Bonny Prince Charlie! any idea why Bonny came about?

Question

sorry it`s Bonnie my mistake

Answer 1

There could be two reasons.  Bonnie is often used as a term of endearment in Scotland for younger people.  He began a rebellion in the name of his father, James, who was known as The Old Pretender and Charles then became known as The Young Pretender.

Bonnie also means 'handsome' so it may well be that he was a bit of an idol in his day!

Answer 2

Bonnie means attractive

Answer 3

Apparently because he was youthful and good looking.

However I think he was named after three sheep dogs.

Answer 4

Early example of spin. Trying to pass a fat, effete Italian off as a rugged, handsome highland laddie!

Answer 5

  it,s an old British term meanly attractive, fair

so it,s bonny prance Charlie

Answer 6

I rather think it was ironic, as he was a bit of an Italian pouf (apologies to the g*y community, that was the way it was viewed then).  Something akin to "pretty boy".

Answer 7

From being the Prince of Scotland

Answer 8

The word bonnie in Scotland means attractive or endearing or the like, as others have remarked. It certainly has no connotations of "g*y" or effeminacy ; indeed, the Prince was a notorious womaniser, who in addition to his wife had several mistresses and illegitimate children.

However "bonnie" he was, it is certain that he was a disaster for Scotland, and the highland chiefs who followed him followed the right cause but the wrong banner. His incompetence, and habit of following the advice of his illiterate Irish quartermaster instead of the superb generals like Murray, led directly to the disaster at Culloden, following which the Prince fled with the funds raised by his chiefs and left them to the butchery of the Duke of Cumberland. He has earned no right to be so celebrated in song and legend.

Incidentally, he was never Prince of Scotland. The role does not exist. The point is not obscure, it is constitutional : in England, the monarch is sovereign, but in Scotland, the people are sovereign, hence the Scots monarch was referred to as King of Scots, not King of Scotland. This is why Elizabeth, for example, was known as Queen of England, whereas Mary was Mary Queen of Scots, not Mary Queen of Scotland. The English monarchy passes through hereditary succession, but the Scottish monarchy was an elected or appointed monarchy, the appointment being made by agreement among a group of guardians of the monarchy drawn from the Scottish nobility.

Answer 9

presumably he was considered to be a bit of a handsome chap!

Answer 10

Bonny is Scottish for boney. Charles was anorexic. He was cured when Mrs. Baxter invented soup.

Answer 11

He was said to be very effeminate and a little on the g*y side-but to give him a little face in Scotland they called him Bonny to give him a slightly more masculine side,rather than g*y as it wasn't deemed politically correct in those days.

Answer 12

He was a cutie?

Answer 13

Bonny = Pleasing, attractive, pretty.

This is the definition found in Webster's New College Dictionary.  Of course this is what we think in the U. S.  The brits will have a more flowery description.