Royal Stuart Society

Founded in 1926, the Royal Stuart Society is the senior monarchist organisation, and the foremost Jacobite and Legitimist body, in Great Britain. It acknowledges Franz, Duke of Bavaria as head of the Royal House, whilst refraining from making any claim on his behalf that he does not make himself.

After the First World War, the Jacobite movement was in disarray. The Royal Stuart Society was established by Captain Henry Stuart Wheatly-Crowe, who served as its first Governor-General, and representatives of the Royalist Association and other defunct or moribund Jacobite bodies. It thus considered itself a successor to such bodies as the Legitimist Jacobite League of Great Britain and Ireland, the Order of the White Rose and the Thames Valley Legitimist Club. Amongst its other founders were Lionel Erskine-Young, 28th Earl of Mar (1891-1965) and Reginald Lindesay-Bethune, 12th Earl of Lindsay (1867-1939). [Robert FJ Parsons, The Role of Jacobitism in the Modern World (Royal Stuart Society, Huntingdon, 1986)]

The current objectives of the Royal Stuart Society are: (1) to be open to all who have an interest in the members of the Royal House of Stuart, their descendents and supporters; (2) to promote research in and further knowledge of Stuart history; (3) to uphold rightful Monarchy and oppose republicanism; and (4) to arrange such commemorations, lectures and other activities as shall advance these objects. It describes itself on its website as being “monarchist and traditionalist”. [http://www.royalstuartsociety.com/ The Royal Stuart Society] (official web site)]

The current Governor-General is His Grace the Duke of St Albans, and the Chairman is Lord Aylmer.

The Society organizes commemorations in Whitehall, Windsor and Westminster Abbey. Its lectures usually take place at the parish hall of the Jesuit church at Farm Street in London’s Mayfair. It issues popular and scholarly publications, edited by the historian Dr Eveline Cruickshanks, a former Fellow of the University of London's Institute of Historical Research. Its series of publications called "Royal Stuart Papers" numbers over sixty and includes papers by distinguished academics such as Roy Porter, Richard Sharp, Murray Pittock, Lady Antonia Fraser and Ronald Hutton.

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