Choiseul considered using Charles Edward Stuart to encourage an uprising alongside the invasion. The account describes Stuart arriving late, drunk, and uncooperative at a meeting, after which planners sought Jacobite supporters without relying directly on him. Denmark and Russia declined requests for troops and naval supplies. Sweden initially considered an expedition to Scotland but withdrew over the difficulties of the sea passage. The neutral Dutch Republic demanded assurances that France would not restore a Stuart monarch. These contacts spread knowledge of a scheme whose success depended on speed and surprise.
Notable Point · 3:03:43-3:06:15
Invasion diplomacy gives away the prospect of surprise
Attempts to recruit Jacobites and foreign partners complicated Choiseul's invasion scheme and advertised its existence.