Henrietta Maria

Henrietta Maria, Queen of England, was the youngest daughter of Henry IV. of France. She was born in 1609, and in 1625, when the Spanish match had failed, she married Charles I. By the marriage treaty it was agreed that she should be free to exercise her religion. The provision was obnoxious to the English Puritans, and the way in which the privilege was abused caused great trouble to the king. The queen exercised little influence, however, till after the death of Buckingham. She and her coterie are generally thought to have urged Charles to attempt the arrest of the Five Members, and to have finally induced him to sign the Bill of Attainder against Strafford. On the outbreak of the Great Rebellion she took the crown jewels out of the country in order to raise money on them, and on her return shared her husband's fortunes till 1644, when she returned to France, where she lived till the Restoration. She had been impeached by Pym in 1643, but the proceedings were dropped. During the first five years of the reign of Charles II. she resided at Somerset House, the rest of her life being passed in her native France, where she died in 1669.