Princess Louise Maximiliane Caroline Emanuel of Stolberg-Gedern (20 September 1752 – 29 January 1824) was the wife of Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobite claimant to the English and Scottish thrones. The unhappy marriage led her to request from the pope a decree of separation, which she was granted. During her years in Paris and Florence, she established famous salons where important artists and intellectuals of the day were invited to gather. She is commonly called the Countess of Albany. Early life Louise was born in Mons, Hainaut, in the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium). She was the eldest daughter of Prince Gustav Adolf of Stolberg-Gedern and his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Hornes, the younger daughter of Maximilian, Prince of Hornes. She had three sisters. When she was only four years old, her father was killed at the Battle of Leuthen. His death left the family in much reduced financial circumstances. When she was seven, she was sent to be educated at the school attached to the convent of St. Waudru in Mons. The mission of this convent was to provide a home for young ladies of the nobility who had insufficient financial means to live unmarried in the world. During her youth, she was said to be able to play guitar, sing and dance well and to enjoy reading French novels. However, she was said to be anxious to escape the convent because it was not a loving environment. In 1766, the Empress Maria Theresa arranged for the convent to give to Louise one of its endowed prebends. Although technically Louise was a canoness (a type of nun), she was not required to stay in the convent cloister and was not bound for life as other types of nuns. Indeed, for most of the canonesses, the acceptance of a prebend was merely a temporary stage until they found appropriate noble husbands. As such, Louise was still allowed to travel in society, with the ability to marry. Marriage In 1771, Louise's younger sister (also a canoness at St. Waudru) married Don Carlos, Earl of Tinmouth, only son of the 3rd Duke of Berwick (great-grandson of King James II of England and VII of Scotland). Louise was said to be exceedingly attractive. With a need to find a bride for Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobite claimant to the English and Scottish thrones, the Duke of Berwick's uncle, the Duke of Fitz-James, began negotiations