On 21 October 1699, Jadwiga Elżbieta, wife of Prince James Sobieski, gave birth to a son. He was given the names Jan Joseph Kajetan Antoni Innocent François Louis Casimir. He was held for baptism by Jacob's cousin Louis, Marquis de Béthune, and Caroline of the Piasts, Duchess of Holstein. However, the child was very weak and died on 3 November 1700. Soon Hedwig Elisabeth was pregnant again and there was new hope for an heir to the famous surname. However, on 17 July 1701, a fourth daughter was born. Prince Constantine, who was present in Olawa at the time, wrote that the eldest brother could not hide his disappointment. This letter and several other recently revealed documents confirmed that the 'princess' was born in Silesia in 1701, as a version had previously circulated that it happened a year later in Italy. The girl was given the names Maria Klementyna Ludwika Franciszka Dorota Teresa Konstantyna Józefa Amalia.

The numerous daughters were a disappointment and a worry, as they required dowries in the future, and for the Sobieski family, who were removed from the throne, they did not represent political capital like girls born into royal families. In an attempt to keep her resigned parents' spirits up, the queen-widow Maria Kazimiera wrote that God does not always fulfil human plans, as He sees more: "A man asks God for a son who is supposed to be his consolation, and the son becomes a persecutor and the cause of the family's ruin", meanwhile daughters are sometimes the support of the family - here she pointed to Empress Eleonora, the great supporter of her relatives. These words proved prophetic. Maria Clementine not only became her father's favourite, but also a great support for her elder sisters. She was destined to a fate that was in every way special.

Almost nothing is known about Maria Klementyna Sobieska's childhood, except that she was said to look like a Mennonite, the long-dead daughter of the royal couple. It is difficult to say whether this was Prince James's opinion - whether he could remember the exact features of the deceased sister when he himself was ten years old - or Maria Kazimiera's, based on some portrait sent to Rome. The Mennonite woman was a favourite of the family, especially of John III, and it is possible that this resemblance, it is not known whether it was only physical or also in behaviour, made the 'princess' a quick favourite of those around her. It was probably also significant that Maria Klementyna remained the youngest child in the family. The last daughter of the royals, Maria Magdalena (born in 1704), died on her birthday. Jadwiga Elisabeth was still pregnant later, but no more was written about the children.

In 1718, an envoy of James Stuart, pretender to the Scottish and English thrones, appeared in Olawa, supposedly wandering through the courts of Europe in search of a female candidate for his lord's wife. From the description he left behind, it seems that Mary Clementine was immediately the most to his liking, and it was she who was recommended for marriage by those around her, even though her older sisters were not yet married. An exchange of correspondence had already been going on between the Stuarts and Sobieski for several years, and although it initially concerned the eldest 'princess', almost imperceptibly the name of the youngest began to appear. Thus, when James Stuart expressed an interest in the marriage, only Mary Clementine was mentioned.

In 1719, the marriage contract was signed and the 'royal' and her mother set off for Italy to meet her fiancé. The Stuarts' advisers recommended a quick journey and keeping strict incognito, but the Sobieskis disobeyed and the retinue was stopped at Innsbruck by order of the emperor. In so doing, Charles VI complied with the demands of George of Hanover, fearing that marriage to the wealthy, as was rumoured, heiress to the fame of King John III, through his mother Hedwig Elizabeth's excellent connections to many European courts, would strengthen the Stuarts' position and claims. Despite diplomatic action by her father and fiancé throughout Europe, the 'princess' was not freed. In April, however, Mary Clementine escaped from prison with the help of a Stuart envoy. It is not clear whether the emperor did not look at this action through his fingers, but he drew a direct benefit for himself and ordered James Sobieski to leave Olawa as a punishment. Maria Clementina travelled to Italy, where she married per procura and waited for James Stuart, who was in Spain, hoping to regain his throne with Philip V's help. The plot failed and James returned to Italy. Initially, the two spouses were delighted with each other.

At this time, and for a long time afterwards, two issues kept Maria Clementina awake at night: the wandering of her father, exiled from Olawa, and the marriage of her elder sisters. Both the queen's and her husband's letters are full of questions about the whereabouts and well-being of Prince James. They both made efforts at the papal curia to help Sobieski return home. Alongside this, one can read about the royal couple's constant efforts to find candidates for marriage with the not-youngest 'royals', and at the same time to interest the prince, apparently reluctant on these subjects, in these proposals. The source of Sobieski's attitude is unknown. It has been suspected that he wanted to keep his older daughters at home in order to make Maria Clementina and her offspring the heir to his entire fortune. However, it could also be considered that the prince was able to delay his decisions for a long time. Probably the only one he made really quickly was the one about Marie Clementine's marriage, and even afterwards - when trouble arose - he began to hesitate and found it difficult to persevere with the consent he had given for this union. Rather, it was the persistence and determination of the 'royals', sustained by James Stuart and Clement XI, that led to the finalisation of this marriage.

At the end of 1720, Mary Clementine gave birth to her first son and heir to the dynasty, Charles Edward. This was also the purpose of the marriage - the birth of the Prince of Wales was intended to pour new hope into the hearts of the Stuart subjects and revive their devotion to the cause of the former dynasty's return to the throne. In March 1725, another son of the royal couple, Henry Benedict, was born. It was then that serious trouble began. In the summer of that year, James Stuart appointed two Protestants as guardians of his sons. Charles Edward was nearly five years old, so his transition to male guardianship could be considered, but Henry Benedict was still a donkey, so his direct care was entrusted to a woman whom Mary Clementine disliked and did not believe in her caring abilities. In addition, Stuart explicitly advised that the Queen could only visit the children with his or their guardians' permission and that she should not meet them alone. This was too much. The outraged mother protested, demanding to speak to her spouse. She objected to being deprived of her maternal rights, but also to being isolated at court, where the king surrounded himself with people who were close to him but disliked his wife. Maria Clementine wrote her husband a letter to which he reacted shockingly - instead of talking to his wife, he appealed to his advisors.

Seeing her husband's helplessness, Maria Klementina left the court and took refuge in the monastery of St Cecilia in the Zatibirie. From there, she kept up a correspondence with her husband, ignoring his accusations that she was acting under the influence of persons hostile to him and damaging his good name (some believed that the cause of the quarrel was treason on the part of James Stuart, of which Maria Clementina never accused him). The king's advisers made a mistake, which, by the way, attests to their ineptitude, and, anxious to point to Mary Clementine as the culprit of the disturbance, published a manifesto in which they attributed to her imprudent actions and the very accusations of treason on the part of her husband. The conflict, which Rome lived by and which worried the Holy Father deeply, thus became known throughout Europe. Maria Clementine appealed to the Spanish, French and Imperial courts, presenting herself as a wronged spouse and mother. She also insisted that her husband had been influenced by evil and hostile advisers. She lived to see support from Spain. Elizabeth Farnese sided with Mary Clementine and accused James Stuart of mistreating his wife; she was seconded by Philip V. It was the Spanish queen who advised Sobieska to consider whether she wanted to live away from her sons, but at the same time recommended that, if Maria Clementina wished to return to her husband's court, she should do so on her own terms: among other things, to claim financial independence. Also from France came a letter acknowledging that Mary Clementine should return to her husband, but that before doing so, Stuart must dismiss those unwilling to do so.

The Queen kept her father informed of her troubles, as she feared that he would find out everything from the newspapers. It must be stressed, however, that most of the press was discreetly silent and it was difficult to find out anything about the troubles at the Stuart court. Mary Clementine did not wish her father to interfere in her affairs. She correctly anticipated that the prince would order her docilely to return to her husband, which she by no means wanted. Indeed, the prince advised his daughter to - without imposing conditions - reconcile with her spouse. He also explained that even a woman of her standing should not expect her husband to submit to her desires. He also wrote to James Stuart in an attempt to mediate between his daughter and her husband against her wishes. There is no doubt that he feared the punishment that might befall Mary Clementine. In her letter, the queen assured her father that she was aware of her responsibility but would prefer punishment to a return to the hell that the court had become for her.
In the marriage dispute, Maria Clementina also sided with the Pope, for whom the Protestant protection of the Prince of Wales was unacceptable. The Holy Father agreed with the view that an independent woman should have her own money, and appointed Mary Clementine a certain sum to be taken to the Queen by her spouse, an occasion which brought the two together, but also humiliated the proud and stubborn Stuart.

Eventually, after two years of dispute, Mary Clementine decided to return to her husband's court. By this time, James and his sons had moved to Bologna and it was there, albeit with some delay, that Maria Clementina followed. Even before she arrived there, Benedict XIII demanded that she take up her public duties. At first the queen tried to refuse this wish, but at the pope's insistence she appeared at religious ceremonies.

Apparently, after such a long separation from her family, it was not easy for her to find her way at court. She seems to have taken up normal duties, as one of James Stuart's letters to James Sobieski shows that she was expecting a child, but either this was a mistake or the pregnancy ended in miscarriage. It appears that a similar situation had already occurred before, in 1723. The determination of pregnancy in the case of Maria Clementina, like that of Jadwiga Elisabeth, was not easy. It is likely that there were initial changes suggestive of pregnancy - the disappearance of menstruation, perhaps enlargement of the abdomen and breasts, malaise - and then the symptoms passed and it is difficult to determine whether these were the effects of some illness or actual pregnancies ending in miscarriage. On the threshold of 1720, the Queen noticed just such changes and was considered to be expecting a child. Accounts show that the pregnancy developed normally, and in the autumn - when the baby should have been born - medics indicated a due date in two months' time, and this time they were not wrong - Charles Edward was born on the last day of December that year. Pregnancies cannot last a year, so either her designation at the beginning of the year was a complete mistake, or Mary Clementine had a miscarriage, which was not even recorded, and immediately became pregnant again, which must have happened around March. So a similar situation could have occurred later on as well - the most important thing, however, is that, since a pregnancy was suspected, the royal couple established marital relations.

In the last years of her life, the Queen devoted herself primarily to devotional and charitable work. A pamphlet published after her death noted that over time she sank into melancholy, contemplation and asceticism. She slept little, got up at dawn, dressed usually without an attendant, and attended Mass several times a day. In fact, she gave up her royal lifestyle. She devoted all her time to praying and helping the poorest. She was never harsh or arrogant towards anyone, everyone found help from her and no one who turned to her went away empty-handed. She was an authority and if she promised something, she kept her word. In Rome, she organised an eatery (Sagra Mensa, or sacred canteen) where she gave three times a week. She also regularly visited hospitals. All her free time from charitable activities was spent in churches, and she also visited various convents. These activities, which went beyond the usual duties of a monarch, and a lifestyle far from royal, weakened her considerably; she was already walking with the aid of a cane. At just over 30 years of age, she began to have problems with her stomach: she ate less and less, because immediately after a meal she felt pain in her stomach and vomited, making her weak. She ate only once a day and only tasted wine. Her meals towards the end of her life were a few spoonfuls of vegetable soup, boiled lettuce and an apple, and an egg in the evening. However, she did not let it be known that she was suffering, although she was still preparing to die. She was very brave and patiently endured her illness.

Her agony began on 5 January 1735. The Queen had herself escorted to her bedroom and called a confessor. She spoke to him at length, assuring him that she was not afraid of hell. She asked to be given a crucifix and a rosary. She also recalled with regret the events surrounding her leaving and then returning to her husband's court. A few hours later, she called the confessor once more, but no longer had the strength to listen to the mass, only getting out of bed for a moment when she heard the bells from the neighbouring Basilica of the Twelve Apostles, at which point she took her last communion. Ladies then came into the flat and quietly prayed and then spoke to the queen. The dying lady then thanked God, the household and the servants and apologised to them for everything. At Mary Clementine's request, her sons were brought in, whom she blessed and bade farewell; then came James Stuart, whom she also bade farewell and asked him to bring up the two princes well. Probably this is what was most on her mind. From then on she no longer accepted food. She also did not manage to go to mass, although she had longed to do so. She did not leave her bed, spending her time meditating, reading, and for a bit of entertainment, she also listened to recitations and chants. She did so for the next few days despite the insistence of those around her and probably the medics that she should rest as much as possible.

News of the queen's agony circulated throughout the city - the whole Roman community was interested. Prayers were said for her in all the churches. People gathered in the vicinity of Muti's palace, weeping and inquiring about her condition. The Pope constantly inquired about Maria Clementina's health; he also sent Cardinal Giovanni Antonio Guadagni, whom the Queen assured of her attachment to the Holy Father.

Later, she could no longer speak and still did not eat, but she survived for almost two more weeks. She died on 18 January at night, quietly whispering "Jesus". That night she lay motionless, covered with a sheet, holding a crucifix in her left hand. At the last moment, she raised her eyes to heaven, wanted to raise her hand and in that moment she died. The ladies washed and dressed the body, and then James Stuart was notified of Mary Clementine's death. Clergymen also flocked to the deceased's bedroom to pay their last respects.

On the night of 19-20 January, by torchlight, the body was transferred to a carriage decorated with a cross and the whole court escorted it to the Church of the Twelve Apostles. It was laid on a catafalque and private execrations were held in the closed church. Later, the corpse was exenterated and the heart removed, which rested in this basilica. The church was then opened and people came in large numbers to say a final farewell.

Organised at the Pope's request, the funeral took place on 10 February this year and was extremely solemn. The corpse was carried from the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles to St Peter's Basilica. The funeral procession was watched by large crowds and included representatives of pious confraternities and societies, numerous monks, clergy from all the churches between the two basilicas, the Pope's household and Swiss guard, headed by the Cardinal Camerlen, as well as members of the Stuart court and alumni from the English, Scottish and Irish seminaries. The procession was closed by the late Queen's carriage decorated in mournful purple with windows draped in the same material. Windows in houses along the route of the procession's march were decorated.

The procession did not reach St Peter's Basilica until three o'clock in the morning. A memorial service was held there. The body of the queen, clad in a gown and adorned with a magnificent royal mantle draped semicircularly around the deceased, was laid on a 'castrum doloris' with four columns at the corners. Above it, at the vault, hung a huge crown from which hung a canopy trimmed with a fabric reminiscent in design of ermine fur. After the service, the servants stripped the body of its royal robes and clothed it in the Dominican habit and veil, and a crown was placed in the deceased's legs. It was then deposited successively in several coffins, which were sealed: the first was made of cypress wood and this one was placed in a lead one, and then both in one made of chestnut wood. At the request of Benedict XIV, Maria Clementina's burial was commemorated with a tombstone by the designer Filippo Barigioni and the sculptor Pietro Bracci.

The text comes from PASAŻ WIEDZY , where you can find more reliable texts on Old Polish history and culture

Courtesy of the King John III Wilanów Palace Museum