House of FitzJames
The House of FitzJames Stuart, or simply FitzJames, is a noble house founded by James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick. He was the illegitimate son of James II & VII, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, a monarch of the House of Stuart. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the 1st Duke of Berwick followed his father into exile and much of the family's history since then has been in Spain and France, with several members of the family serving in a military capacity.
| FitzJames | |
|---|---|
| Jacobite noble family | |
Arms of the House of FitzJames | |
| Parent house | House of Stuart |
| Country | Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, Kingdom of France, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of Sicily, Kingdom of Two Sicilies |
| Founded | 1670 |
| Founder | James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick |
| Current head | Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Gómez, 12th Duke of Berwick |
| Titles | List
|
| Connected families | House of Alba House of Silva |
The house has two main branches. The senior branch, carrying the title of Duke of Berwick and residing in Spain, derived from the 1st Duke's first marriage to Honora Burke, Countess of Lucan. This branch has collected many titles throughout its history, including a few grandeeships of Spain, with some members acting as ambassadors or military officers.
The junior branch was associated with France and derived from the 1st Duke's second marriage to an Englishwoman, Anne Bulkeley. Perhaps the best-known member of this branch was Édouard de Fitz-James, 6th Duke of Fitz-James (1776–1838), an ultraroyalist who escaped to Italy after the French Revolution and returned to France around the time of the Bourbon Restoration, after which he became a prominent politician. This branch became extinct in the male line upon the death of the 10th Duke of Fitz-James in 1967.