Last month we went on our first family vacation since an aborted trip to Canada in 2014. We flew to London, and had a wonderful time. We had to take COVID tests before, during, and at the end of the trip. Thanks be to God, they were all negative. The flight over to the UK was fine except for the turbulence crossing the Irish Sea. It was actually pretty scary. The flight attendant said it was quite unusual. And some of the flight attendants were mask Nazis, and practically threatened to turn the plane around when my daughter pulled her mask down so she could breathe through her nose. We arrived early on the morning of January 26 and were allowed to check in early as we were quite exhausted After a short rest we walked down to the Victoria and Albert on Cromwell Road, which we could walk to from our hotel.
The next day we had a fabulous day. At breakfast we had croissants with jam and butter at our hotel. The lady who served us was Portuguese and we talked about world politics. Then I ordered a taxi through my new FreeNow app and we were promptly picked up by a nice Romanian man. I told him how much I admired Queen Marie (of Romania) and he told me about her castle in the mountains that he has visited. Then we had a great talk about the New World Order. Plus he pointed out famous spots to Ellie. He dropped us off at the Tower. The Tower was phenomenal. We saw the Crown jewels and everything. Then we met a genuine Cockney cabby who took us to Westminster Abbey. We discussed Churchill. Prayed at Mary Queen of Scots' tomb. And saw George Villiers!! Then made our way to the Tate Britain and saw the Pre-Raphaelites, amazing! And a gallery called The Fairy Round! We had a lovely high tea at the Tate. Everyone we met was kind and helpful. The ladies at our hotel were like guardian angels.
On Saturday, January 29 we had a lovely breakfast at our hotel, with croissants, creamy yogurt, soft boiled eggs and sausage. The Portuguese lady was there and we had another great conversation about being Woke vs Being Awake. While my daughter finished her breakfast, I walked down to the pharmacy at the grocery store to get some things we were running out of. Then we made our way out to Greenwich to Henrietta Maria's house designed by Inigo Jones.
It is very similar to Marie-Antoinette's Petit Trianon. Very elegant in its simplicity. Funny that they kept showing portraits of Queen Elizabeth who was born nearby but not in the Queen's house. Not much of Henriette's belongings were there, other than paintings of her family, but instead there were paintings and treasures on loan from the Duke of Bedford's Woburn Abbey! That is where my daughter's Russell ancestors lived!! She was thrilled to see portraits of her Russell relatives. I told them at the Queen's House that I had written a book about Henriette and they told me to send them the info so they could carry it in their gift shop. Afterwards the wind came up and it got cold. But the park at Greenwich was full of families relaxing as if it were a warm spring day. There were babies everywhere and people walking their dogs. Loads of people were walking up to the observatory on the hill. Everyone having a good time. I told my daughter that it was an example of how hardy the British people are.
Then we made our way to Bloomsbury and the British Museum. Bloomsbury was built by the Russell family, the Dukes of Bedford, and so our name was everywhere. Meanwhile I was amazed at all the mummies in the museum. Then we made it to the Brompton Oratory where we went to confession. There were shrines to all our favorite saints and we lit candles and prayed. Then, being very hungry, we found a lovely elegant restaurant called Caffé Concerto. They had wonderful pasta and hot, crisp fish and chips. Then we walked back to our hotel. Lots of families were out and about.
Sunday, January 30 was really an amazing day. We went to Mass at the Brompton Oratory. It was a sung, high Latin Mass. Magnificent choir. Clouds of incense. There was an extremely diverse congregation of old and young, from all nationalities. Lots of young families. Afterwards we joined our friends the C. family, who sat near us at Mass. Mr. C. knows London quite well and we walked from the Oratory to the Mall where the Royal Stuart Society was commemorating the most foul murder of Charles I, complete with historical costumes, horses, drums, weapons, etc. Very cool. Then the C.'s took us to a delightful pub called The Sherlock Holmes. It was full of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia. We had a delicious English pub lunch and a fascinating conversation. Then we walked through London and saw so many things, and talked about so many things. We stopped at Westminster Cathedral which had a long line of people going to confession. There are many very devout Catholics in London. Then we walked back to the Oratory. We saw a great deal of London that we would not have seen otherwise. Thanks be to God for sending us such kind friends.
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| King Charles I at Trafalgar Square |
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| We joined in the commemoration of the murder of King Charles I. More HERE. |
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| Westminster Abbey |
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| With our new friends after a fabulous pub lunch at The Sherlock Holmes Tavern. Westminster Palace is in the background. |
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My new novel My Queen, My Love: A Novel of Henrietta Maria really needs customer reviews on Amazon. I am asking everyone who has read it and liked it to please leave a review, HERE. I am really grateful to those who already have made the extra effort. Thank you so much! Meanwhile, here is a recent professional review from The San Francisco Book Review:
Elena Maria Vidal’s novelization of Charles I and Henrietta Maria’s love story is in itself a piece of history. My Queen, My Love is set in 1600s France and England and depicts the story of fifteen-year-old Henrietta’s rise into Queendom with her marriage to King Charles I.The marriage begins with excitement and love but quickly devolves into a tumultuous relationship. Henrietta is a devout Catholic and her loyalty to her religion and country creates tension between her husband and his. Her first years as a wife are plagued by cruel incidents incited by her husband’s best friend and closest confidant leaving her often lonely and afraid for her future. She corresponds in secret with her mother who in turn becomes worried for her daughter.
Vidal’s characterization of the royal family of the time is interesting and the plot flows throughout the timeline of their lives. Vidal clearly has her finger on the pulse of history. The book was so interesting, I often found myself looking up more information to learn about these people and this time period. I’m not a history buff but everything I read flowed with what My Queen, My Love said so it seems like the historical aspect of the book is accurate. Vidal has written three other books, according to her introduction, on historical lives and really seemed to know what she’s talking about. She takes a period of time and creates a story that is easy to understand and appealing to read....
All in all, I enjoy a book that gives a different perspective on history especially when it allows its historical figures to have a personality. The emotional connection from husband to wife, from servant to royalty, and even mother to daughter really sparkles in this book and I enjoyed it immensely. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in history or romance. It was a lovely depiction and I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. Reviewed By: Jenna Swartz
"Dreams of princesses, fairy tale palaces, and living happily ever after collide with the realities of favorites, mistresses, courtiers, and intrigues in the lives of Marie de Medici and her daughter Henrietta Maria in this first volume of Elena Maria Vidal's Henrietta of France trilogy. Vidal depicts the religious conflicts of the seventeenth century vividly in this historical novel, as the marriage of King Charles I of England and Queen Henrietta Maria overcomes many obstacles of language, faith, and even different calendars. Even knowing how their story ends, the reader looks forward to Vidal's delicate and dramatic retelling."—Stephanie A. Mann, author of Supremacy and Survival: How Catholics Endured the English Reformation
“'Henrietta Maria - for those who know of her at all - is one of the most divisive figures during one of the most volatile periods in British history. With My Queen, My Love, the first in her trilogy of Henrietta Maria, E.M. Vidal has brought Henrietta Maria's passion and character to life with remarkable skill'.” —Andrea Zuvich, author of Sex and Sexuality in Stuart Britain
“Like the works by Sharon Kay Penman and other exceptional historical fiction authors, My Queen, My Love takes the reader on an intense journey back in time, allowing the reader to feel immersed in the era, the events, the people, the loves and the tragedies (and so much more). Beautifully told.” —Readers’ Favorites
“Elena Maria Vidal’s new historical novel captivated me from the beginning. The fascinating story of the often tumultuous life of Henrietta Maria of France, a devout Catholic Queen living in post-Reformation England, is beautifully written. This will especially be appreciated by readers who want to immerse themselves in the world of 17th century England and France. The characters are well-developed and believable. I highly recommend this remarkable book to all who enjoy a compelling story.” —Ellen Gable, award-winning author
“My Queen, My Love chronicles the passionate marriage of Charles I, grandson of Mary Queen of Scots, and Henrietta Marie of France during the perilous years of 17th century England. Naive Henriette’s teenage love for her husband and King must navigate English hatred of her Catholicism. Elena Maria Vidal envelops readers in period detail with each rustle of silk, every whispered prophecy. A richly told tale of intrigue and betrayal, loyalty and hope, My Queen, My Love rushes headlong toward the tumultuous history of the English Civil War.” —Mary Jo Anderson, author of Male and Female He Made Them
“Henrietta Maria’s life is so richly improbable that it’s unusual that she hasn’t attracted the attention of more historical novelists. Now, we have an exciting, beautifully-researched, and sympathetic first installment in a new trilogy inspired by this remarkable seventeenth-century queen.”
—Gareth Russell, author of A History of the English Monarchy: From Boadicea to Elizabeth I and Young and Damned and Fair
"Elena Maria Vidal brings history to life again with the story of Queen Henriette Marie, complete with an unlikely but true love story of the Queen and King Charles I of England, a formidable personal enemy in the menacing Duke of Buckingham, lots of well-researched period details, and the matters of Christian faith behind many of the conflicts. An antidote to the Whiggish story that is often passed off as history in America, with its anti-monarchical bias. Though Henriette Marie is not nearly as well known as another maligned consort, Marie Antoinette, Americans should learn her story because, coming after Jamestown's founding, she was their queen." —John Beeler, A Conservative Blog for Peace
"Offering insight into the passions behind the protocols, My Queen, My Love infuses these historical figures with humanity." —BookLife "Vidal clearly has her finger on the pulse of history...The emotional connection from husband to wife, from servant to royalty, and even mother to daughter really sparkles in this book and I enjoyed it immensely. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in history or romance. It was a lovely depiction and I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end." —The San Francisco Book Review (starred review) "Vidal’s expansive tale...offers palace intrigue, international conflict, and personal turmoil. But at its heart, it’s a poignant and often charming love story....A royal tale enlivened by imaginative drama...." — Kirkus Reviews |
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2 comments:
Awesome!!
It was!
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