History of the Stewarts | Family Lines
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CHARLES II Stuart
King of Scotland and England

(20) KING CHARLES II. was born 1630, but after his father´s death the country was ruled by Oliver Cromwell. He was crowned King of Scots in 1651, but was not crowned King of England till 1660. In 1662 he married Catherine, daughter of King John IV. of Portugal, but died without legitimate issue in 1685.
Arms: of King Charres II. when he recorded in the Lyon Office, in 1672, his achievement as King of Great Britain, France and Ireland.-1 and 4. Scotland. 2. Quarterly; France and England. 3. Ireland. The shield encircled with the Orders of St. Andrew and The Garter. CREST: A red lion sejant affronte; crowned gold, holding aloft in the right paw a naked sword proper, and in the left a sceptre proper. SUPPORTERS: Dexter, A silver unicorn, horned, maned and hoofed gold, crowned with an imperial and gorged with an open crown of fleurs-de-lis and crosses patty, gold, to the last a gold chain is affized passing betwixt the fore legs and reflexed over the back. He holds aloft a blue banner charged with a silver saltire; Sinister, A lion guardant crowned gold. He holds aloft a white banner charged with a red cross. MOTTOES: Above the Crest "In_defence," and below the shield "Dieu_et_mon_droit" (Stodart).
King Charles II. had many illegitimate children
(a) James Crofts, afterwards Scott, son of King Charles II. by Lucy Walters, was born 1649. In 1663 he was created DUKE OF MONMOUTH, Earl of Doncaster, Baron Scott of Tindall (Tynedale), and two months later he married Anne, Countess of Buccleuch. The two were then created DUKE AND DUCHESS OF BUCCLEUCH, Earl and Countess of Dalkeith, Lord and Lady Scott of Whitchester and Eskdale. The Duke defeated the Covenanters at Bothwell Bridge in 1679, but in the same year he was ordered to leave the country. He returned in 1685, shortly after his father´s death, and assumed the title of King. He was defeated at Sedgemoor on 5th July, captured three days later, and was beheaded 15th July 1685 in London. His own honours were forfeited, but the other honours have continued to his descendant, the present Duke of Buccleuch. The Earldom of Doncaster and Barony of Scott of Tindall were restored to the family in 1743, but not the Duchy of Monmouth.
Arms.-
(1) First Arms, I and 4. Ermine, on a red pile three gold lions passant guardant. 2 and 3. Gold, a blue shield charged with three gold fleurs-de-lis, this shield within a red double tressure fiory-counter-fiory (Woodward).
(2) On his Seals, 1669 and 1673.-I and 4. Scotland~ 2. France and England, quarterly. 3. Ireland. The whole surmounted by a ribbon, sinister. En surtou4 On a bend a star followed by two crescents for Scott. CREST: A lion statant guardant crowned. SUPPORTERS: A unicorn and stag, each gorged with a coronet and chained (Macdonald).
(3) The present Duke of Buccleuch bears the Arms of King Charles II. in Quarters I and 4, debruised by a silver baton sinister. 2. Gold, on a blue bend a mullet of six points between two crescents gold (Scott). 3. Quarterly; first and fourth, Silver, a red heart crowned gold, on a blue chief three silver stars (Douglas); third and fourth, Blue, a bend between six cross crosslets fitchy gold (Mar). This quarter within a gold bordure charged with a red double tressure flory-counter-flory. CREST: A stag trippant proper, horned and hoofed gold. SUPPORTERS: Two ladies richly attired in green habits, their under robes blue, the uppermost white, and upon their heads plumes of three white ostrich feathers. MOTTO: "Amo."
(b) Charles Fitz-Charles, son of King Charles II. by Catharine Peg, was born 1657. In 1675 he was created EARL OF PLYMOUTH, Viscount Totnes, Baron Dartmouth. He died without issue, i68o. Arms.~Arms of King Charles II., debruised by a baton sinister, vair (Woodward).
(c) Charles Fitz-Roy, son of King Charles II. and Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine, afterwards created Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Southampton Baroness Nonsuch. He was born 1662, and in 1675 was created DUKE OF SOUTHAMPTON, Earl of Chichester, Baron of Newbury. He died 1730, and was succeeded by his son
(i) William Fitz-Roy, DUKE OF CLEVELAND AND SOUTHAMPTON. He died without issue in 1774. Arms:-Arms of King Charles II., debruised by a baton sinister, ermine (Nisbet).
(d) Henry Fitz-Roy, second son of King Charles II. and the above Duchess of Cleveland. He was born 1663, and was in 1672 created Earl of Euston, Viscount Ipswich, Baron Sudbury, and in 1675 was created DUKE OF GRAFTON. "He_distinguished_himself_in_suppressing_the_rebellion_of_the_ Duke_of_Monmouth_(his_natural_brother,_No.20_a),_but_was_one_of_the_first_to_ desert_his_uncle,_King_James_II._JAMES_VII._and_II_,_ King_of_Scotland_and_England,_and_join_William_of_Orange" (G. E. C.). He died 1690. His descendant is the present Duke of Grafton. Arms:-Arms of King Charles II., debruised by a baton sinister company, silver and blue (Nisbit). The present Duke has for CREST: On a red chapeau, turned up ermine a gold lion statant guardant, crowned with a blue ducal coronet and gorged with a collar counter compony, silver and blue. SUPPORTERS: Dexter, A gold lion rampant guardant, crowned with a blue ducal coronet and gorged with a collar counter compony, silver and blue; Sinister, A silver greyhound gorged as the other. MOTTO: "Et_decus_etpretium_recti."
(e) George Fitz-Roy, third son of King Charles II. and the above Duchess of Cleveland, was born 1665. In 1674 he was created Earl of Northumberland, Viscount Falmouth, Baron Pontefract, and in 1683 DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND. He died without legitimate issue, 1716.
Arms:-Arms of King Charles II., debruised by a baton sinister compony, ermine and blue (Nisbet). Crest and Supporters as 20 d (Doyle).
(f) Charles Beauclerk, son of King Charles II. and Eleanor (Nell) Gwynne, was born 1670, and in 1676 was created Earl of Burford, Baron Hedington, and in 1684 DUKE OF ST. ALBANS. He died 1726. The present Duke of St. Albans is his descendant. Arms:-Arms of King Charles II., debruised by a red baton sinister, charged with three silver roses, barbed and seeded green (Woodward). The present Duke bears these Arms.-i and 4, quartered with 2 and 3. Quarterly; Red and gold, in the first quarter a silver mullet (De Vere). CREST: On a red chapeau turned up ermine, a gold lion statant guardant, crowned with a ducal coronet per pale, silver and red, gorged with a red collar, charged with three silver roses, barbed and seeded green. SUPPORTERS: Dexter, A silver antelope horned and hooftd gold; Sinister, A silver greyhound. Both SUPPORTERS gorged with a collar like the crest. MOTTO: "Auspicium_melioris_oevi"
(g) Charles Lennox, son of King Charles II. and Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, was born 1672, and in 1675 was created DUKE OF RICHMOND, Earl of March, Baron Settrington, and in the same year DUKE OF LENNOX, Earl of Damley, Lord Torboltoun (S.). He died 1723, and his descendant is the present Duke of Richmond, Lennox, and Gordon.
Arms:-Arms of King Charles II. within a bordure compony red and silver, the silver panes each charged with a red rose. Over all an escutcheon of Aubigny, red, three gold buckles (Woodward). [Plate I., fig. 9].
The present Duke bears these Arms.-1 and 4, quartered with 2 and 3. Quarterly; first, Blue, three gold boars´ heads couped (Gordon); second, Gold, three red lions´ heads erased (Badenoch); third, Gold, three crescents within a double tressure fiory-counter-fiory, red (Seton); fourth, Blue, three silver fraises (Fraser). CRESTS: 1. On a red chapeau, turned up ermine a gold lion statant guardant, crowned with a red ducal coronet, and gorged with a collar as the bordure round the Arms.. 2. Out of a gold ducal coronet a stag´s head and neck, affront~proper attired with ten gold tynes. SUPPORTERS: Dexter, A silver unicorn, horned, maned and hoofed gold; Sinister, A silver antelope, horned and hoofrd gold. Each Supporter gorged with a collar as the bordure round the Arms. MOTTOES: "En_la_rose_je_fleuris," and over the second Crest "Bydand"