ABSTRACT
After the Battle of Prestonpans, Charles made the mistake of believing that he and his Highlanders were invincible, that his victory had been God’s will, and that fortune would continue to smile on him. When news circulated that the Jacobites had not only defeated Cope but captured all his baggage and equipment as well, many Edinburgh citizens were delighted, particularly the ladies, who “became passionately fond of the young Adventurer and used all their arts and industry for him in the most intemperate manner,” according to Duncan Forbes. The appearance of the Marquis d’Eguilles, who was being introduced by Charles as the French “Ambassador” to his “Court” at Holyrood, fed hopes among the Jacobites that French troops would set sail with the first fair wind. This led many of them to support a decision that Charles had already made—to march into England.
