Maria Clementina Sobieska

Maria Clementina Sobieska (Polish: Maria Klementyna Sobieska) was born on 18 July 1702 in Oława, Silesia, Poland. Her parents were Prince Jakub Ludwik Sobieski (1667–1737), the eldest son of Polish King Jan III Sobieski, and Countess Palatine Hedwig Elisabeth of Neuburg (1673–1722). Her grandfather, Jan III Sobieski, was known for his victory at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. Maria Clementina had an older sister, Maria Karolina (Charlotte), who became the Duchess of Bouillon through marriage.

She was an heiress to considerable estates in Poland from her paternal grandfather, making her one of Europe's wealthiest heiresses at the time. She was betrothed to James, Prince of Wales, the exiled son of James II and VII. King George I of Great Britain opposed the marriage due to concerns over potential heirs to James Francis Edward Stuart's claim. During her journey to Italy to marry James, she was arrested in Innsbruck and confined in Innsbruck Castle. She later escaped with the assistance of Charles Wogan to Bologna, Italy, where she married James Francis Edward Stuart by proxy on 3 September 1719, in a ceremony held at the episcopal palace in Montefiascone, Italy.

Following the marriage, Pope Clement XI acknowledged James and Maria Clementina as the king and queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and provided them with a papal guard, the Palazzo Muti residence in Rome, and an annual allowance of 12,000 crowns. The Catholic Church considered them the rightful monarchs of the three kingdoms.

The marriage life of James and Maria Clementina was reportedly turbulent and largely separated. James initially had a favorable impression of her due to her beauty, but she disliked his passivity and had concerns about his influence and alleged infidelity. She was close to her confidante Mrs. Sheldon and disliked James's favorites, including John Hay of Cromlix and Marjorie Hay. In 1725, after the birth of their second child, James dismissed Sheldon, leading Maria Clementina to leave her husband and reside in a convent in Rome with her retinue. She accused James of adultery, and at her urging, claimed that James intended to give their son a Protestant education, which secured her support from the Pope and Spain against James.

She and James were formally reconciled in 1728, but in practice, they lived separately, with James residing in Albano and Maria Clementina in Rome. She experienced depression and engaged in religious fasting and ascetic practices, which contributed to her inability to conceive again. Her health declined over the years, and she died at age 32 on 18 January 1735. The cause of death was recorded as 'scorbutic disease', or scurvy. She was interred with full royal honors in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Pope Clement XII ordered her a state funeral, and an elaborate monument designed by Filippo Barigioni, with a sculpture by Pietro Bracci, was erected in 1742.

Maria Clementina and James Francis Edward Stuart had two surviving children:

- Charles Edward Louis Philip John Casimir Stuart (31 December 1720 – 31 January 1788), known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie," who married Louise of Stolberg-Gedern and had children through his mistress Clementina Walkinshaw.

- Henry Benedict Maria Clement Thomas Francis Xavier Stuart (11 March 1725 – 13 July 1807), later known as the Cardinal Duke of York.

Her life has been depicted in fiction, notably in A. E. W. Mason's 1901 novel *Clementina*, which narrates her rescue from Innsbruck in 1719.