The turbulent life of Henrietta Maria of France, Queen of England
Recently I read a splendid book "My Queen, My Love: A Novel of Henrietta Maria" written by Elena Maria Vidal about Henrietta Maria of France. Who was she? Who was this French princess who became Queen of England? So, time to make up another Royal History post. Family Henrietta Maria was born on 25 November 1609 in the Louvre Palace in Paris. Her parents were Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici. She was thus a member of the House of Bourbon. Of course Henriette Maria had other siblings. Among them were King Louis XIII of France and Elisabeth, who became Queen of Spain. Henrietta Maria was trained, along with her sisters, in riding, dancing, and singing, and took part in court plays. Although tutored in reading and writing, she was not known for her academic skills. As part of her religious training, the princess was heavily influenced by the Carmelites at the French court. By 1622, Henrietta Maria was living in Paris with a household of some 200 staff, and marr