Henrietta of England and Her Tragic Life of Calamities and Heartbreak

Henrietta of England was an English princess who lived during the 17^th century. She belonged to the House of Stuart and after her marriage to Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, became the Duchess of Orléans. Despite being an English princess, Henrietta spent the majority of her life in France and was a prominent figure in the court of her brother-in-law, the French king, Louis XIV.

Henrietta’s Early Life – Fleeing in Secret and the Beheading of Her Father

Henrietta was born on the 16^th of July 1644. She was the youngest daughter of Charles I of England and his wife, Henrietta Maria of France. At the time of her birth, England was in turmoil, as the English Civil War had been raging since 1642. In 1646, the first part of the war was concluded when Charles I was imprisoned by the Parliamentarians. In June of the same year, Henrietta and her governess, Anne Villiers, Countess of Morton (known also as Lady Dalkeith), fled in secret to France.

The infant Henrietta was reunited with her mother, who had been seeking aid from the French for her husband’s war effort. The Royalists were ultimately defeated, and Charles I was executed in 1649. Henrietta and her mother remained in France and Henrietta Maria decided that her daughter should be raised as a Roman Catholic. At the French court, Henrietta was given the additional name of Anne, in honor of her aunt, Anne of Austria (who was also the wife of Louis XIII and mother of Louis XIV).