Agnes Strickland's Queens of England, Vol. 2. (of 3): Abridged and Fully IllustratedStrickland, Agnes
History
Agnes Strickland's Queens of England, Vol. 2. (of 3): Abridged and Fully Illustrated
Strickland, Agnes
Queens -- Great Britain -- Biography
Before many months the French attendants became objects of jealousy and
dislike to the king, and notwithstanding the agreement that formed part
of the marriage treaty he determined to get rid of them. Not only was it
objectionable to the king that his wife should have mass celebrated in
the palace, but his own attendants found fault with this arrangement,
and Father Sancy, the queen's confessor, made himself obnoxious by
insisting upon the establishment of a Roman Catholic chapel. Besides,
Henrietta was so thoroughly under the influence of her French household
that King Charles feared she would never become attached to him or
his country. He thoroughly disliked Madame St. George, who was always
thrusting herself forward, and interfering between him and his wife; but
the most serious cause of displeasure that Charles I. had against the
French attendants was that they influenced the queen in her refusal to
share his coronation.
This was an unpardonable piece of ignorance and bigotry, injurious to
the king and dangerous to herself; for it was charged against her in
later years that she had never been recognized as the consort of Charles
I.
[[A.D. 1626.]] The king was therefore crowned at West- {156}minster
Abbey alone, his young and lovely wife refusing even to be present at
the ceremony. This obstinacy was a death-blow to her popularity, and
increased the difficulties that surrounded her husband. The Duke of
Buckingham, who was in Paris, was notified that the French attendants
would be sent home, and the king wrote a letter to his brother-in-law,
Louis XIII., in justification of the proceedings.
One day King Charles entered his wife's apartment at Whitehall, and
found her attendants dancing about, and behaving in a manner that he
considered disrespectful to the queen, so taking her quietly by the
hand, he led her into a side room and closed the door. Presently an
order was received bidding her majesty's French servants, young and old,
to repair at once to Somerset House, there to await the king's orders.
The women wept and lamented as though they had been summoned to
execution; but the guard cleared them all out of the queen's apartments
and bolted the doors after them.
Meanwhile a stormy scene was being enacted between the royal couple.
Henrietta flew into a rage when her husband told her what he had done,
and rushed to the window to bid farewell to her train. The king drew her
away, telling her "to be satisfied, for it must be so." Then she broke
the panes with her fist, and his majesty was obliged to hold her wrists
until her temper abated.
She was not permitted to see her country-people again, excepting her
nurse, her dresser, and Madame de la Tremouille,--those three being
retained in her service.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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