Clementina Sobieska

Portrait Miniature of Maria Clementina Sobieska

1719
Oil on copper set in a gilt oval pendant frame

Our Object of the Month for September can be found in the castle’s Print Room as part of a new display on portrait miniatures. It is a portrait of Maria Clementina Sobieska, known as Clementina. Clementina was a Polish princess who married James Francis Edward Stuart or James III as he was called by supporters of the Stuart claim to the throne. She was the mother of Charles Edward Stuart, who staged an unsuccessful attempt to take back the throne of England for the Stuart family by force. He was supported by his brother Henry Benedict Stuart, who later became a cardinal.

Jacobite broadside with portrait of Clementina, James, and their two sons (Charles Edward Stuart above, Henry Benedict Stuart below), National Library of Scotland, accession number 75241151

Portrait miniatures were small, portable portraits that could be carried or worn as jewellery. They were a useful way of spreading an impressive image of a King or Queen which would help encourage loyalty and support. This portrait miniature gives us the clear impression that Clementina wanted to be seen as a Queen. She is wearing a pink silk dress which is richly embroidered, a jewelled bodice with lace, and a cloak with ermine fur. She wears a double string of pearls as a sash and has strings of pearls decorating her hair, which has been powdered white. Her appearance reflects the height of fashion and luxury, emphasising her status as the wife of James III, who many acknowledged as the rightful King in exile. The crown on the table in the background of the image symbolises the belief that her husband James III was the rightful ruler.

Clementina’s wealth was one of the reasons why she was chosen as an appropriate bride for James III. Her family managed to arrange a very large dowry and she brought with her jewels and other luxurious items. She was also the granddaughter of King John III of Poland, who defeated the Ottoman army at the 1683 Battle of Vienna and became known as the protector of Christian Europe. James III’s claim to the throne was based on the idea that the Stuarts had the divine right to rule, so marriage to a princess with Clementina’s heritage would have been appealing. For the Sobieski family, the possibility that James might be able to reclaim the throne made him a very agreeable match for Clementina.

Portrait miniature of Clementina Sobieska, oil on copper, 17th – 18th century, Chiddingstone Castle collection, object number 01.3282

The marriage of Clementina and James was a great threat to King George I, as it represented the continuation of the rival Stuart line. The King almost succeeded in preventing their marriage. Clementina and her party were arrested on route to Rome and detained at Innsbruck. She managed to escape with the help of a captain, Charles Wogan, who had been tasked with finding a bride for James III. Wogan snuck into the castle, Schloss Ambras, where Clementina was being held, and managed to smuggle her out. He left a maid, Jeanneton, who apparently resembled Clementina in her place. Clementina escaped into Italy where she was able to marry James III.

Jacobite broadside depicting the marriage of Clementina Sobieska with James the Third, National Library of Scotland, accession number 75241025

Charles Wogan identified Clementina as an ideal candidate for marriage to James III because he observed her love for her family, her charm, kindness, and education in religion and languages. Her piety later became an important part of her reputation and image. She went to live in a convent from November 1725 to July 1727 following a dispute over the upbringing of her son Charles Edward Stuart, who James III wanted to place in the care of his male tutors.  The print below depicts her in a very different way to the previous portraits of her dressed in jewels and finery. She is wearing plain clothing, a cap, and a veil, and is holding a book. Her luxurious lifestyle and love of jewellery and clothing continued after she returned to court in 1727, as was appropriate for her image as a Stuart Queen in exile.

Portrait of Princess Maria Clementina, National Library of Scotland, accession number 75240986

This object is just one of the many objects that form part of Denys Eyre Bower’s five impressive collections which include Ancient Egyptian, Japanese, Buddhist, Stuart and Jacobite, and Books. For more information on these objects, review our Object of the Month series, visit the Historic House and Collections or contact our Curator, Naomi Collick by email or by calling 01892 870347.