On June 10, 1688, a son was born to the King and Queen of England.
James II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and Queen Mary Beatrice Eleanor, daughter of the Duke of Modena, became the proud parents of young James Francis Edward, heir to three kingdoms.
Immediately after the announcement was made, rumors began to fly that the child was "supposititious" -- that it was not actually James and Mary's, but some other child who was brought in to provide a heir for the hitherto childless couple. Within the year, this speculation had become an article of faith among persons of a certain political persuasion.
Why did this happen?
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