In the spring of 1772 Prince Charles Edward Stuart married Princess Louisa of Stolberg-Gedern. The couple settled in Florence where they were known as the Count and Countess of Albany. Louisa found herself bound to an embittered older man who was increasingly debilitated by alcoholism and illness. Her solution was to amuse herself by flirting with handsome young men, culminating in her long-term liaison with the poet, Count Alfieri. She left Charles after a violent incident in 1780 and they separated formally in 1784.