"PRINCE MICHAEL OF ALBANY"

This pretended heir of the male line of the Royal House of Stuart like some other pseudo-princes, has based himself in Belgium, a country which also has an over abundance of self-styled "Orders". The Royal House of Stuart became extinct in the male line with the death of Henry (IX) Stuart, Duke of York, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and Bishop of Frascati, in 1807. He had succeeded his elder brother, Charles (III) Stuart, sometimes known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie", in 1788, on the latter's death without legitimate issue (he left one illegitimate daughter, Clementina, who also died without issue). Both were the sons of James (III), Prince of Wales, only son of James II, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, (illegally) deposed as King of England and Scotland on 10 Dec 1688, and as King of Ireland six months later, who died in exile in 1701. With the death of Cardinal Henry of York, representation of the House of Stuart passed to Charles Emmanuel of Savoy, King of Sardinia. The latter's present heir is Franz, Duke of Bavaria.

"Prince" Michael's claim (my thanks to James Dempster)

"In November 1785, at Santi Apostoli in Rome, Prince Charles Edward Stuart married Marguerite O’Dea d’Audibert de Lussan, Comtesse de Massillan (1749-1820). This union produced a son, Prince Edward James Stuart, Count Stuarton, Count of Albany (1786-1845)

In 1809 "Count Stuarton" married Maria Emmanuella Pasquini (1789-1854), the daughter of Eduordo Guiseppe Pasquini and Leonora, Comtessa di Vaglio, producing a son and heir Henry Edward Benedict Stuart (1809-1869)

In 1829 "Prince Henry" married Agnes Beatriz de Pescara (1810-1878), the daughter of Conte Anselmo Bernardo de Pescara and Aliena Garbielle Barberini-Colonna, Principessa de Palestrina, producing a son, Prince Charles Benedict James Stuart (1829-1887).

"Prince Charles", who was apparently murdered by Hanovarian agents in 1887 was married in 1864 to Louise Jeanne Francoise Dalvray (1839-1908), daughter of Jean Francois Louis Dalvray and Jeanne Amelie de Valois. This marriage produced Prince Julius Anthony Henry Stuart (1874-1941) who changed the name back to Stewart in 1892 and very graciously renounced his claim to the English throne in 1913.

"Prince Julius" was married in 1898 to Marie Joanna Vandenbosch (1873-1942), daughter of Claude Philippe Vandenbosch de Monpertigen and Jeanne Philippe, Comtesse de Lannoy. This marriage produced two sons, Prince Anthony James Stewart (1900-1963 dsp) and Julius Joseph James Stewart of Annandale (1906-1985)

"Julius Stewart of Annandale" married - at some time unspecified - Germaine Elize Segers de la Tour d’Auvergne, Princess de Sedan (1908-1992), with issue in 1934 of Renee Julienne Stewart, Princess Royal of Strathearn and Lady Derneley (b 1934).

"Lady Derneley" married Baron Gustave Lafosse de Chatry, Comte de Blois (b 1935) producing as issue Prince Michael James Alexander Stewart (b 1958) who has apparently been de jure King Alexander IV since 1963.

Fascinatingly, Prince Michael brings together four lines of descent from Prince Charles Edward Stuart. His grandmother, the Princess de Sedan, descends from the marriage of Aglae Clementine, daughter of the Duchess of Albany by Ferdinand de Rohan-Guenene (sic, actually Guemenée), whilst his father the Count of Blois has two descents from the other Rohan-Albany daughter, both via Prince Louis Xavier de Bourbon, son of Charles, Duc de Berri, the son of Charles X. His paternal grandfather descending from Prince Louis daughter Victorine, and that grandfather’s wife being a descendant of the Duc d’Aquitaine.

Prince Michael brings together four lines of descent from Prince Charles Edward Stuart. His grandmother, the Princess de Sedan, descends from the marriage of Aglae Clementine, daughter of the Duchess of Albany by Ferdinand de Rohan-Guenene (sic, actually Guemenée), whilst his father the Count of Blois has two descents from the other Rohan-Albany daughter, both via Prince Louis Xavier de Bourbon, son of Charles, Duc de Berri, the son of Charles X. His paternal grandfather descending from Prince Louis' daughter Victorine, and that grandfather’s wife being a descendant of the Duc d’Aquitaine.

"Today, there are several lines descended from Prince Edward James, Second Count of Albany. They include the Counts of Derneley and the Dukes of Coldingham. Foremost, however, in the main line of legitimate descent from Charles Edward Stewart and his son Edward James is the present Seventh Count of Albany: Prince Michael James Alexander Stewart, Duc d’Aquitaine, Comte de Blois, Head of the Sacred Kindred of St Columba, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Patron Grand officer of the International Society of Comission Officers for the Commonwealth, and President of the European Council of Princes. Prince Michael’s own compelling book "Forgotten Monarchy" (a thoroughly detailed and politically corrected history of the Scots royal descent) is now in the course of preparation.

The senior Stewart line goes all the way back to King Arthur’s father, King Aedan of Scots, on the one hand and to Prince Nascien of the Septimanian Midi on the other. The Scots descent traces further back through King Lucius of Siluria to Bran the Blessed and Joseph of Aramathea (St James the Just), while the Midi succession stems from the Merovingians male ancestral line through the Fisher Kings to Jesus and Mary Magdalene."

This wholly fictional claim may is taken from The Bloodline of the Holy Grail - The Hidden Lineage of Jesus Revealed by Laurence Gardner, The Chevalier Labhran de St Germain, ISBN 1-85230-870-2, and published by Element Books.[1] It is a complete invention, and cannot be supported by any documents or historical sources. The alleged genealogy is filled with falsehoods, the most obvious being that Prince Charles Edward, Charles III, never married "Marguerite O’Dea d’Audibert de Lussan, Comtesse de Massillan" (1749-1820), had he done so he would have been guilty of bigamy since he was already married to Princess Louise of Stolberg, who survived him. Perhaps this name is called into the equation because the Drummond Dukes of Melfort married into this same family and inherited the Lussan title.

The de la Tour d'Auvergne family, Dukes of Bouillon and Princes of Sedan had become extinct in the male line in the 1790s, and their inheritance passed to the Rohan family; "Germaine Elize Segers de la Tour d’Auvergne, Princess de Sedan" (1908-1992), did not exist (at least not as a member of that family with those titles). The fact that he apparently does not even know the alleged date of this fictional marriage - his own grandparents - is an astonishing admission when it is supposedly by virtue of this alliance that he makes his ridiculous claim to the British throne! The fact that a wholly fictional son of the Duke of Berry, "Prince Louis-Xavier de Bourbon" is called into the equation is further evidence of "Prince" Michael's fantastic imagination. He also claims a descent from the Duke of Aquitaine (later Dauphin and then titular Louis XIX), who never actually had any issue by his wife, the only surviving child of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette.

The real identity of "Prince Michael" has now been exposed: he is Michel Lafosse, a Belgian, who has not connection with any royal family and his invented the whole saga.

Like other such claimants he haunts the world of fantasy royalty and self-styled Orders. A document which was recently given to this author announced the marriage of "Christene (sic), Princess of Scots - In Exile - Duchess of Albany, Duchess de Johnstone, to Bernard-Alexis, VI Marquis de Menars, Prince de Bourbon-Vendôme - Jure Sanguinis - Grand Master of the Order of the Grand Occident ~ The witnesses were HIRH Prince Henri III Constanin Paleologue, HRH Princess Lucie J. Shirazee, HE Count Tibor Farkas de Karpathos ~ Gregorian Year 1986 / In Residence: Paris / Cannes / New York City / Stamford, Conn." The real identity of the groom - certainly not a member of the House of Bourbon, is unknown; "Prince Henri" is of course Enrico Vigo (see under self-styled Orders), while nothing is known of the other two witnesses. We can be reassured, however, that they still use the Gregorian Calendar and have not completely lost their senses. The bride, apparently, is "Prince" Michael's mother.

[1] Mr Gardner is "Prior of the Celtic Church’s Sacred Kindred of St Columba" and an "internationally known sovereign and chivalric genealogist". He is also "Presidential Attache to the European Council of Princes - a constitutional advisory body established in 1946. He is formally attached to the Noble Household Guard of the Royal House of Stewart, founded at St Germain en Laye in 1692 and is the Jacobite Historiographer Royal" (from his book).

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