Wife of the ill-fated Charles I, the colony named for her was intended
to be a refuge for Roman Catholics, the Catholic religion being
forbidden in the Three Kingdoms. In my room as a teenager there was a
print of the Van Dyck portrait of Henrietta Maria, the original of which
is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Called “Mary” by
her subjects, the second Stuart queen of England peers down from the
portrait with her black eyes, which contemporaries described as large,
sparkling and beautiful. Her dark curls with auburn highlights contrast
against the deep marine blue shimmer of a silk dress, with the
salmon-pink bows and elaborate white cuffs and high starched collar. A
wide-brimmed plumed black hat was of the type made famous by the
cavaliers who later fought for her husband in the English Civil Wars.
The white plumes are reminiscent of the one made famous by her
father Henri IV of France, which he wore into battle so that his men
could always find him. Like her father, Henrietta Maria was not afraid
to stand out, remaining a devoted Catholic in a land where her faith was
banned, becoming the number one lawbreaker, while also striving to be a
traditionally obedient wife, as was expected. But the expectations
placed upon her made her life a tightrope walk which almost broke her.
The life of Henrietta Maria of France (1609-1669) was turbulent from
the beginning. Half-Bourbon and half-Medici, her father, the famous
Henri IV, was assassinated when she was an infant. Brought up by her
mother, the Queen Regent Marie de’ Medici, to be a devout Catholic, she
also mastered ballet, singing, and acting, skills which she would use in
masques to entertain the Bourbon Court and later the Stuart Court. At
fifteen she was sent to marry Charles Stuart, grandson of Mary Queen of
Scots, who had just succeeded his father James I to the throne of the
Three Kingdoms.
While Charles I never converted to Catholicism, as had been hoped by
many, his relationship with his wife was profoundly spiritual, enhancing
the intense physical passion between them. After the initial clashing
of cultures and personalities, theirs became one of the most devoted in
the history of royal marriages, and was blessed with nine children.
During the troubles which led to the English Civil War, Henrietta Maria
became a liability to Charles because of her religion and her meddling,
both perceived and actual. But her courage and her devotion fuelled the
royalist cause, as she sold her jewels to raise money for arms and led
soldiers to aid her husband.
The challenges the royal couple faced in their early years of marriage are told in Book 1 of the Henrietta of France trilogy, My Queen, My Love.
Book 2 will deal with the Civil Wars and Book 3 will be about the
Queen’s widowhood as well as the adventures of her surviving children.
My
view of historical fiction is that the author attempts to paint a
portrait of the past with words. A historical novel is like a portrait
come to life, allowing the reader to step into the past. Authenticity is
vital, and that comes only from thorough research. While it is not
always possible to visit the historical places that play a part in the
novel, it helps.
The internet has been a gift
to historical fiction writers, making accessible old documents,
manuscripts, pictures and books that one once had to travel far to find.
I found the original program of the 1623 masque performed by Anne of
Austria and Henrietta of France at the Louvre during Shrovetide. It was
at the rehearsal of the masque that Charles Stuart first saw Henrietta
during his incognito visit to Paris. Such primary sources, like the
Queen’s letters, are indispensable for creating a living portrait.
So
much of what people think they know about Henrietta Maria has been
filtered secondhand through multiple writers, some of whom view her as a
frothy but tiresome fanatic who led her husband into ruin. This is
often accompanied by the perception of the Queen as a dangerous
seductress, who used her French wiles in the boudoir to subject Charles
to her will.
And others decide that Charles
was not enough for her but she had lovers such as Henry Jermyn who
actually told her what to do, while fathering her children. Just as her
enemies called her the “popish brat of France,” she has been portrayed
erroneously either as a sex fiend soaked with crazed religiosity, or as a
shy, pious pawn. (
Read more.)
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