The Queen in the Highlands
Sir: It was more than a little odd to read in your issue of 7 March Sir Denis Brogan in- dicating that it was not clear for Jacobites in the reign of Queen Victoria 'who the ap- propriate occupants of the throne were. Were they the Wittelsbachs or the Savoyards?' For those who retained regard for the head of the House of Stuart there was no such confusion, and a quick reference to Sir Charles Petrie's admirable history The Jacobite Movement would have cleared Professor Brogan's mind.
There was never any conflict between Wit- telsbachs and Savoyards. The former were eventual heirs of the latter. The last Savoyard head of the House of Stuart, the daughter of King Victor, died three years after Queen Victoria's accession and her suc- cessor was his son, Francis v of Modena who apparently on a visit to England received the Garter from his Hanoverian cousin. When he died in 1875 his successor was his niece Mary, wife of the future Ludwig 111 of Bavaria. Strictly the Wit- telsbachs only succeeded on her death in 1919.
It should be noted that since 1807 no head of the House of Stuart, while clearly aware of his or her position, has laid claim to the throne, though some embarrassment was caused to the future Queen of Bavaria by her reception on a visit to this country.
It is likely that Queen Victoria was far more aware of the identity of the head of the House than Professor Brogan. The same may presumably be said for the present Queen, who was entertained by the Duke of Bavaria when on her state visit to Germany and who was represented at the Requiem in London last year for the Duchess of Bavaria.
R. F. I. Parsons Chairman of the Council, The Royal Stuart Society, Levington, London Road, Cam- berley Sir: Sir Denis Brogan's story (7 March) about Russell and Queen Victoria is not altogether accurate. It was Macaulay, not Russell. He was paying a compliment, not administering a rebuke. And the Queen had been expressing Williamite, not Jacob- ite, sentiments.
Macaulay was also the author of the quotation attributed to Dr Johnson by Bill Grundy.
D. Watkins Gaycroft, Laleston, Bridgend, Glamorgan
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