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The Life of Henrietta Anne: Daughter of Charles I
Henrietta Anne Stuart, youngest child of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, was born in June 1644 in the besieged city of Exeter at the very height of the English Civil War. The hostilities had separated her parents and her mother was on the run from Parliamentary forces when she gave birth with only a few attendants on hand to give her support. Within just a few days she was on her way to the coast for a moonlit escape to her native France, leaving her infant daughter in the hands of trusted supporters. A few years later Henrietta Anne would herself be whisked, disguised as a boy, out of the country and reunited with her mother in France, where she remained for the rest of her life.
Henrietta’s fortunes dramatically changed for the better when her brother Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. After being snubbed by her cousin Louis XIV, she would eventually marry his younger brother Philippe, Duc d’Orléans and quickly become one of the luminaries of the French court, although there was a dark side to her rise to power and popularity when she became embroiled in love affairs with her brother in law Louis and her husband’s former lover, the dashing Comte de Guiche, giving rise to several scandals and rumors about the true parentage of her three children.
However, Henrietta Anne was much more than just a mere court butterfly, she also possessed considerable intelligence, wit and political acumen, which led to her being entrusted in 1670 with the delicate negotiations for the Secret Treaty between her brother Charles II and cousin Louis XIV, which ensured England’s support of France in their war against the Dutch.
Henrietta’s fortunes dramatically changed for the better when her brother Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. After being snubbed by her cousin Louis XIV, she would eventually marry his younger brother Philippe, Duc d’Orléans and quickly become one of the luminaries of the French court, although there was a dark side to her rise to power and popularity when she became embroiled in love affairs with her brother in law Louis and her husband’s former lover, the dashing Comte de Guiche, giving rise to several scandals and rumors about the true parentage of her three children.
However, Henrietta Anne was much more than just a mere court butterfly, she also possessed considerable intelligence, wit and political acumen, which led to her being entrusted in 1670 with the delicate negotiations for the Secret Treaty between her brother Charles II and cousin Louis XIV, which ensured England’s support of France in their war against the Dutch.
216 pages, Hardcover
Published November 21, 2017
8 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Clegg
14 books311 followersInternational woman of history, biographer, posh doomer, chaotic good, anxious, ENFP, flame haired Robespierre, Scottish, a sweet titbit for the Devil's mouth.
To date, my published books include biographies of Marie de Guise, Henrietta Anne of England, Margaret Tudor and Empress Alexandra of Russia, all of which were published by Pen and Sword Books.
My next book, a biography of Madame Élisabeth, sister of Louis XVI, is due to be published by Pen and Sword Books in the summer of 2023.
After this, I am contracted to write about women guillotined during the French Revolution, Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, Marie Antoinette, Madame Royale, Louis XVI and the daughters of Louis XIV.
To date, my published books include biographies of Marie de Guise, Henrietta Anne of England, Margaret Tudor and Empress Alexandra of Russia, all of which were published by Pen and Sword Books.
My next book, a biography of Madame Élisabeth, sister of Louis XVI, is due to be published by Pen and Sword Books in the summer of 2023.
After this, I am contracted to write about women guillotined during the French Revolution, Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, Marie Antoinette, Madame Royale, Louis XVI and the daughters of Louis XIV.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 22 reviews
June 5, 2022
I have read several books by Ms Clegg and have never been disappointed.
The life of Henrietta Anne, born during the tumultuous times at the end of her father's reign, she was lucky to have survived the fall of the monarchy. She spent her young days at the French court, being close to becoming the queen at some point, and then manouvering in the labirynth of court intrigues. She was always close to Charles II, and played some part in secret negotiations between the English ad French courts.
Well-written and well-researched, this book casts new light on the English princess who still remains in the shadow of her domineering mother and royal brother.
*Many thanks to Melanie Clegg, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
The life of Henrietta Anne, born during the tumultuous times at the end of her father's reign, she was lucky to have survived the fall of the monarchy. She spent her young days at the French court, being close to becoming the queen at some point, and then manouvering in the labirynth of court intrigues. She was always close to Charles II, and played some part in secret negotiations between the English ad French courts.
Well-written and well-researched, this book casts new light on the English princess who still remains in the shadow of her domineering mother and royal brother.
*Many thanks to Melanie Clegg, Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
March 8, 2022
The Life of Henrietta Anne: Daughter of Charles I by Melanie Clegg is a great biography of the sister of Charles II. Beyond fascinating!
I absolutely loved reading and learning about Henreitta Anne Stuart. She was so much more than just the daughter of Charles I and the sister of Charles II. I sadly knew such little about her, but after reading this book, I can now say that I have a wonderful insight into the jam-packed and eventful life of this complex woman.
It was engaging and bittersweet to learn more about her life and the important role that she played.
I highly recommend this!
Thank you NG and Pen & Sword for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/30/22.
I absolutely loved reading and learning about Henreitta Anne Stuart. She was so much more than just the daughter of Charles I and the sister of Charles II. I sadly knew such little about her, but after reading this book, I can now say that I have a wonderful insight into the jam-packed and eventful life of this complex woman.
It was engaging and bittersweet to learn more about her life and the important role that she played.
I highly recommend this!
Thank you NG and Pen & Sword for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/30/22.
August 29, 2018
Henrietta-Anne is a favourite historical figure of mine so I was thrilled to see a book written about her. This is an engaging, sympathetic and informative look at Henrietta's sadly short life. It was a fantastic book and a worthy followup to the author's 'Minette', which is also highly recommended.
October 17, 2017
This was a disappointing read. Read like a gossip magazine. No new information here. Henrietta comes across as a real goody goody who loved everyone and was loved in return. I found her boring but in other books I've read there is a little more meat on her. Not great.
November 13, 2017
Full review to follow on my blog: https://wheretheresinktherespaper.wor...
March 21, 2022
I have read several books where Henrietta Anne Stuart was a supporting character. She was always presented in a favorable light. In this book she is presented the same way. She was born to King Charles I and his French wife Henrietta Maria. Born during the English Civil War she started out in a precarious position. Eventually smuggled out of England and taken to France where her mother had already escaped to, she would live out her life in the French court. Described as charming, charismatic and delightful she was considered the darling of the French court she was also politically savvy and the King counted on her for help dealing with her brother the King of England who loved her very much. Prince Philippe who was King Louis XIV younger brother fell in love with her and they were eventually married. He was emotionally abusive towards her and it was a very chaotic marriage but did produce several children.
I enjoyed reading about her life in this very well researched and written book. I have no doubts that anyone interested in this time in history would enjoy learning about this woman's life.
I enjoyed reading about her life in this very well researched and written book. I have no doubts that anyone interested in this time in history would enjoy learning about this woman's life.
April 30, 2022
Melanie Clegg, who as far as I can tell is an independent biographer, writes about interesting women. Henrietta Anne Stuart is a perfect subject for her. Henrietta Anne was born in Exeter during the civil war waged in Britain, and was smuggled out of England to her mother's native France where she spent the rest of her short life.
Henrietta Anne shows up in many biographies of Louis XIV because she, poor thing, ended up married to the king's reprobate brother, Phillipe. The fact that he had boyfriends, some of them quite horrible, was not the problem in and of itself. Fidelity was not expected in royal marriages, and really, who cares if your husband's extramarital affairs are with men or women? The problem was that Phillipe was notoriously abusive to Henrietta Anne, and she had limited ways to defend herself.
This book, like all of Melanie Clegg's books, is well-researched and well-written, I thoroughly enjoyed it. So often one reads about the major figures of history, but wonders about some of the lesser players. Henrietta Anne is someone I have always wanted to know more about; she is always described as charming and knowing just what to say, much like her brother, King Charles II. And stuck in that horrible marriage,
I am glad that Clegg wrote this book and I read it. I thought that she sounded like someone of whom I wanted to know more, and this biography was it.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Henrietta Anne shows up in many biographies of Louis XIV because she, poor thing, ended up married to the king's reprobate brother, Phillipe. The fact that he had boyfriends, some of them quite horrible, was not the problem in and of itself. Fidelity was not expected in royal marriages, and really, who cares if your husband's extramarital affairs are with men or women? The problem was that Phillipe was notoriously abusive to Henrietta Anne, and she had limited ways to defend herself.
This book, like all of Melanie Clegg's books, is well-researched and well-written, I thoroughly enjoyed it. So often one reads about the major figures of history, but wonders about some of the lesser players. Henrietta Anne is someone I have always wanted to know more about; she is always described as charming and knowing just what to say, much like her brother, King Charles II. And stuck in that horrible marriage,
I am glad that Clegg wrote this book and I read it. I thought that she sounded like someone of whom I wanted to know more, and this biography was it.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
May 1, 2022
This is a biography of the youngest child of Charles I of England who was executed by Parliament during the English Civil War. It goes through the English Civil War when Henrietta Anne was born, through her years as a dependent on foreign royalty for her home and even her clothes on her back, to her difficult marriage and the early years of Louis XIV (the Sun King)’s reign and the building of the magnificent Versailles.
It was interesting to read about how she was the child of a royal couple who actually cared for each other (a rarity in those days), how she was close to some of her siblings even though they were separated by years and geographically—sometimes countries away from one another. The description of Louis XIV’s court and entertainments were fun to read. I was particularly interested in how she played a big role in getting a treaty between France and England.
I only wish that there had been an epilogue or a conclusion. It ended abruptly with her death. I wanted to know about the importance of the treaty that she helped facilitate between France and England shortly before her death and what happened to her children. I didn’t know anything about Henrietta Anne. Princesses are usually overlooked by history so it was interesting to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It was interesting to read about how she was the child of a royal couple who actually cared for each other (a rarity in those days), how she was close to some of her siblings even though they were separated by years and geographically—sometimes countries away from one another. The description of Louis XIV’s court and entertainments were fun to read. I was particularly interested in how she played a big role in getting a treaty between France and England.
I only wish that there had been an epilogue or a conclusion. It ended abruptly with her death. I wanted to know about the importance of the treaty that she helped facilitate between France and England shortly before her death and what happened to her children. I didn’t know anything about Henrietta Anne. Princesses are usually overlooked by history so it was interesting to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 19, 2018
This is a good biography of Henrietta Anne. From the very beginning of this book I was completely hooked and could not put it down. The Life of Henrietta Anne was a well-written and well-researched. I recommend The Life of Henrietta Anne: Daughter of Charles I by Melanie Clegg to anyone who is interested in this period of history.
December 20, 2022
"The Life of Henrietta Anne" is a well- written, engaging biography. That was a pleasant surprise for me. Usually, when royals are written about, it's the monarch or his wife that get the attention. It was nice to see someone else's life presented. Henrietta certainly went through a lot, particularly in her marriage. To have such an immature and jealous person for a spouse...I felt bad for her. But what I particularly liked was just how intelligent she was, so much so that her brother and brother-in-law viewed her as an integral part in some of their political negotiations. That was impressive to me considering the usual attitude of women not being astute enough for such a role. The only issue I had was the author's penchant for long run-on sentences. There were too many instances of me having to read many parts 2 or 3 times over to get the full gist. Commas and semicolons need to be used, and in many cases, sentences that take up one third of a paragraph need to be trimmed. Aside from that, it was an enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 20, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the life of Henrietta Anne Stuart in this book by Melanie Clegg. Prior to reading I did not know much about her, and found this book easy to follow and understand. The book was also very well researched, giving a level of detail that is interesting for both newcomers to the Stuart period, as well as those who have more knowledge in the area. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the Stuart period and the role Henrietta Anne played in it.
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I will be posting my review on Goodreads and Storygraph, and on Amazon and Waterstones upon the publishing date.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I will be posting my review on Goodreads and Storygraph, and on Amazon and Waterstones upon the publishing date.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile...
April 23, 2022
A well researched book by Melanie Clegg, detailing the life of Charles II's little sister 'Minette' from her birth in England during the Civil War and growing up a pauper in the French Court, while her mother alienated her brothers by trying to force them to convert to Catholicism.
To her marriage to Phillipe, duc d'Orleans, his scandalous affairs with men and how she persuaded her brother to sign a secret treaty that would give him financial independence from Parliment if her were to support France's policies in Europe over any other treaties he signed with other countries.
Melanie Clegg has done an excellent job on trsnporting us back to the 1600s to show us what life was like for Henrietta as she grew up.
To her marriage to Phillipe, duc d'Orleans, his scandalous affairs with men and how she persuaded her brother to sign a secret treaty that would give him financial independence from Parliment if her were to support France's policies in Europe over any other treaties he signed with other countries.
Melanie Clegg has done an excellent job on trsnporting us back to the 1600s to show us what life was like for Henrietta as she grew up.
March 18, 2022
NB: free ARC received for honest review
A solid account of the life of Henrietta of England, from her birth during the Civil War to her youth as the 'poor dependant' of the French royal family, to her - often unhappy - marriage to Prince Philippe of France. Much emphasis is placed on Henrietta Anne's role in the treaty between her brother (Charles II of England) and her brother-in-law (Louis XIV of France). Trusted by both men, she was a conduit for secret communication between them.
This is a readable text and it shed light on some details of the period which I had previously not known, so I am glad I read it.
A solid account of the life of Henrietta of England, from her birth during the Civil War to her youth as the 'poor dependant' of the French royal family, to her - often unhappy - marriage to Prince Philippe of France. Much emphasis is placed on Henrietta Anne's role in the treaty between her brother (Charles II of England) and her brother-in-law (Louis XIV of France). Trusted by both men, she was a conduit for secret communication between them.
This is a readable text and it shed light on some details of the period which I had previously not known, so I am glad I read it.
April 20, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the life of Henrietta Anne Stuart in this book by Melanie Clegg. Prior to reading I did not know much about her, and found this book easy to follow and understand. The book was also very well researched, giving a level of detail that is interesting for both newcomers to the Stuart period, as well as those who have more knowledge in the area. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the Stuart period and the role Henrietta Anne played in it.
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
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April 22, 2022A princess of England who spent most of her life in France and married her first cousin is the subject of Clegg’s latest royal biography. Henrietta Anne, born during the English Civil War, led a life of turmoil. She was under the influence of her mother during her formative years and never knew her father. I am always saddened by how many children women lost back then and the toll it took on their psyche. She died very young.
This biography was a quick read and allows readers to become more familiar with the youngest sister of two kings of England.
Thanks to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the advance read.
This biography was a quick read and allows readers to become more familiar with the youngest sister of two kings of England.
Thanks to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the advance read.
March 24, 2021
Henrietta Anne Stuart had a brief but quite extraordinary life. She played a key diplomatic role acting as an intermediary between her brother, Charles II of England, and her brother-in-law, Louis XIV of France which resulted in the secret Treaty of Dover. Much admired for her looks, intelligence and kindness, she is a little known historical figure. This account explains why Henrietta Anne should be taken more seriously and also gives a very good overview of royal life in late 17th century France and England.
October 2, 2022
This is a wonderful biography that is difficult to put down. I knew very little about Henrietta other than she was the sister of Charles II, but this book shows that she was much more than that. She spent most of her life in France married to Philippe, duc D'Orleans, the brother of Louis XIV, and had to endure his affairs, but she was politically astute and played a key diplomatic role in brokering the Treaty of Dover between England and France. Melanie Clegg, through much of Henrietta's correspondence, paints a vivid picture of her life which ended in a premature death in 1670.
July 16, 2025
This was better than I expected, since it's always best not to expect too much from popular history books. It provides a thorough study of its subject's life in 200 pages, and its only flaw is that it is marred by some ridiculously long sentences that it should have been evident to the publisher (and author) needed to be broken up with commas. A good editor could have made the book even better, but it's still a more than adequate short biography. If you want a longer and more detailed study of Henrietta of England, Julia Cartwright's 400-page biography 'Madame' might do the trick.
November 3, 2023
The Duchess of Orleans and a Stuart Princess
A well told story about the life of an English born noble woman who lived her life mainly in France, in Louis the XIV ( The Sun King) married to his brother Philipe the Duc of Orleans, who treated her very badly as he had a favorite male lover.
Henrietta loved her father Charles1 with all her loving devoted heart.
A glimpse into Royal life in the golden era in the 1600s!
A great read for any fan of Royal history!
A well told story about the life of an English born noble woman who lived her life mainly in France, in Louis the XIV ( The Sun King) married to his brother Philipe the Duc of Orleans, who treated her very badly as he had a favorite male lover.
Henrietta loved her father Charles1 with all her loving devoted heart.
A glimpse into Royal life in the golden era in the 1600s!
A great read for any fan of Royal history!
March 11, 2022
I have wanted to read this for a long time, and I was not disappointed in my expectations! Everyone focuses on the Tudors, but the Stuarts had as much drama in there lives, and Henrietta Anne is one of history’s most overlooked players.
May 21, 2022
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.com. . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express are my own.
Fabulous read! This author just added herself to my favorites list! Can't wait to read more by her.
Fabulous read! This author just added herself to my favorites list! Can't wait to read more by her.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 22 reviews