Henry Benedict Stuart was an Italian-born English nobleman, commonly known as Cardinal Duke of York. He was born on March 6, 1725, in Rome, Italy, and belonged to the Stuart dynasty, a royal lineage that ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland from the 16th to the 18th century. He held a prominent status within the Roman Catholic Church and played a significant role in the political and religious context of his time.
Henry Benedict Stuart is primarily remembered for being the last member of the Stuart dynasty to have a claim to the British crown. As the younger brother of Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, he became the Jacobite pretender to the British throne after his brother's death in 1788. However, due to his vocation as a cardinal, he renounced his succession rights and focused on his religious duties rather than pursuing political ambitions.
Throughout his life, Stuart held important ecclesiastical positions, including being appointed a cardinal in 1747 by Pope Benedict XIV. He served as the cardinal-bishop of Frascati and bishop of Ostia and Velletri. Despite his position within the Church, he maintained strong ties to his Scottish and English heritage.
Henry Benedict Stuart passed away on July 13, 1807, in Rome, Italy. Although he never assumed his rightful place as king, his life and lineage as a Stuart prince left a lasting impact on history, particularly in relation to the Jacobite cause and the wider Catholic Church.
