreed to undertake the dangerous enterprise, she set out for Clanranald’s house, Saturday, June 21st and at one of the fords was taken prisoner by a party of militia, she not having a passport. She demanded to whom they belonged? And finding by the answer that her stepfather was then commander, she refused to give any answer till she should see their captain. So she and her servant, (Neil MacKechan), and another woman, Bettie Burk, a good spinster, and whom he recommended as such in a letter to his wife at Armadale in Sky, as she had much lint to spin. If her stepfather (Hugh MacDonald of Armadale) had not granted Miss a passport she could not have undertook her journey and voyage. Armadale set his stepdaughter at liberty, who immediately made the best of her way to Clanranald’s house and acquainted the Lady Clanranald with the scheme, who supplied the Prince with apparel sufficient for his disguise, viz. a flower’d gown, a white apron, ect., and sent some provisions along with him.”

The plan was to snuggle the Prince off the island disguised as Betty, Flora’s maid lest the servants should be making their observations. They were to cross approximately 45 miles of ocean in a rowing boat until reaching Rudha Phrionnsa, or Prince Charlie’s Point.

They left on the 27 June and for several days sailed in stormy conditions until they reached their destination were they hid for the night in a cottage on far form the water. In the morning they travelled over land to Portree were there was ship was waiting to take the Prince back to France.

It is said that the during the journey the Prince sung Flora many songs including ‘The King shall enjoy his own again’

“…for who better may
Our high sceptre sway.
Than he whose tight it is to reign:
Then look for no peace,
The wars will never cease”
Till the king shall enjoy his own again.

They parted at Portree and Flora returned home. As they were leaving the Prince gave Flora a locket with his portrait in it saying I hope, madam, that we may meet in St James’s yet. Despite this, she never saw Charlie again.

On her way home she was held prisoner in Dunstaffnage Castle, and then for a short time in the Tower of London as a traitor but was released shortly after under the Act of Indemnity of 1747.

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In 1750 Flora married Allan MacDonald when she returned to Skye and 24 years later they emigrated to North Carolina. Allan or Flora’s husband fought in the American War of Independence with the Hanoverians but they were forced to leave when Allan was captured. Flora returned home to her family and was soon followed by Allan. She died on the 4 March 1790 at the age of 68 and it is said that she died in the same bed that Bonnie Prince Charlie had slept in when staying at their house and was buried in the sheets used by the Prince.

About the Author
Charlotte Gardner, a guest blog writer, is currently studying archaeology at the Australian National University. In her spare time she likes to read and write about eccentric historical moments. Her love of old buildings and older stories was sparked when she visited Italy. One of Charlotte’s greatest wishes is that in a few thousand years her skeleton will be dug up by an archaeological investigation team and put on display in a national museum. You may contact Charlotte via email at: charlotteg86@gmail.com.

Tags: 1722, 1745, 1746, Black Steel Hoop Oak Barrel - 10 Liter, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Bonnie Prince Charlie's escape, Brass Basket Hilt Claymore, Charles Edward Louis Philip Casimir Stuart, Double Edged Culloden Claymore Sword, Duke of Cumberland, Flora MacDonald, General Campbell, History Store, Island of Benbecula, Jacobite Army, Jacobite revolt, King James, Ranald MacDonald of Miltonas, Scottish Clans, The Battle of Culloden, the Stuarts, Two Handed Scottish Claymore Sword, Western Isle, William Aufustus