Henrietta Maria, Queen, consort of Charles I, King of England, 1609-1669
The King of England was hardly in a happier mood. That he had legitimate
cause of complaint cannot be denied, and a letter which about this time he
wrote to Buckingham proves that he had almost made up his mind to the only
real cure for his troubles. The extraordinarily violent tone of this
epistle suggests that his dislike to his wife's foreign attendants required
by this time no fostering from the Duke. It even seems as if the favourite
were less hostile to them than his master.[44]
With such a state of feeling prevailing at Court, Blainville's position was
not a comfortable one; but he remained there until an incident occurred
which is believed to have occasioned his withdrawal and which deserves a
detailed description, as it illustrates admirably the petty persecution to
which the high-spirited Henrietta, the daughter of a hundred kings, was
subjected.[45]
The second Parliament of the reign, whose short existence was to be ended
by the impeachment of Buckingham, met in the early spring of 1626.
Henrietta, who was anxious to see the opening procession, had made
arrangements to witness it from a gallery situated in the Palace at
Whitehall, and she was annoyed when on the very day of the ceremony her
husband told her that he wished her to go to the house of the Countess of
Buckingham, whence a particularly fine view of the proceedings could be
obtained. Still, she was always compliant in trifles, and at this time she
desired to conciliate Charles by prompt obedience in such commands as her
sensitive conscience could approve. She therefore signified her assent
without, however, considering the matter of grave consequence.
It happened that just before the hour of the procession, when Henrietta was
about to set out for the Countess' apartments, a heavy shower of rain came
on. The young Queen, looking out on the unsheltered court which she would
have to cross to reach her goal, shrank back, fearing for her elaborately
dressed hair, which she did not wish to have done again for the evening
festivities. She told her husband, who was with her, that she thought the
weather too bad to go, and asked him to conduct her to the gallery which
had been her first choice. To her great surprise he was much displeased,
and it was only after a somewhat bitter altercation that he complied with
her request, leading her to her place and taking leave of her with cold
politeness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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