Above painting: Louis Jean Francois - Mars and Venus an Allegory of Peace

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Tuesday, May 25, 2021

The Women of the Jacobite Rebellion and the Prince Charlie's Angels Series

When I first imagined the concept behind this series, I knew I wanted to create a cast of incredibly brave female heroines who would have to risk nearly everything for the good of their country and their future king. The Jacobite era of Great Britain’s history is the last civil war fought on the united soils of Scotland and England, ultimately coming to rest in a rather tragic ending for many. 

I wanted to incorporate their bravery, tenacity, and enthusiasm for their cause and their loyalty to a prince they wanted to be king, so I used many of their stories when creating those within this series.These women are often lost to history despite having played such a pivotal role during the time. They were spies, messengers, healers, soldiers, smugglers. They helped in whatever way they could to bring the rightful heir--Bonnie Prince Charlie--back to Scotland where he could rule as regent for his father. 

Now you may ask, how did you come up with the series title? Obviously, its a play on Charlie's Angels, but Bonnie Prince Charlie had some angels of his own! There is a fun rumor that the Christmas carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was in fact a Jacobite call to arms, and that the line “come and behold Him, born the king of angels” was code for “come and behold him, born the king of the English”—­who just so happened to be Bonnie Prince Charlie. Allegedly the Latin verse was actually a celebration of the prince’s birth rather than of Jesus’s, all connotation of which was lost when it was translated in the nineteenth century. Learning that his people were nicknamed angels, it seemed a fun theme to incorporate into the series: Prince Charlie’s Angels. 


Now, of course, my novels are fiction, so each of my heroines are based on the women rebels, and more than one. I also put a romance swing on each, because after all, I do love a good Scottish romance, and because I believed that each of these women deserved a happily-ever-after. 

Below you'll find listed each of my heroines and who I based them on.


Anne Mackintosh

Jenny

In The Rebel Wears Plaid, Jenny's story has a flavor of the lives of Lady Anne (Farquharson) Mackintosh, Jenny Cameron and Lady Margaret Ogilvy, who raised troops, collected funds and weapons for the rebels, fought in battles, and aided men in escaping the wrath of their enemies.

Jenny is a rebel soldier herself. She goes against her brother who has sided with the Hanoverian throne, and gives her support to the Stuarts, making a pact with her friends and clan that they will do whatever it takes to see that Bonnie Prince Charlie is returned to his rightful place on the throne. She raises an army, weapons, coin, night after night, and even saves the prince's life. She's not afraid to ride into battle, or thwart the enemy.
Winifred Maxwell


Annie

In Truly Madly Plaid, Annie's story is based loosely on Anne MacKay, Anne Leith and Lady Winifred Maxwell, who risked their lives to protect Jacobite soldiers by healing them and aiding in their escape.

Annie has been joining the war camps for some time, mending the men injured in battles and skirmishes. While she can defend herself, she's not a soldier. Her best talents are to heal those who can win the war. On the heals of the Battle of Culloden, her calling pulls her to the battlefield, and she does what she knows best--heals the men she can. And when her bravery is put to the test, she'll face down the enemy, and keep the men she's saved well hidden.


Flora Macdonald


Fiona

In You've Got Plaid, you will find Fiona's story to have a flavor of the lives of Flora Macdonald, Barbara Strachan, Anne Leith and the countess unnamed women who risked their lives to deliver messages to their male Jacobite counterparts.

By day, Fiona is a postmistress for the Hanoverian government, which helps her gain insider knowledge that she can then smuggle to her fellow Jacobite rebels. By night, to the rebels, she is known as The Phantom. Fiona is fearless, spending hours, days traveling alone through the Highlands. But then, she is given her most precious package to deliver yet--the prince himself.




Want to read the books? Check them out on my website!

Jenny's story, The Rebel Wears Plaid

Annie's story, Truly Madly Plaid

Fiona's story, You've Got Plaid