The Famous Faces of Clan Stewart

Mary Stuart is certainly one of Scotland’s most famous figures, so we just had to kick off our roundup with this most illustrious queen! She was born in Linlithgow Palace on December 8th in 1542 and she became queen the very moment she was born. As a young woman, Mary was one of the most sought after potential matches of her time, being extremely charming, smart, beautiful, and a queen in her own right. However, she was in the middle of much controversy during her life, whether it was her scandalous love interests, her political and religious views, or her supposed rivalry with her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. It was the latter that ultimately cost Mary, Queen of Scots her life and she was executed in England at just 44 years old. Her famed last words were, "In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum" which translates to, "Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit”.

Sir Patrick Stewart OBE is a beloved English actor who you may recognise as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and as Professor X in the X-Men series. Of course, he’s also a seasoned Shakespeare star having been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for many years. He has also been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild, and Saturn Awards for his incredible work in television, film, video games, and on stage. Can you believe he’s also been knighted by the Queen? This is one modern Stewart who is really doing the name justice.

Believe it or not, King Robert the Bruce was a Stewart! He is most famous for his alliance with William Wallaceand for his victory at the Battle of Bannockburn, where he helped Scotland win its independence once again. He was actually the very first Stewart king, which makes him just as important a figure for Clan Stewartas he is for the rest of Scotland. Also, did you know that Robert the Bruce is actually the 19th great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II? Hm, does this make the Queen a Stewart too?

Duncan Stewart is probably most famous because of his family’s reputation as staunch Jacobite supporters and leaders. In fact, his father, Charles Stewart, was actually the leader of the Stewart Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden. Duncan was the 11th Chief of the Stewarts of Appin and 6th of Ardsheal, so he was pretty important in his own right. He spent his childhood in Stirling and after eventually emigrating to America, he actually supported the English government during the American Revolution. He did end up returning to Scotland to claim his titles and though he died just a few short years after his return, he certainly left a mark.

Fans of late night television will recognise this Stewart. As an American comedian born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, he isn’t exactly a member of Clan Stewart, but he is undeniably one of the most well known Stewarts out there today. He hosted The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015 and has made appearances on other favorites like Saturday Night Live. Currently, he hosts The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+. Perhaps his greatest achievement was receiving the New York City Bronze Medallion in 2019 for his "tireless advocacy, inspiration, and leadership (helping to) pass the permanent authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act".

There’s no way we could have gone through this list without mentioning Prince Charles Edward Stuart, AKA Bonnie Prince Charlie. His story is perhaps the most romantic in all of Scottish history. Besides being one of our Clan Stewart famous faces, he was the face of the Jacobite Uprising of 1745. Also called “The Young Pretender” (most likely by Hanoverian supporters), Charles Stuart went head to head against King Charles during the rebellion. Though his Jacobite army was not made up only of Scotsmen, he did win over a large portion of the 18th century Highlanders, which is why he remains such a beloved figure today. Of course, his rebellion ended with his monumental defeat at Culloden, but he did manage to escape dressed as….well, you know the story...