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Henriette Anna wuchs bei ihrer Mutter Henriette Maria in Frankreich auf und wurde im katholischen Glauben erzogen. Sie war die Lieblingsschwester ihres ältesten Bruders, des englisch-schottischen Königs Karl II. Stuart, der sie liebevoll "Minette" nannte. Am 29. April 1670 schrieb Karl II. z. B. folgenden Brief an seine Minette: "I wrote to you last week, and meant to send my letter in Janton's packet, but she had already closed hers, so I had to give my letter to Mason. I have received yours of the 23rd, which is so full of marks of affection that I know not how to find words in which to express my joy. In return, I must assure you that I love you as much as possible, and that neither absence, nor any other cause will alter the affection I have promised to bear you, in the smallest degree. Never fear that others who are present shall get the advantage over you, for, believe me, no one can share the love I cherish for you. ... If you only knew how often we [Karl II. und Janton [Geliebte von Karl II.?; sie lebte bei ihm und schien eine Sängerin gewesen zu sein] talk of you, and wish you were here, you would understand how much I long to see you, and do me the justice to believe that I am entirely yours." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 54-55).
"Henrietta [Anna] was naturally quick and clever, fond of reading, and taking delight in music and poetry. She sang well, played the guitar and harpsichord with considerable skill, and danced with a grace and elegance that attracted general attention, in those days when dancing was looked upon as an important part of a lady's education. ... In her own home she was the pet and plaything of the whole household, especially of her eldest brother Charles, whose affection for his little sister was noticed by English residents at Paris, during the years which he spent in France. Those early days saw the foundation of that warm and constant love between brother and sister which was to last to the end of Henrietta's life, and was probably the deepest and strongest element in Charles II.'s fickle nature. ... Another and more important personage, with whom the English Princess early became a great favourite, was her aunt, the Queen-mother of France. Anne of Austria invariably treated her young niece with the greatest kindness. ... she would often come herself to the Palais Royal, and take her back with her to share in the amusements of her cousins, King Louis [XIV.] and his brother Philippe, the young Duke of Anjou." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 32-33).
Henriette Anna, beschrieben von Madame de Motteville zum Zeitpunkt ihrer Heirat mit Philippe I. dem Herzog von Orléans, am 31. März 1661, die sie sehr gut kannte: "The Princess of England was rather tall; she had grace, and her figure, though it was not without defects, did not then seem as spoilt as it really was. Her beauty was not the most perfect; but her whole person, though far from well made, was nevertheless, through her manner and charm, altogether agreeable. Her complexion was very delicate and very white, mingled with a natural rosiness, comparable to roses and jessamine. Her eyes were small, but soft and brilliant; her nose was not ugly; her lips were red, and her teeth were as white and fine as one could wish; but her face was too long, and her thinness seemed to threaten her beauty with a speedy end. She dressed and wore her hair in a style that suited her whole person; and as there was something in her that made itself loved ... It was already visible that she had ideas and reason; and in spite of her youth, which until then [im Jahr 1661] had concealed her from the public, it was easy to judge that when she found herself on the great stage of the Court of France she would surely play one of the leading rôles." (in: Memoirs of Madame de Motteville, Volume 3, id., pp. 244-245).
Henriette Anna, beschrieben von ihrer Zeitgenossin Madame de Brégis im Juni 1658: "To begin with her height, I must tell you that this young Princess is still growing, and that she will soon attain a perfect stature. Her air is as noble as her birth, her hair is of a bright chestnut hue, and her complexion rivals that of the gayest flowers. The snowy whiteness of her skin betrays the lilies from which she sprang. Her eyes are blue and brilliant, her lips ruddy, the throat beautiful, her arms and hands well made. Her charms show that she was born on a throne, and is destined to return there. Her wit is lively and agreeable. She is admired in her serious moments and beloved in her most ordinary ones; she is gentle and obliging, and her kindness of heart will not allow to laugh at others, as cleverly as she could, if she chose. She spends most of her time in learning all that can make a princess perfect, and devotes her spare moments to the most varied accomplishments. She dances with incomparable grace, she sings like an angel, and the spinet is never so well played as by her fair hands. All this makes the young Cleopatra [Henriette Anna] the most amiable Princess in the world, and if Fortune once unties the fold that wraps her eyes, to gaze upon her, she will not refuse to give her the greatest of earth's glories, for she deserves them well [die Autorin hofft, Henriette Maria wird ihren Cousin, den französischen König Ludwig XIV. heiraten]. I wish them for her, more passionately than I can say." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 49-50).
Henriette Anna, beschrieben von Julia Cartwright Ady: "And in spite of the vivacity and sparkle which she inherited from her mother, her character, on the whole, was more of a Stuart than of a Bourbon. She possessed, in a prominent degree, the distinctive qualities of her illustrious ancestors. She had their remarkable abilities and their engaging manners, their love of culture and refined taste in art and literature. She had the same natural gaiety, the same love of amusement, the same scorn for conventionalities, the same impatience of etiquette and ceremonial. Her actions display the same impetuous feeling and carelessness of appearances, together with the same generous warmth of heart. At the same time, her character is plainly marked by that deeper and more serious vein, that strain of thoughtful and tender melancholy which was common to the best of the Stuarts. Above all, Henrietta possessed, in a supreme measure, that gift of drawing out sympathy and inspiring devotion in those about her, which was so striking a characteristic of her ill-fated race. She had many rivals, and not a few enemies, but no one was more faithfully served and more passionately beloved, or more deeply and enduringly lamented." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, New York 1901, pp. 1-2).
"The Princess [Henriette Anna Stuart] possessed an admirable admixture of grace and beauty, wit being allied to great affability and good-nature; to all these natural gifts she added a capacity and intelligence such as one might desire sovereigns to possess. Her coquetry was mere amiability; of that I [Madame de Montespan, die Geliebte von Ludwig XIV.] am convinced. Being naturally vain, the Prince [Philippe I., Herzog von Orléans], her husband, made great use at first of his consort's royal coat-of-arms. It was displayed on his equipages and stamped all over his furniture. 'Do you know, madame,' quoth he gallantly, one day, 'what made me absolutely desire to marry you? It was because you are a daughter and a sister of the Kings of England. In your country women succeed to the throne, and if Charles the Second and my cousin York were to die without children (which is very likely), you would be Queen and I should be King.' [Was nicht stimmt, es gab immer noch die Töchter ihres Bruders Jakob II., des Herzogs von York, Mary (1662-1694) und Anne (1665-1714), die tatsächlich Königinnen von Großbritannien wurden]." (in: Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan – Being Historic Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV, Volume 1, p. 56).
Henriette Anna war das neunte und letzte Kind des englisch-schottischen Königs Karl I. Stuart (1600-1649) und seiner Gattin Henriette Maria von Frankreich (1609-1669). Sie erblickte das Licht der Welt am 16. Juni 1644 in Exeter und starb am 30. Juni 1670 um drei Uhr morgens an einer Bauchfellentzündung. Kurz nach ihrer Geburt verließ ihre Mutter sie aus politischen Gründen - Henriette Anna war gerade einmal 13 Tage alt -, und überließ sie der Aufsicht von Sir John Berkeley und Lady Dalkeith. Am 14. Juli 1644 begab ihre Mutter sich nach Frankreich. Ihre Untertanen in England betrachteten sie, da sie den Katholizismus bei ihnen einführen und die Macht des Parlamentes einschränken wollte, als ihre große Feindin und hatten gedroht, sie hinzurichten. Ihren Vater und ihren ältesten Bruder Karl II. lernte sie bereits am 26. Juli 1644, fünf Tage nach ihrer Taufe, kennen. "The name of Henrietta was apparently the only one then given to the royal infant. That of Anne was afterwards added by her mother, out of compliment to the Queen Regent [Anna von Spanien/Österreich, Königin von Frankreich], whose generous assistance and kindly forethought had proved of such timely help in her [Henriette Marias] hour of need." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 6).
Ende Juli 1646 floh Lady Dalkeith, die Hofdame und "Ersatzmutter" der kleinen Prinzessin, mit ihrem Schützling in der Verkleidung von armen Leuten nach Frankreich: "Carriages were sent to meet Lady Dalkeith at Calais, and the little Princess ... was at length restored to her mother's arms. The Queen wept tears of joy, as she once more clasped her long-lost child in her embrace, and kissed her again and again. Lady Dalkeith, herself worn out with fatigue and anxiety, and exhausted with her long journey on foot, fell seriously ill on her arrival at Saint-Germain, where the Queen was then residing. On her recovery she found herself quite a heroine. Her name was on every lip, her adventures became the theme of every cavalier, at the Court of the exiled Queen." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 13-14).
Nachdem ihr Bruder Karl II. im Jahr 1660 König von Großbritannien geworden war, gab es viele hohe Herren, die um ihre Hand baten: der Kaiser Leopold I. (1640-1705), der Herzog Karl Emanuel II. von Savoyen (1634-1675), der portugiesische König Alfonso VI. (1643-1683) und ihr Cousin Philippe I. der Herzog von Orléans. Letztendlich wurde Henriette Anna am 31. März 1661 mit ihrem Cousin Philippe I. (1640-1701), dem Herzog von Orléans und jüngeren Bruder des französischen Königs Ludwig XIV. (1638-1715), verheiratet, mit dem sie sich übrigens besser verstand als mit ihrem eigenen Gatten. Ihre Ehe war nicht glücklich, da sich ihr Gatte mehr zu seinen männlichen Liebhabern hingezogen fühlte als zu ihr.
Die Hochzeit von Henriette Anna und Philippe I.: "On Wednesday the 30th of March [1661], the marriage contract was signed at the Louvre, by the King [Ludwig XIV.] and both the Queens of France [Anna von Spanien/Österreich und Maria Teresa von Spanien] and Monsieur [Philippe I.], on the one part, and on the other by Lord St. Albans in his royal Master's name [des englischen Königs Karl II.]. That mornring, the Princess Henrietta received absolution and Holy Communion at Saint-Eustache, the parish church of the Palais-Royal, while Monsieur performed his devotions at Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois. In the evening, the betrothal took place in the great saloon of the Palais-Royal, in the presence of the King and Queen [Maria Teresa von Spanien], and the two Queen-mothers. Mademoiselle [Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans] and her sisters, the Prince and Princess of Condé and their young son the Duc d'Enghien, the Duc de Vendôme, another Prince of the blood royal, the Prince and Princess Palatine, the Earl of St. Albans and a few other lords and ladies of exalted rank, were also among the guests. Mademoiselle [Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans] tells us that the dresses worn on this occasion were of rare splendour, and that the bride herself was most richly adorned and elegantly dressed. At twelve o'clock on the following day, the marriage was solemnised in the Queen of England's chapel by M. de Cosnac, Bishop of Valence and Grand Almoner to Monsieur, in the presence of the same illustrious company. That evening the King and Queen supped with the bride and bridegroom at the Palais-Royal, and the Queen of England did the honours with her accustomed grace and dignity." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 84-85).
Die erste Zeit nach ihrer Heirat: "Her [Henriette Annas] arrival at the Tuileries [einem ihrer neuen Schlösser, die sie ihr Zuhause nennen durfte] was hailed by splendid wedding gifts from the different members of the royal family, and became the signal for a fresh round of festivities. The young Queen [Maria Teresa von Spanien, die Gattin von Ludwig XIV.] was in delicate health, and too stiff and formal to take an active part in society. Madame [Henriette Anna] soon found herself the leader of the fashionable world, and the Tuileries became the centre of the Court. All the men were at her feet, all the women adored her. Foremost among the admirers, was the King [Ludwig XIV.] himself. For the first time, he recognised the charms which in his early youth he had refused to own, and declared aloud that he must have been the most unjust of men, not to think Madame the fairest and best of women. He paid daily visits to his young sister-in-law, and took increasing delight in her company." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 90). Was man alles unternahm: "They [die Hofdamen und Freundinnen von Henriette Anna] drove out with Madame [Henriette Anna] daily, to the Cours de la Reine, those pleasant avenues on the banks of the Seine, which had been laid out by Marie de Medicis, and were at that time the favourite resort of the gay world. On their return, Monsieur [Philippe I.] and a few of his intimate friends joined them at supper, after which the doors were thrown open and the men and ladies of the Court were admitted. Then cards and music, acting and jeux d'Esprit were the order of the day, and the evenings were spent in the gayest and least formal manner. Monsieur was proud of the universal admiration which his young wife excited, and delighted to see her the object of so much homage. 'Her conversation,' says a contemporary, 'was as animated as it was interesting, her naturally fine and delicate taste had sweet and equable, such it should be, to reign over the French. She had all the wit of her brother, Charles II., heightened by the charms of her sex and the wish to please. Her example inspired others with a taste for letters, and introduced a refinement and grace in the pleasures of the Court, which were altogether new.' At that time, Molière's troupe was giving frequent performances in the theatre of the Palais-Royal. The great dramatist had been originally recommended to Monsieur, by the Prince de Conti, and presented by the Duke of Orléans [Gaston, dem Onkel von Ludwig XIV. und Philippe I.] himself to the King. ... From the first, Madame [Henriette Anna] honoured Molière with her patronage, and what was far more in those days, showed a degree of interest and sympathy in his creations, which no royal personage had yet done." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 92-93). "Molière was honoured with many marks of her favour. On the 28th of February 1664, she stood sponsor to his first-born child, a boy, named Louis after the King, who was godfather. And when the first performance of Tartuffe had roused a storm, and angry priests were saying aloud that Molière deserved to be burnt at the stake, Madame took the author under her protection, and the condemned play to be repeated before the King at her own house at Villers-Cotterets." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 191).
Henriette Anna erlitt mehrere Fehlgeburten und eine Totgeburt einer Tochter am 9. Juli 1665. Drei Kinder erblickten das Licht der Welt: ihre Tochter Marie Louise (1662-1689), die der absoluter Liebling ihres Gatten und ihrer Schwiegermutter, Anna von Österreich/Spanien, wurde, ihr Sohn Philippe Karl (1664-1666) und ihre Tochter Anne Marie (1669-1728).
Über die Totgeburt (Kommentar von Madame de Montespan): "The Princess [Henriette Anna Stuart] gave premature birth to a child that was scarcely recognisable; it had been dead in its mother's womb for at least ten days, so the doctors averred. Monsieur le Duc d'Orléans, however, insisted upon having this species of monstrosity baptised. ... When this species of miscarriage had to be buried, as there was urgent need to get rid of it, Monsieur uttered loud cries, and said that he had written to his brother so that there might be a grand funeral service at Saint Denis [was jedoch nicht geschah.]" (in: Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan – Being Historic Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV., Volume 1, pp. 57-58).
Besonders groß war die Freude über die Geburt ihres Sohnes Philippe Karl, denn ihr Gatte hatte sich so sehr einen Sohn gewünscht. Der englische Botschafter in Frankreich schrieb hierzu an den englischen König: "... that Madame [Henriette Anna] was this morning [am 16. Juli 1664], between 9 and 10 of the clock, happily delivered of a sonne, a Duke of Valois. She had but an houre's labour, and is exceeding well, as any in her case, so newly brought to bed, can be. God be praised for it! The King [Ludwig XIV.] and the two Queens [seine Mutter und seine Gattin] were all the while present. All the Court infinitely joyed, as I doubt not but you [Karl II. von England] will be in England." Der glückliche Vater schrieb ebenfalls an seinen Schwager, den englischen König Karl II., über seinen Sohn: "... that your sister was this morning safely delivered of a fine boy. The child seems to be in excellent health ..." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 164-165).
Über den Tod ihres einzigen Sohnes, Philippe Karl, im Jahr 1666: "She [Henriette Anna] was passionately fond of the little Duke [ihren Sohn Philippe Karl], a singularly handsome and engaging boy of two years old ... For some time past, the little Prince's health had given cause of anxiety, but the present attack [im Jahr 1666] was said to be brought on by teething. His new teeth, however, came through at the end of a few days, and the child recovered ... [im Dezember 1666] He had caught a cold which brought on an attack of fever and convulsions, and his state was so alarming that Monsieur insisted his christening should take place at once. It was then the custom to sprinkle the Princes of the royal line with water, at their birth to defer the administration of the full baptismal rites until the age of twelve. On the 7th of December, the ceremony was performed in the Chapel of the Palais-Royal. The Bishop of Valence, who had arrived in Paris a fortnight before, officiated, and the child received the name Philippe Charles. Mademoiselle [Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans (1627-1693] represented the Queen of France, who could not leave Saint-Germain, on account of her approaching confinement, and the Duc d'Enghien stood proxy for Charles II. [den König von England]. But the poor child became rapidly worse, and died on the following evening. His body lay in state all the next day, and the King [Ludwig XIV.] himself came to show his grief and sympathy by sprinkling holy water on the bier, followed by all the princes of the blood, and an immense concourse of people. The event was regarded as a national calamity, owing to the delicacy of the King's only son, and the hopes which had been entertained of this promising child. ... The poor little Prince's heart was borne to the Val-de-Grâce, and on the night of the tenth of December, a stately procession of princes and nobles, bearing lighted torches, followed his remains to their last resting-place in the tomb of the Kings at Saint-Denis. ... The loss of this precious child was a terrible blow to Madame. Cosnac tells us that she was in despair." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 239-241).
mit ihrer Familie, ihrer Mutter Henriette Maria von Frankreich, ihrem Gatten Philippe I., dem Herzog von Orléans, und ihrer älteren Tochter Marie Louise (1662-1689) (in der linken Bildhälfte, von links nach rechts), ihrer Schwiegermutter, Anna von Österreich (in der Mitte) und ihrem Schwager, Ludwig XIV. (rechts), mit dessen Gattin Maria Teresa (zweimal dargestellt: rechts unten als Mutter von drei Kindern und rechts oben als die Göttin Diana)
Womit verbrachten Henriette Anna, ihre Hofdamen und ihr Gatte ihre Zeit? "At one time swinging was the fashion, at another tobogganing, then colin-maillard [Blinde-Kuh-Spiel] or hide-and-seek. When Monsieur and Madame paid a second visit to Chantilly that autumn [1663], a stag-hunt by torchlight was invented by way of novelty for Henrietta's diversion. Boating was another of her favourite pastimes. On fine summer days, Madame and her ladies would row on the Seine, in a richly-decorated barge, which Charles II. [von England] had lately given his sister. ... At nightfall, the whole party rowed down the river to Paris. Madame, enchanted with the beauty of the starlit heavens, bade the rowers lay by their oars, and let the boat drift slowly down the stream. So, with pleasant talk and song, they floated under the stars, until the current became more rapid, and the bridges of the city came in sight." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 141-142).
"The Queen-mother of France [Anna von Spanien/Österreich] was the first person who became uneasy at the King's devotion to his sister-in-law [Henriette Anna]. She complained that Madame [Henriette Anna] robbed her of her son's company, that her influence led him to neglect both his mother and his wife, and blamed her conduct severely. At her command Madame de Motteville ventured to give the young Princess a word of warning. Henrietta listened to her mother's old friend [Madame de Motteville] with her usual gentleness, but laughed at her mother-in-law's fears, and refused to be guided by her advice. Her intimacy with the King [Ludwig XIV.] became greater than ever. They spent whole days together, and took long rambles in the woods, which lasted until two or three o'clock in the morning. The young Queen's [Maria Teresa von Spaniens] jealousy was awakened. She wept bitter tears, and alienated the King's affection by her reproaches. Monsieur [Philippe I.], in his turn, took offence at the influence which Madame had acquired over the King, and carried his complaints to his mother. Anne of Austria, now thoroughly alarmed, begged the Queen of England [Henriette Maria von Frankreich] to speak seriously to her thoughtless young daughter. ... Anne of Austria now desired Abbé Montagu to remonstrate with Madame, while she herself spoke gravely to her son, and entreated him to put an end to the scandal caused by his proceedings. Madame was indignant with her mother-in-law, and complained of her unjust accusations to the King. ... Henceforth she [Henriette Anna] took care to show the world that the King was no more to her than a brother-in-law, for whom she had a sincere regard, and whose affection and good opinion she valued as they deserved." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 104-105).
"Mimi was the pet dog who appears with Madame, in several of the portraits painted by Mignard, about this period [um 1666], and who, we are told, by Madame de Sevigné, was so jealous of anything that robbed him of his mistress's notice, that he would run away and hide, whenever she took up a book." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 240).
Im Gegensatz zu ihrem Gatten war Henriette Anna politisch sehr aktiv. Sie stellte das Verbindungsglied zwischen ihrem ältesten Bruder, dem englisch-schottischen König Karl II. Stuart, und ihrem Cousin und Schwager, dem französischen König Ludwig XIV., dar. Im Jahr 1670 begab sie sich nach England, um bei dem geheimen Vertrag von Dover, einem offensiven und defensiven Bündnisvertrag zwischen Frankreich und England, mitzuwirken. Der Vertrag wurde am 1. Juni 1670 von Karl II. Stuart unterschrieben und sollte die Rekatholisierung des englisch-schottischen Königreiches gegen den ausdrücklichen Wunsch seiner Bevölkerung vorantreiben und Englands militärische Unterstützung in einem Krieg Frankreichs gegen die Freien bzw. Unabhängigen Niederlande gewährleisten. Dafür versprach Ludwig XIV. seinem Cousin Karl II. Stuart £200,000 pro Jahr an finanzieller Unterstützung.
Die Rolle der Vermittlerin zwischen ihrem Bruder Karl II. und ihrem Schwager Ludwig XIV. spielte Henriette Anna schon seit 1662: "In October [1662], Ralph Montagu, the second son of Lord Montagu of Boughton, was sent to Paris, with two letters addressed to Madame [Henriette Anna], the one for her eyes only, the other, which was written in French, intended to be shown to Louis XIV. In both, Charles declares his wish to conduct future correspondence on state affairs with the King, through his sister rather than through their respective Ambassadors, and expresses his opinion that, by this means, both countries are likely to be drawn more closely together." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 123). Am 26. Oktober 1662 schrieb Karl II. an seine Schwester: "... a close friendship between the King [Ludwig XIV.], my brother, and myself, and I assure you that this consideration was my chief reason in making this last Treaty, for an intimate alliance between us. In this I am persuaded that we shall have the advantage of your intervention, and if you think fit to propose that we should communicate our thoughts to each other through you, I shall be very glad, knowing how much this mutual confidence assist in promoting our friendship. I have desired this bearer to inform you and the King, my brother, of the present state of our affairs, and of the object I pursue. He will assure you of all the imaginable respect which I cherish for your person, and of my wish that you should become the witness and mutual pledge of the friendship that binds me to the King my brother ..." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 124).
Ihre Ehe mit Philippe I., dem Herzog von Orléans, war sehr unglücklich: "Whenever he [Philippe I.] travelled in the coach with her [im Jahr 1670], he would say the most disagreeable things to her face, before the Queen [Maria Teresa von Spanien, der französischen Königin] and Mademoiselle [Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans]. One day he remarked, with a smile, that an astrologer had once told him that he would have several wives, and that this prophecy seemed likely to be fulfilled, for that Madame would evidently not live long. 'This seemed to me very hard,' observed Mademoiselle, 'and the Queen and I showed, by our silence, what we thought of his conduct to poor Madame.' But Henrietta [Anna] took it all patiently, and was too much accustomed to her husband's odious behaviour to pay him any attention." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 329).
Am 29. Juni 1670 schrieb Henriette Anna wegen ihrer Probleme mit ihrem Gatten an ihre Freundin Anna Gonzaga Folgendes: "... but since there is no prospect of the Chevalier's [Philippe de Lorraine] immediate return, Monsieur declares that all the rest is useless, and says I am never to expect to be restored to his good graces until I have given him back his favourite ... The King was good enough to assure him, on his oath, that I had no part in the Chevalier's exile, and that his return did not depend upon me. ... But if I am unhappy enough for Monsieur to go on treating me so unkindly, I declare, my dear cousin, that I shall give it all up, and take no more trouble as to his pension or his favourite's return ... even if my credit were as great as Monsieur believes it to be, I never will give way to blows. ... His hatred is unreasonable ..." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 340-341).
Über ihren Tod am 30. Juni 1670 schrieb ihr Schwager, der französische König Ludwig XIV., in seinem Brief an M. de Pomponne am 4. Juli 1670: "... I will only speak to you of the heavy blow which I and my whole family have just received from the hand of God, who has taken away my sister, the Duchesse d'Orléans [Henriette Anna von England]. She was carried off by a violent colique, in the short space of seven or eight hours. This misfortune will not be regarded where you are with the sentiments which I must feel. I can only bow to the Divine Will, and seek what consolation I can find in the manner of this Princess's death, which could not have been holier or more Christian ..." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 361).
Madame de Scudéry (1607-1701), eine Zeitgenossin von Henriette Anna, schrieb über Letztere nach ihrem Tod im Jahr 1670 Folgendes: "All persons of wit and merit have had a great loss in Madame. It is certain that she had more mind than any lady at Court, and that she alone knew how to recognise real worth." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., p. 196).
Madame de Montespan, die berühmte Mätresse von Ludwig XIV., war überzeugt, dass Henriette Anna Stuart vergiftet worden war: "Monsieur de Lorraine d'Armagnac [der Geliebte von Philippe I., dem Herzog von Orléans], before leaving [er wurde zuerst gefangen gesetzt und dann zum Exil nach Italien gezwungen] gave instructions to Morel, one of Monsieur's kitchen officials, to poison the Princess [Henriette Anna], and this monster promptly executed the order by rubbing poison on her silver goblet. ... According to the written statement, which was also published in the newspapers, Madame [Henriette Anna Stuart] had been carried off by an attack of bilious colic. Five or six bribed physicians certified to that effect ..." (in: Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan – Being Historic Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV., Volume 1, pp. 95/97).
"The cold and heartless conduct of Monsieur [dem Gatten von Henriette Anna], after his wife's death, naturally confirmed people in the belief that he was not sorry to be rid of the Princess whose true worth he had never known. Hardly had Madame breathed her last then, as Montagu reports, he seized her letters and the money which was to have been distributed to her servants, and went off to Paris. There he devoted his thoughts wholly to the mourning arrangements, and the reception of those official visits of condolence in which he took so childish a pleasure. Mademoiselle [seine Cousine Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans], who went to see him on Tuesday, at the Palais-Royal, was surprised to find how little sorrow he showed. He had dressed up his little daughter [Marie Louise] and her cousin, the Princess Anna [of York], in long trailing mantles of violet velvet, and with his usual ridiculous love of ceremony, insisted that formal visits of condolence should be paid not only to these children, but to his younger daughter [Anne Marie], the baby Mademoiselle de Valois, in her nursery. ... in a fortnight's time he joined the Court at Saint Germain, attired in the most elegant mourning, and apparently in excellent spirits. ... Already he spoke freely of marrying again, and told his brother that he should like to make Mademoiselle [seine Cousine Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans] his wife, since, at her age, she would not be likely to have a family, and he would thus secure the whole of her large fortune. 'Monsieur is in amours again,' writes [Francis] Vernon early in August, 'and if he be not shortly married to Mademoiselle, all the world is in a mistake. He follows her, he courts her, he is at her toilette, and waits on her as she dresseth herself.' But Mademoiselle was already in love with Lauzun, and knew Monsieur too well now, to consent to become his wife at any price." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 373-374).
"During two days her corpse lay in state, surrounded by lighted candles, and the King and Queen came to sprinkle it with holy water. After that, the heart, enshrined in a silver casket, was borne to the Abbey of Val-de-Grâce, by a long train of ladies, with the Princesse de Condé at their head, and there interred, in fulfilment of a promise which Madame herself had made to the nuns. On the night of the 4th [Juli 1670], the body was removed to Saint-Denis, by torchlight, followed by Mademoiselle [Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans] and all the princesses of the blood. ... The funeral had been originally fixed for the 25th of July, but was put off until the 21st of August, to give more time for the necessary arrangements ... The hearse was extreme richly adorned. All the officers of her family, with great silence and mourning, cast the badges of their employment into her grave, and as her coffin was put in, there was a general weeping, a circumstance something unusual at these great ceremonies of the interment of princes, whose deaths, as their lives, are made up rather of state and externall shows. ... So Henrietta [Anna] of England was laid to rest in the crypt of Saint-Louis, by the side of the mother whose loss she had so bitterly deplored. But their ashes were not allowed to remain in peace. A hundred and twenty years later, on the 16th of October 1793, an infuriated mob burst into the sacred precincts dashed the monument of the Kings to pieces, and rifled the tombs of the dead. ... Their remains were buried, together with all those of the Bourbons, in a trench on the north side of the Basilica, known as the cemetery of the Valois. On the night of the 20th of January 1817, they were solemnly exhumed, in the presence of the Royal family of France, and buried anew in the vault under the church. ... At the service held in her own church of Saint-Cloud, where her intestines were buried, Feuillet was the preacher." (in: Julia Mary Cartwright Ady: Madame, a life of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. and Duchess of Orleans, id., pp. 378-379/384-385).
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Margarete von Österreich – Die burgundische Habsburgerin und ihre Zeit
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