Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay
Encyclopedia
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, PC (2 January 1779–6 November 1845), known as Sir Charles Stuart between 1812 and 1828, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat. He was twice Ambassador to France and also served as Ambassador to Russia between 1841 and 1844.
Background and education
Stuart was the son of Lieutenant-General the Honourable Sir Charles Crichton-StuartCharles Stuart (general)
Colonel Sir Charles Stuart, KB was a British nobleman and soldier. The fourth son of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute and Mary Wortley Montagu, he was born in Kenwood House, London....
, younger son of Prime Minister John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
. His mother was Louisa, daughter of Lord Vere Bertie, younger son of Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, 1st Marquess of Lindsey, PC was a British statesman and nobleman.Bertie was born to Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey and Elizabeth Wharton...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
.
Diplomatic career
Stuart joined the Diplomatic Service in 1801 and served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Portugal and BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
between 1810 and 1814. He was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(KB) in 1812 and sworn of the Privy Council in 1814. In 1815 he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) and appointed British Ambassador to France. He remained in Paris until 1824 and was also briefly Ambassador to Holland between February and May 1815. From 1825 to 1826 he was once more Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Portugal and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He was created Count of Machico in 1825 by John VI of Portugal
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
and Marquess of Angra in Brazil in 1826 by Maria II of Portugal, and was a Knight of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
. In 1825 the Portuguese King John VI named Stuart his plenipotentiary with powers to negotiate and sign with Brazil a Treaty on the recognition of that country's independence. Invested with those powers, Stuart signed the treaty recognizing Brazilian independence on 29 August 1825, and on 15 November of the same year the Portuguese King ratified the treaty. In January 1828 he was once again appointed Ambassador to France and was raised to the peerage Baron Stuart de Rothesay, of the Isle of Bute, at the same time. He continued as Ambassador to France until 1831. In 1841 he was made Ambassador to Russia, a post he held until 1844.
Family
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke KG, PC, FRS , known as Philip Yorke until 1790, was a British politician.-Background and education:...
, on 6 February 1816. They had two daughters:
- Hon. Charlotte StuartCharlotte Canning, Countess CanningCharlotte Canning , one of the most prolific women artists in India, was the wife of Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning. Two portfolios in the V&A, contain some three hundred and fifty watercolours, the result of four major tours in India...
(1817–1861), wife of Charles Canning, 1st Earl CanningCharles Canning, 1st Earl CanningCharles John Canning, 1st Earl Canning KG, GCB, PC , known as The Viscount Canning from 1837 to 1859, was an English statesman and Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.-Background and education:...
. - Hon. Louisa Anne StuartLouisa Beresford, Marchioness of WaterfordLouisa Anne Beresford, Marchioness of Waterford was a Pre-Raphaelite watercolourist and philanthropist. She was the wife of Henry Beresford, 3rd Marquess of Waterford, younger sister of Charlotte, Countess Canning, daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay and the former Lady...
(1818–1891), wife of Henry Beresford, 3rd Marquess of Waterford.
Between 1831 and 1835 Lord Stuart de Rothesay constructed Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle, situated on the cliffs at Highcliffe, Dorset, was built between 1831 and 1835 by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in a Gothic Revival style on the site of High Cliff house, a Georgian Mansion designed for the 3rd Earl of Bute with the gardens laid out by Capability...
at Highcliffe
Highcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea is a small town in the borough of Christchurch, Dorset in southern England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. The estate had previously been sold by his father. Lord Stuart de Rothesay died in November 1845, aged 66, when the barony became extinct. Lady Stuart de Rothesay remained a widow until her death in June 1867.