Descendant reveals how Bonnie Prince Charlie plunged into alcoholism

A DESCENDANT of Bonnie Prince Charlie revealed the Jacobite leader was an alcoholic – who let off steam by drinking Madeira wine and having passionate affairs with women.

Historian Peter Pininski, the great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of the prince, has researched the life of the Young

Pretender for more than 20 years.

The retired investment banker began looking into the story of the prince, who led the failed Jacobite rising in 1745, after learning of the direct family link.

Mr Pininski described him as charismatic but said he had fallen into alcoholism by the end of 1748, after he was denied help from the

French following the failed rebellion.

He hoped to dispel myths the Young Pretender “abandoned Scotland” after the battle, claiming any suggestion Charles didn’t care about Scotland after 1745 is “nonsense”.

Mr Pininski, from Warsaw, Poland, said: “If people want to persuade me that in 1746 and 1747 Charles was not trying his absolute hardest to help Scotland by putting pressure on France and getting Spain to send supplies, well they are wrong.

“If he didn’t get the French to come in and launch another invasion, there wasn’t any power in Europe that could help Scotland.

“Any hint that Charles did not care about what happened after Culloden is absolute nonsense.

“By the end of 1748, when he has tried to get the French moving and failed, he then falls into alcoholism.”

Mr Pininski said letters written by the prince in 1746 and 1747 documented attempts to get help into Scotland.