Let us begin with a simple question: how Scottish were the Stuarts after James VI and I? The answer, if you’re hoping for bagpipes and bannocks, is, alas, not very.

Let us begin with a polite cough and a raised eyebrow. The notion that the descendants of Princess Henrietta-Anne Henrietta of the House of Stuart, (1644-1670),

I didn’t expect to feel anything when I first read about Charles I (1600-1649). He was just another monarch in the long, tangled line of history.

Where to begin, really? Monarchy is dusty, bright, and loud all at once. History is all about signals, names, titles, symbols, that make sense only if you know what came before.

The world of two kings, one who abdicated from his throne and a cousin who was the King in exile.