A study of the exiled Stuart court and its world at Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye. Une étude de la cour Stuart en exil à Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye.
Jacques II Stuart: sa famille à Saint Germain en Laye
The book resonates as a study (in French) of exile and identity. It shows how displaced communities construct meaning, sustain rituals, and cling to legitimacy even when power is lost.
The Jacobites at Saint‑Germain en Laye embody themes familiar in American history: migration, adaptation, and the tension between memory and assimilation. The study by J. Dulon, published in 1897, is steeped in French detail, but its broader lesson is universal, how people preserve dignity in defeat. This is a precis of the book and bringing the contents to an English speaking audience.
The study by J. Dulon, explores the fate of James II of England , who was also James VII of Scotland, and his family after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Driven from the throne by William of Orange, James and his court settled at Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye, a royal residence near Paris. Dulon’s work is not merely a chronicle of political defeat; it’s a portrait of a displaced dynasty and the Jacobite movement that grew around it, set against the backdrop of late seventeenth‑ and eighteenth‑century France.
James II and VII‘s (double regnal numbers) exile and that of his wife, Mary of Modena, is presented as both tragic and ceremonial. The French crown, under Louis XIV, offered hospitality and protection, granting the Stuarts residence at Saint‑Germain. The château became a surrogate court, complete with rituals, titles, and the outward trappings of monarchy. The splendour masked fragility. James was dependent on French patronage, and his hopes of regaining the throne rested on the shifting fortunes of European diplomacy and war. Dulon emphasises the paradox: a king treated with dignity abroad, but stripped of power at home.
The Stuart family features prominently. Queen Mary of Modena [1] emerges as a central figure, maintaining dignity and piety in exile. Her role was not only maternal but political, sustaining the legitimacy of her son, James Francis Edward Stuart, the “Old Pretender.” Dulon describes Mary of Modena as a woman of resilience, who preserved the aura of monarchy even in diminished circumstances. The children of James II, particularly the Old Pretender, symbolised continuity. Their upbringing at Saint‑Germain was steeped in Catholic devotion and dynastic expectation, preparing them for a future that never materialised.
The Jacobites themselves were a diverse community. Nobles, soldiers, priests, and exiles gathered around the Stuart court, forming a society that was both nostalgic and pragmatic. Dulon details their ceremonies, marriages, and intrigues, painting a picture of a transplanted aristocracy clinging to identity. For many, loyalty to James II and VII‘s was not only political but spiritual, bound up with Catholic faith and the idea of divine right monarchy. The Jacobite diaspora also faced poverty, dependence, and gradual assimilation into French society. Their children often married into local families, blurring the line between exile and settlement.
Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye itself becomes a character in the narrative. Dulon describes the château and its environs as a stage where displaced royalty enacted their roles. The town absorbed the presence of the exiles, with chapels, schools, and charitable institutions reflecting Stuart influence. The court’s rituals , masses, processions, and commemorations, gave rhythm to exile life. This setting evokes the image of a transplanted monarchy, a community living in splendour yet shadowed by loss.
The politics of exile are central. Dulon recounts the failed invasions and plots that punctuated Jacobite history: the hopes pinned on French military support, the disappointments of treaties, and the dashed dreams of restoration. The Old Pretender’s later ventures, including the 1715 rising, are foreshadowed in the atmosphere of Saint‑Germain. The book underscores how exile bred both determination and delusion. The Jacobites lived in expectation, sustained by ritual and memory, yet their cause steadily eroded.
Cultural and religious dimensions receive attention. The Stuarts were devout Catholics, and their exile reinforced confessional identity. Dulon highlights the role of chaplains, Jesuits, and devotional practices in sustaining morale. For the exiles, faith was both consolation and political statement. The book also touches on cultural exchanges: the blending of English and French customs, the education of children, and the preservation of Stuart traditions in a foreign land.
The decline of the court is fully described. As decades passed, the splendour of Saint‑Germain faded. James II and VII died in 1701, mourned with royal ceremony but buried as a king without a kingdom. Mary of Modena endured widowhood with dignity, but the community around her thinned. The Old Pretender departed to pursue his own claims, leaving Saint‑Germain a relic of past hopes. Dulon portrays the gradual dispersal of the Jacobites, their assimilation into French society, and the fading of a once‑vibrant court.
In summary, Jacques II Stuart: sa famille et les Jacobites à Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye is both a historical record and a meditation on loyalty. It captures the paradox of a royal court in exile: outwardly splendid, inwardly fragile; sustained by faith, yet undermined by politics. It offers insight into the human dimensions of dynastic struggle, showing how communities endure displacement while dreaming of return. Dulon’s narrative reminds us that exile is not merely absence, but a lived condition, rich in ritual, memory, and longing.
My thanks to the Bibliothèque nationale de France for access to the Gallica digital library. This work draws on materials made available through Gallica, and I gratefully acknowledge their commitment to preserving and sharing cultural heritage.
Source: Archive.org edition of Jacques II Stuart: sa famille et les Jacobites à Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye (1897)