Feb 6 2024 - Isle of Skye and Bonnie Prince Charlie
The song Isle of Skye has lyrics with two names that are subject to censorship. They are: Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora Macdonald. The last time we sang it they were overwritten with something about whiskey. A strange substitution to my mind that whiskey is an improvement over historical figures.
Bonnie Prince Charlie lost the battle of Culloden in 1746. He led the last Jacobite Rebellion and was trying to overturn the King to take his place - what Charlie considered to be his rightful place. He was defeated at Culloden and then remained at large as a fugitive - escaping to France in September 1746. After being expelled from France two years later, he wandered around Europe for a number of years, secretly visiting London in 1750 and 1754 to try, unsuccessfully, to win support for his cause. In 1772, the Prince returned to Italy where he married Louisa, Countess of Albany and he died there in 1788. That's a long, long time to languish over lost opportunities.
Flora MacDonald was known for her part in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie over the sea to Skye. That's another famous ballad - the Skye Boat Song of 1884. She's considered a Romantic figure in history and has her own adventurous story.
There are other Jacobite-inspired songs with censored lyrics about Bonnie Prince Charlie. It is the Skye Boat Song that fills the internet - it is the famous one. With lyrics like "Speed Bonnie boat like a bird on the wing" it makes sense.
I wondered if there are any "island" pictures in my portfolio. I found this one, and it seems perfect for the theme today.
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