Arguably the most important woman of the Civil Wars was the wife of Charles I, Henrietta Maria. Although the French-born queen has sometimes been overlooked, Professor Mark Stoyle argues that she was a far more pivotal figure in the conflict than is usually recognised. He even suggests that the King’s declaration of war may have been partly prompted out of concern for her: “Charles’s attempt to arrest five MPs in January 1642 was, I think, partly prompted by rumours beginning to circulate that MPs were about to impeach Henrietta Maria and even, perhaps, to execute her.” Sent to the Continent for her safety, the Queen continued to support the royalists from across the Channel, sending supplies and money, and later gathering an army to join her husband.
SWAPPING DRESSES FOR BREECHES
This 19th-century painting shows Queen Henrietta Maria fleeing England as the Civil Wars turn against Charles I