Descendants of the Stuarts

OF THE STUARTS. 179
find her again advocating an alliance between her
brother Rupert and the Princess Charlotte of Cour-
land.* Unfortunately this prince was in love with
the Princess Mary Anne of Wirtemburg (the ne-
glected, though sometime chosen, bride of James
II.) ; but his union with this lady was opposed by
his father and mother, who wished him to marry
Elizabeth Charlotte. " When, however," this lady
writes, "he came back from Prance, on his way
home, I made such an impression on him, that he
would not hear of marrying, but requested permis-
sion to join the army." And thus was the unfortu-
nate Mary Anne of "Wirtemburg twice forsaken by
her lovers. Disconsolate at her misfortunes, this
princess ultimately relinquished the world, and
entered the TJrsuline convent at Lyons, where she
died, 1698.t
These negotiations having failed, and William
III., whom Elizabeth would have so obligingly
espoused for the sake of her aunt's company, not
coming forward, a suitor at length presented himself,
who was considered by her father and her family an
eligible wooer, albeit the price of his alliance was
her renunciation of the Protestant faith. This was no
other than Philip, Duke of Orleans, the only brother
of Louis XIV., and heir to the Prench monarchy
after that king's son, the Dauphin. He was the
widower, moreover, of her deceased cousin Hen-
* Baroness de Bury's Princess Palatine.
t Memoirs of the Duchess of Orleans.
N 2