The youngest daughter of Henri IV, the first Bourbon King of France, Henriette-Marie always knew she would have to marry a prince. When the Prince of Wales, Charles Stuart, travels through Paris he sees her dancing at the Louvre and within two years a marriage is arranged. However, Henriette is Catholic and Catholicism is banned in England. In preparing to become Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, Henriette has no idea of the obstacles that must be overcome before
she can find happiness with Charles.
In the lone tent, waiting for victory,She stands with eyes marred by the mists of pain,Like some wan lily overdrenched with rain:The clamorous clang of arms, the ensanguined sky,War's ruin, and the wreck of chivalryTo her proud soul no common fear can bring:Bravely she tarrieth for her Lord the King,Her soul a-flame with passionate ecstasy.
~from "Henrietta Maria" by Oscar Wilde
Discovering Henrietta Maria
First of all, let me thank Tony Riches for inviting me to compose a guest post about the Henrietta of France Trilogy which I am in the midst of writing, Book 1 being completed. I grew up in Maryland, a state which was once a colony called “Mary's Land”, named in honor of Henrietta Maria, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland.
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.
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.
On the other hand, there have in the past decades been some excellent biographies of Henrietta Maria, based upon superb research. I include them, and other sources, in a bibliography at the end of the novel My Queen, My Love, to encourage further exploration. The latest biography of Henrietta Maria to date is that of Leanda de Lisle. De Lisle takes into account the women of Henrietta’s family, all of whom were active rather than passive as consorts, like Henrietta herself. Henrietta’s faith is repeatedly demonstrated as not only sincere and unwavering but as an impetus for charitable and creative endeavors throughout her life.
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.
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.
On the other hand, there have in the past decades been some excellent biographies of Henrietta Maria, based upon superb research. I include them, and other sources, in a bibliography at the end of the novel My Queen, My Love, to encourage further exploration. The latest biography of Henrietta Maria to date is that of Leanda de Lisle. De Lisle takes into account the women of Henrietta’s family, all of whom were active rather than passive as consorts, like Henrietta herself. Henrietta’s faith is repeatedly demonstrated as not only sincere and unwavering but as an impetus for charitable and creative endeavors throughout her life.
And it becomes obvious Henrietta was a most discerning and insightful patroness of the arts, literature and architecture, employing names such as Inigo Jones, Ben Jonson, Van Dyck, Artemisia Gentileschi, while encouraging educators like Mary Ward. She brought to England the music of the continent, particularly magnificent liturgical music for her various chapels. Even in her days of hardship, Henrietta continued to give to others, whether it was giving a beggar woman her last valuable possession, or endowing a Visitation Monastery in France as a harbour for pious women.
Even as a great portrait reveals something about the soul of the subject painted, so does a written portrait. Yet each soul remains an enigma, especially souls who loved deeply, like Henrietta. Art offers a glimpse behind the veil of the senses, but it is done by using the imagination to describe the exteriors, the sounds, the smells, the foods, the music. By understanding a little bit about a world that is gone and the people who are gone, but whose actions have directly or indirectly influenced us, like the founding of Mary’s Land by Charles I and Henrietta Maria, we can better understand the present.
Elena Maria Vidal
Elena Maria Vidal was born in Florence, Oregon in 1962 but grew up in Frederick County, Maryland. She received her BA in Psychology from Hood College and her MA in Modern European History from SUNY Albany. She has been a member of the Secular Order of Mount Carmel since 1986. Elena enjoys cooking, gardening, opera and working with the elderly. She lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with her family. She is currently engaged in writing a historical fiction trilogy about Queen Henrietta Maria. Elena’s Tea at Trianon blog deals with social, religious and political issues as well as history. My Queen, My Love: A Novel of Henrietta Maria is her fifth novel and sixth book. Find out more from her blog, Tea at Trianon and find her on Twitter @emvidal
Even as a great portrait reveals something about the soul of the subject painted, so does a written portrait. Yet each soul remains an enigma, especially souls who loved deeply, like Henrietta. Art offers a glimpse behind the veil of the senses, but it is done by using the imagination to describe the exteriors, the sounds, the smells, the foods, the music. By understanding a little bit about a world that is gone and the people who are gone, but whose actions have directly or indirectly influenced us, like the founding of Mary’s Land by Charles I and Henrietta Maria, we can better understand the present.
Elena Maria Vidal
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