The Sobieskis and the Stuarts - The Splendour and Spectre of the Crown

In the palace’s north wing, on view until 13 December 2026. The starting point is a marriage contracted in 1719 between a granddaughter of Jan III Sobieski and a claimant to three thrones who never regained any of them.

The Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów on the exhibition:

The exhibition The Sobieskis and the Stuarts - the splendour and spectre of the crown is the first presentation in Poland to tell the story of a shared thread in the early modern histories of distant countries: the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and England, Scotland and Ireland. Its source was the marriage contracted in 1719 by Maria Clementina Sobieska, granddaughter of King Jan III, to James III/VIII of the House of Stuart, Pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. Motivated by political and financial considerations, the union joined two people of different nationalities, from different cultures. What they shared, however, was a life that began in the splendour of a crown that grew more distant with the years. Maria Clementina’s father, James Louis Sobieski, lost the fight for the Commonwealth’s throne in the free election after King Jan III’s death. James III/VIII’s father, in turn - the Catholic king James II/VII Stuart - lost power after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

After their wedding, Maria Clementina and James settled in Rome, where they were honoured as the rightful rulers of England, Scotland and Ireland. The burden of political aims and of efforts to regain power in three kingdoms nonetheless cast a shadow over their lives and over the fates of their sons, Charles Edward and Henry Benedict.

Through the story of its main protagonists, the exhibition shows tangled dynastic relations, the condition of the individual in the face of high politics, and art which can serve as its instrument and yet holds a high, enduring artistic value. In particular, through Maria Clementina’s life, we come to understand the situation of women from royal families, who on the path to perfection laid out for them not infrequently bore the greatest sacrifices.

What to expect

The exhibition occupies the palace’s north wing and is included in the palace ticket - nothing to buy separately. The museum warns that because of ongoing renovation work the palace’s upper floor is temporarily inaccessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Academic consultation: Prof. Edward Corp and Piotr Piniński.

Tickets and opening hours are on the museum’s website.

Museum profile: Wilanów Palace.