Editing Mary of Modena (section)

== Regency (1701–1704)==
[[File:Coat of Arms of Mary of Modena.svg|thumb|220px|Mary's coat of arms as Queen of England.<ref>Maclagan, Michael; Louda, Jiří, p. 27</ref> Depicting the [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Coat of Arms of England, Scotland and Ireland]] impaled with a minor version of her father's arms as [[Duke of Modena]]. In light of religious sentiment at the time, it was presumed unwise to reproduce her father's arms in full, since the quarterings are divided by a ''"Pale Gules charged with the Papal keys ensigned with the Tiara"''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pinces|first1=John Harvey|last2=Pinces|first2=Rosemary|title=The Royal Heraldry of England |series=Heraldry Today |year=1974|publisher=Hollen Street Press |location=Slough, Buckinghamshire |isbn=0-900455-25-X|pages=187}}</ref>|alt=A heraldic shield emblazoned with the emblems of France, Scotland, England, Ireland and the House of Este.]]
In March 1701, James suffered a [[stroke]] while hearing mass at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, leaving him partially paralysed.<ref>Gregg, p. 127</ref> [[Guy-Crescent Fagon|Fagon]], Louis XIV's personal physician, recommended the waters of [[Bourbon-l'Archambault]], to cure James's paralysis.<ref>Oman, p. 190</ref> The waters, however, had little effect, and James died of a seizure on 16 September 1701.<ref>Fea, p. 285</ref> Louis, contravening the [[Peace of Ryswick]] and irritating William, declared James Francis Edward King of England, Ireland and Scotland as James III and VIII.<ref>Fraser, ''Love and Louis XIV'', p. 322</ref> Mary acted as nominal regent for her minor son.<ref name=Oman197 /> She presided over his regency council, too, although she was uninterested in politics.<ref name=Oman197>Oman, p. 196</ref> Before his death, James II expressed his wish that Mary's regency would last no longer than their son's 18th birthday.<ref>Oman, p. 197</ref>

[[File:Portrait of James Francis Edward Stuart by Antonio David.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[James Francis Edward Stuart]], Mary's only surviving son, in a portrait by [[Antonio David]].<ref name=Oman184 />|alt=A young man wears a powdered wig while posing in a suit of armour.]]
Dressed in mourning for the remainder of her life, Mary's first act as regent was to disseminate a manifesto, outlining James Francis Edward's claims.<ref name=Haile358>Haile, p. 358</ref> It was largely ignored in England.<ref name=Haile358 /> In Scotland, however, the confederate Lords sent [[John Hamilton, 2nd Lord Belhaven and Stenton|Lord Belhaven]] to Saint-Germain, to convince the Queen to surrender to them custody of James Francis Edward and accede to his conversion to [[Protestantism]].<ref name="Haile358" /> The conversion, said Belhaven, would enable his accession to the English throne upon William's death.<ref name=Haile359>Haile, p. 359</ref> Mary was not swayed by Belhaven's argument, so a compromise was reached: James Francis Edward, if he became king, would limit the number of Catholic priests in England and promise not to tamper with the established [[Church of England]].<ref name=Haile359 /> In exchange, the confederate Lords would do all in their power to block the passing of the [[House of Hanover|Hanoverian]] succession in Scottish parliament.<ref name=Haile359 /> When, in March 1702, William died, [[Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat|Lord Lovat]] declared for James Francis Edward at [[Inverness]].<ref name=Haile363>Haile, p. 363</ref> Soon after, Lovat travelled to the court-in-exile at Saint-Germain, and begged Mary to allow her son to come to Scotland.<ref name=Haile363 /> Lovat intended to raise an army of 15,000 soldiers in Scotland to seize the throne for James Francis Edward.<ref name=Haile363 /> Mary refused to part with James Francis Edward, and the rising failed.<ref name=Haile363 /> Mary's regency ceased with her son's reaching of the age of 16.<ref>Oman, plate xiv.</ref>