Outlander is known for bringing real people from history into the story. Was Flora MacDonald one of them, and did she save Bonnie Prince Charlie?
We’ve seen plenty of real people included in the world of Outlander. Some of them are obvious, such as the King of France and George Washington. Others are a little less well-known unless you know your history, such as Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat.
One of the real people included is Bonnie Prince Charlie. Yes, he did try to get his father on the British throne, and he was there for the Battle of Culloden. Well, he was there to initially lead the Jabobites but fled. With a price on his head, he needed to get out of the country, and that meant relying on people.
Who did he turn to? Well, Flora MacDonald was a woman willing to help. Included in Outlander Season 6, a lot of fans wonder whether she really did sail Charlie to Skye. How much of that was true?
Flora MacDonald in Outlander is based on a real person
Yes, there was a real Flora MacDonald. And yes, she did help to get Bonnie Prince Charlie out of dodge. She even ended up imprisoned for her actions for a short time.
She was also a woman who supported the British when it came to the Revolutionary War. Most of the Jacobites were on the British side. As Jamie explains in Outlander, they’d already seen what happens in failed rebellions and they didn’t want to face it all again. This time, they fought on the wrong side of history, though.
Flora helped to save Bonnie Prince Charlie by getting him to dress as a woman and escape to Skye. From there, he was able to get to Europe, where he lived out the rest of his days.