This is the second post discussing the enigma of the Duke of Sandringham being a Jacobite. Originally this post was part of a longer one. Somebody suggested to split the initial post into three parts.
Here is a link to the initial post.
The Duke of Sandringham – A Jacobite? Part 1
This is not my last update of Outlander. Here is the last update and it is about Geillis’ association with Reverend Campbell, the fiend.
Geillis Duncan and her Association with Reverend Campbell
This post will focus on Dougal MacKenzie, King Louise and the Comte of St. Germaine
The Issue of Dougal MacKenzie
But then, Dougal MacKenzie turned up in Paris, and I wondered whether in fact your husband was in fact working for the Stuarts. I became unsure where his interests lay.” (Gabaldon 828).
The reader is highly aware from the first book that Dougal is a fervent supporter of House Stuart. The Duke mentions this to Claire after he confessed that he sent some seamen to kill Jamie. This quote implies that the Duke could be a Jacobite.
Where does King Louise stand? / The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend
This particular topic is probably the hardest to discuss, and it is open to speculation. The text evidence is not very obvious. Here is what the Duke of Sandringham tells Claire:
“…there was your growing friendship with Louise of France. Even had your husband failed with the bankers, Louis could have supplied Charles Stuart with what he needed – provided you kept your pretty nose out of the affair.” (Gabaldon 828)
This statement demonstrates that Louise did not provide the Stuart cause with money. Herr Gerstmann probably provided Louise with the translation of the letter sent by the Duke. It could be that Louise may not have been supportive of the Jacobite cause since it seems that James III was not interested in pursuing the throne. Who are the bankers in question? They can only be Manzetti and Duverney. Am I missing anybody?
Jamie was right; while the letters from supporters spoke hopefully of the impending restoration. James’s letters to his son mentioned no such thing, but were all concerned with Charles’s making a good impression upon Louise. Even the loan from Manzetti of Salerno had been sought to enable Charles to live with the appearance of a gentleman in Paris; not to support any military end. (Gabaldon 266)
Later on, the reader discovers that Charles Stuart was trying to use this money for other purposes. There is the business partnership between the Comte of St. Germaine and Prince Charles:
“His Highness has secured a loan of fifteen thousand livres from an Italian bank, and has placed the entire sum at my disposal, to be used in commissioning a ship and purchasing the bottling of the Gostos vineyard. I have the signed letter right here.” (Gabaldon 331).
Did the Duke of Sandringham have a role in creating this enterprise? Possibly. According to him, Claire kept putting her pretty nose in Louise’s affairs. I guess this could be associated with the death of St. Germaine. This relationship between the Duke and St. Germaine is highly speculative since there is no much evidence for it. However, there is a certain link between them and it will be discussed in a subsequent post.
Master Raymond, Claire’s friend, is a major rival of St. Germaine in the occult arts. Jared, Jamie’s uncle, is also a rival of St. Germaine in the field of business. There is a saying that goes “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Master Raymond provided Claire with some critical information concerning Charles’ movements. For example, he mentions about the shipments of 2,000 broadswords to be purchased in Spain and sent through Holland to conceal Spain’s support to Prince Charles. Basically, an invasion was being planned.
Before dying, St. Germaine was accused by Claire of being a member of Les Disciples du Mal. It seems that Louise was not pleased with this group since they were disrupting order with their initiation rites in the streets of Paris. Therefore, Prince Charles’ association with St. Germaine does not look good in his eyes.
Furthermore, Jamie’s plan of smallpox simulation turned out to be successful. The ship containing the cargo destined to Prince Charles did not make it to Le Havre. The cargo was sold in Spain instead since the ship’s captain would not risk ship destruction. The money to buy the ship’s cargo was provided by Monsieur Duverney, a prominent banker, whom Jamie paid afterwards. The end result is that, Charles Stuart ended losing Manzetti’s money; the reader assumes that he is unable to support himself and unable to pay the loan back. As a result, he will not be able to embark into other business enterprises to raise money for a military expedition and no other European banker will be interested in supporting House Stuart.The third post will be about Black Jack, the royal pardon, and an analysis of the Duke’s real motives.
Excerpts from:
Gabaldon, Diana. Dragonfly in Amber. New York: Bantam Dell, 1993. Print.
7070 Total Views 1 Views Today