Loyal in Love: Henrietta Maria, Wife of Charles I

In my personal opinion, I think all royals (particularly royals in bygone eras) are raging narcissists. You have to be to believe it's your god-given right to rule over others. Some royals balance this out with other qualities, such as intelligence or charm, so their narcissism doesn't seem as a flaw so much as necessary to maintain their rule. Enter Henrietta Maria, a royal princess who has all the narcissism of her kind but none of the positive traits to offset this. Conceited, short-sighted, selfish, and unintelligent, Henrietta Maria is not the sole reason why the English monarchy briefly lost its hold or why Charles I lost his head, but she certainly didn't help matters. This is her story.

Myself My Enemy is a terrific account of Henriette-Marie's life by my very favourite author, Jean Plaidy! This novel is told in the first person and so vividly described and filled with emotion that it definitely has become another of my preferred reads. In Myself My Enemy, you inmmediately get the feeling of what this loyal- to her- king -lady is all about. Henriette-Marie was first and foremost, the great King Henri IV de Navarre's last daughter. As a daughter of France by blood and by right, she is sent to marry Charles I of England. Wanted and chosen by Charles-The Queen of France relinquishes her daughter in the hopes of reuniting differences amongst not only the French and the English, but especially the religions (Protestant and Catholic). From the very beginning we get to see that this fine Queen Consort of England is no push-over. She stands firm for her beliefs and choices when it comes to religion, friends, principles and ideas...unfortunately for her, this tenacity sometimes borders big time stubbornness. Such defiance is not always pleasing to the King; yet, he loves his Henriette dearly and although it would seem that they were opposites- in terms of sticking to their own point, they were actually quite similar. Their relationship becomes one of give and take in where they both need it most. As time goes on, they develop a strong love and bond that will keep them faithful and caring deeply for eachother until the very end. I really wanted to read this one in particular, especially becauseI'm way gaga over Charles II and so it was only right that I read Plaidy's novel on his mother. I'm so glad I did! Reading Myself My Enemy gave me an inside look on Charles as a youngster seen through the eyes of his mother as well as his siblings and their situation amidst the terrible fate of Charles I. What I enjoyed mostly though was getting in closer on Henriette Marie's last child, and Charles II's favourite sibling- the absolutely delightful and charming young Henriette, or Minette, as her big brother called her. (see my post on her here). The book is filled with a lot of the history and turmoil of the time period and makes no excuses for Charles I `s somewhat lacking traits for a King...The details are incredible and although I did get a very good sense of his leadership weakness, I did see the magnitudes of his strength in character when it came to love for his wife, family, and England (as he saw it), as well. Henriette Marie loved her husband and did all she could to help him. After her escape to England (to save her pretty head), she and Minette lived in almost utter poverty without ever giving up hope. Her biggest wish was for Charles II and all her children to turn to the Catholic faith- and this she struggled towards achieving right up to the end. Minette, her favourite child would live her life taking on this role as crusader for the faith as well. Strange coincidence how both mother and daughter of the same name were both born

Princess Henrietta Maria of France is arranged a marriage with Charles I of England. It is a match fraught with difficulties because England is by this point staunchly Protestant and Henrietta is dedicated to Catholicism. A marriage treaty is created which both sides have to know will never be enforced (including that Henrietta will have sole charge of the religious instruction of any offspring until they reach the age of 13). Henrietta goes to England believing the country to be open to her raising her children to be Catholics, but in fact the people and the leaders would never allow heirs to the throne to be taught contrary to the Church of England. Despite their differences, however, Henrietta and Charles fall very deeply in love and relish in their private lives together. They are unprepared for the change in feeling that is sweeping the nation, and seem to run headstrong towards disaster. Quote: "'Oh Charles,' I cried, 'I have destroyed your plan! I, who would give my life for you, have destroyed you." Finally, a queen and king who are madly in love and totally devoted to each other! Of course, we have to know it's too good to last. The author does a very good job with making the reader understand that although the king and queen make what seem to be unbelievably foolish choices, raised as they were to believe as they believe, it would not occur to them to act differently and they can't be judged from twenty-first century eyes. To admit that the king is not given his office by God? Insanity! To rule with help from Parliament instead of absolutely? Who are you kidding? To renounce the faith you were promised the freedom to practice, even to possibly save your husband's kingdom? Bowing to the masses? Not a realistic possibility. The characters are painted well, their good qualities and their faults, and the book makes for a very entertaining read.

I really did like this book. Jean Plaidy told this story in such a fashion that you feel like, at the end, you know everything about Henrietta Maria. Her life begins in France, and at 5 months, her father, Henry IV, is killed. Throughout her life this is a reminder of what people can do to royalty and a foreshadowing of what's to come in her life. She grows up in a...not so much a loving home, but she is loved by the one she affectionately calls Mamie. She is eventually betrothed and married to Charles I of England. This is a problem for her because she is a stauch Catholic, and he, a Protestant. The marriage starts off extremely rocky. She knows no English and wants to have her way. He is determined to bend her to his will. They hate each other and you almost wonder if this state affairs will continue. After a series of events they do manage to work out most of their differences but the main one. Neither will bend to the other's wish for a conversion. Henrietta gives birth to many children, none of whom, are raised Catholic as she wants, but she learns to live with it, albeit grudgingly. Because she is Catholic she isn't well liked by the English people and some turn her Catholicism into a major issue. Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan, among others, leads many Englishmen in a "crusade" against their King and Queen, resulting in the English Civil War. This lasts for years. Henrietta is forced to flee and then must endure heart wrenching tradegy, which Plaidy makes you feel deeply. She then spends a lot of time trying to restore her son to that which was lost. Jean Plaidy tells this wonderful tale with a passion missing from the history books. Henrietta Maria was instrumental in the English Civil War, but nothing is really said about her. Plaidy brings this Queen of England to roaring, tempermental life. She shows her amazing loyalty to her husband by risking all to do what she felt right. Even if it was seen as unpopular by others.

This is the first volume in the Queens of England series of books by Jean Plaidy, who is also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt. It is a well written work of historical fiction that tells the story of the daughter of King Henry IV of France, Henrietta Maria, who went on to marry King Charles I of England. Henrietta Maria, a Catholic, found herself married to Charles, a Protestant, living in a Protestant country, among a Protestant people. The English, at the time, viewed Catholics with deep suspicion, as the excesses of the Catholic Queen Mary, "Bloody Mary", the daughter of Henry VIII, were still not forgotten. A fervent Catholic, however, Henrietta would not put aside her religion, nor was she particularly discreet about her devotion to Catholicism, and, as such, was never fully accepted by the English people. Henrietta Maria was an impetuous and pretty, young woman, fond of musical revels, fashionable clothes, and gossip. Her husband, Charles, a family man of principle and integrity, was devoted to her, and together they would go on to have a number of children. Their marriage of state, made for the purpose of maintaining a Franco-English alliance, turned out to be a true love match. Henrietta Maria was also, however, a puppet of Rome, charged with leading Protestant England back to Catholicism. This was to cloud her judgment, at times, and cause much trouble down the road, and, ultimately, serve to pave the way for the rise of Cromwell and his Puritans. They would make her devotion to her religion and her influence over her husband a focal point for turbulence and civil war. Her loyalty and love for her husband was legendary, but not even she could keep him from the road that led to regicide. Written in the first person, this is a wonderfully told tale of an enigmatic, little known Queen, who wielded great influence over her beloved husband. Rich with historical detail, it is an enormously entertaining novel that is rife with the political intrigues of the day. All those who love reading well written, historical fiction should enjoy it.

Well written. Kept my interest throughout. Made me order more in this series.