4. “very well made”: Airy, Charles II, 38.
5. “My manners and behavior”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 18.
6. “a prince richly endowed”: Ibid., 21.
7. “much courted by the English”: Ibid.
8. “notice other signs of weakness… by such means”: Ibid., 23–24.
9. “All these circumstances”: Ibid., 25.
10. “it was agreed that”: Ibid., 29–30.
11. “As I had never”: Ibid., 30–31.
12. “There is hardly a corner”: Godfrey, Heidelberg: Its Princes and Palaces, 302.
13. “The Elector, with his hearty manner”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 35–36.
14. “I was so pleased”: Ibid., 36.
15. “A grimace on the part of Madame”: Ibid., 36–37.
16. “My sister-in-law is very stupid”: Ibid., 37.
17. “I found her with all her fine clothes”: Ibid., 38.
18. “On our return”: Ibid.
19. “The Elector on his part”: Ibid., 39.
20. “I wished myself a thousand times”: Ibid., 38–39.
21. “I could see that he idolized her”: Ibid., 39–40.
22. “loved to attract attention”: Ibid., 40.
23. “I leave it to be imagined”: Ibid.
Chapter 15. A Lesson on the Passions
1. “Know then that I have a body”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 163–64.
2. “The difference between great souls”: Ibid., 165.
3. “I remark always in your letters”: Ibid., 169.
4. “Monsieur Descartes,” she wrote: Ibid., 167.
5. “For the special use of”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 204.
6. “I only try to put in practice”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 186.
7. “The people of this country”: Ibid., 189.
8. “I employ the little time”: Ibid., 190.
9. “Happiness is dependent”: Haldane, Descartes, 261.
10. “I examined the number code”: Nye, The Princess and the Philosopher, 106.
11. “the property of allowing”: Haldane, Descartes, 303.
12. “The portrait which Chanut”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 210.
13. “I had the honor”: Haldane, Descartes, 325.
14. “Had a letter come to me”: Ibid., 331.
15. “It seems to me”: Ibid., 306.
16. “I confess that a man”: Ibid., 334.
17. “I have put off this journey… I shall never cease to devote to you”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 280–82.
18. “Though the fever has left me”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 194.
19. “Although the death we speak of”: Ibid., 197.
20. “Assuring myself that”: Ibid., 214.
21. “He reminds me”: Haldane, Descartes, 340.
22. “As to the time”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 284.
23. “He taught me more”: Haldane, Descartes, 343.
24. “I have been in Stockholm”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 283.
25. “She is extremely devoted”: Haldane, Descartes, 343–44.
26. “Nevertheless, though I have so great”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 216.
27. “It is proof of the continuance… to serve you, Elizabeth”: Ibid., 218.
28. “It seems to me that men’s thoughts”: Haldane, Descartes, 349.
29. “Madame Elizabeth Palatine… hinder his decease”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 219–22.
30. “On the eighth day”: Ibid., 221-222.
31. “We thought her much changed”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 42.
Chapter 16. A Desperate Plan
1. “Being a good general”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 22.
2. “He either fears his fate”: Napier, Memoirs of the Marquis of Montrose, vol. 1, 61.
3. “The perpetual cause of the controversies”: Ibid., 286.
4. “Do ye not know”: Ibid., 288.
5. “Heard ye not”: Napier, Memoirs of the Marquis of Montrose, vol. 2, 483.
6. “before God, angels, and men”: Ibid., 692.
7. “I never had passion on earth”: Ibid., 422.
8. “abandon the Marquis of Montrose”: Ibid., 696.
9. “in the name of the whole kingdom”: Ibid., 729.
10. “My Lord, I have found”: Ibid., 711.
11. “I do not desire you should quit”: Ibid., 713.
12. “I give you many thanks”: Ibid., 711.
13. “Montrose: Whereas the necessity”: Ibid., 706.
14. “I pray God keep the King”: Ibid., 714.
15. “to proceed vigorously”: Buchan, The Marquis of Montrose, 230.
16. “otherwise, to give him”: Napier, Memoirs of the Marquis of Montrose, vol. 2, 729.
17. “The 7th of May, 1650”: Ibid., 773–74.
18. “I am sorry if this manner”: Ibid., 806.
19. “where, having freely pardoned”: Ibid., 808.
20. “I saw his arm”: Ibid.
21. “a letter from the King’s Majesty”: Ibid., 764.
22. “Montrose meanwhile”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 23.
23. “rascals and dogs”: van Zuylen van Nyevelt, Court Life in the Dutch Republic, 164.
24. “It was England”: Green, Elizabeth, 371.
25. “a better tongue”: Ibid.
26. “You will have heard of the high business”: Ibid., 370.
27. “I have now received”: Green, Lives of the Princesses of England, vol. 6, 213–14.
28. “as no parable but the certain truth”: Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland, 218.
29. “although she supposed he [Karl Ludwig] meant”: Ibid., 219.
30. “I have not before taken the liberty”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 270–71.
31. “My sister could wait”: Ibid., 273.
32. “Madam, the respect which I have”: Green, Elizabeth, 391.
33. “highly prejudicial to her honor”: Ibid., 393.
34. “The king and my niece… were at Antwerp”: Ibid., 394.
35. “Madam, I received yours”: Ibid., 431.
36. “Your sister Louisa is arrived”: Ibid., 394.
Chapter 17. The Electress, Two Dukes, and the Lady-in-Waiting
1. “His Majesty [Ferdinand] received him”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 47.
2. “The Electress, whose one thought”: Ibid., 49.
3. “such a bad temper”: Ibid.
4. “Your Belovedness”: Scott, Rupert, Prince Palatine, 290.
5. “She tried to forbid”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 51.
6. “His manner was good”: Ibid., 52.
7. “The Elector was devoted”: Ibid.
8. “heard the report of my engagement”: Ibid., 54.
9. “while in treaty with his subjects”: Ibid.
10. “which served to show off”: Ibid., 46.
11. “I infinitely preferred the Duke”: Ibid., 56.
12. “at once attached himself… said ‘Yes’”: Ibid.
13. “I knew also that the Elector”: Ibid.
14. “The Elector did not wait”: Ibid.
15. “enjoined the strictest secrecy”: Ibid., 57.
16. “the greatest gentleness”: Ibid., 58.
17. “the state of affairs was changed”: Ibid.
18. “even were his sister”: Ibid., 58–59.
19. “laden with fine presents”: Ibid., 59.
20. “The idea that he was to possess”: Ibid.
21. “Sometimes he wept”: Ibid.
22. “determined to go himself”: Ibid., 60.
23. “plunged in the dissipations… was very uneasy”: Ibid.
24. “stolen from out of her [Charlotte’s] drawer”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Pala
tine, 300.
25. “On entering the chamber”: Duggan, Sophia of Hanover, 55. For more on this interesting event and Charlotte’s later long letter to the emperor outlining her grievances (in which she admits to securing a gun and breaking into Louise’s room), see Le Vie et les Amours de Charles-Louis, 153–87.
26. “send a bullet through”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 301.
27. “if everybody could quit their husbands”: Ward, The Electress Sophia and the Hanoverian Succession, 58.
28. “The Duke of Hanover”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 61.
29. “proposing to retain… with pleasure to this proposition”: Ibid., 61–62.
30. “Duke John Frederick by no means”: Ibid., 62.
31. “The Duke of Hanover was so enraged”: Ibid.
32. “George William announced to his Council”: Ibid., 64.
33. “to avoid disturbances”: Ibid., 66.
34. “I should be mistress at Hanover”: Ibid., 66–67.
35. “assured that he need entertain”: Ibid., 67.
36. “that a good establishment was all”: Ibid., 68.
37. “Having perceived the urgent necessity”: Ibid., 73–74. This solemn declaration may be read in its entirety in both German and English in Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 72–75.
38. “I was dressed”: Ibid., 76–77.
39. “we danced in German fashion”: Ibid., 78.
40. “I, being resolved to love him”: Ibid., 76.
41. “the Duke my husband, taking my hand”: Ibid., 83.
42. “I take pleasure in remembering”: Ibid., 83–84.
43. “He took part”: Ibid., 84–85.
44. “He actually told me”: Ibid., 89.
45. “I took pleasure even”: Ibid., 90.
46. “I now hardly ever saw”: Ibid., 91.
47. “he assured me”: Ibid.
48. “I have already ousted X”: Barine, Madame, Mother of the Regent, 22.
49. “I carry with me”: Ibid., 52.
50. “The tables were dressed”: Duggan, Sophia of Hanover, 65–66.
51. “I shall watch over her”: Barine, Madame, Mother of the Regent, 33.
52. “I look for your sister”: Ward, The Electress Sophia and the Hanoverian Succession, 92.
53. “After his departure”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 92.
54. “Her shape and humor”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 226.
55. “Great was the joy”: Memoirs of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, 93.
56. “perfectly hated the Presbyterians”: Scott, The King in Exile, 137.
57. “so that he may be in a capacity”: Ibid., 141.
58. “I think I must repent too”: Gardiner, History of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, vol. 1, 385.
59. “God bless King Charles”: Guizot, History of Richard Cromwell and the Restoration, vol. 2, 166.
60. “We do assure you”: Ibid., 212.
61. “the house upon reading”: The Diary of Samuel Pepys, vol. 1, 121–22.
62. “Must not a queen”: van Zuylen van Nyevelt, Court Life in the Dutch Republic, 179.
63. “You sent me one seven thousand”: Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland, 265.
64. “I very well remember”: Ibid., 266.
65. “to kiss the Queen of Bohemia’s hands”: The Diary of Samuel Pepys, vol. 1, 136.
66. “who used us very respectfully”: Ibid., 142.
67. “dined in a great deal”: Ibid., 151.
68. “This place is very dull”: Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland, 268.
69. “I found the poor woman”: Scott, Rupert, Prince Palatine, 297.
70. “When your Majesty is here”: Green, Elizabeth, 401.
71. “Sure your Majesty hath forgot”: Ibid.
72. “was already shipped”: Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland, 273.
73. “I am glad your Majesty”: Ibid., 275.
74. “I love you ever”: Ibid., 273.
75. “My royal tenant”: Green, Elizabeth, 410.
76. “On His Mistress”: Wotton, Poems, 14.
Chapter 18. Abbess of Herford
1. “If I came to the Institution”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 288–89.
2. “If you knew me aright”: Ibid., 290.
3. “As your Grace has assured me”: Ibid., 291.
4. “I am heartily sorry”: Ibid., 291–92.
5. “If your Grace”: Ibid., 293–94.
6. “The Elector is very docile”: Ibid., 303.
7. “La Grecque”: Ibid., 281.
8. “Princess and Prelatess”: Ibid., 302.
9. “An opportunity occurs”: Pope-Hennessy, Anna van Schurman, 161.
10. “In all this, we can desire only”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 338–39.
11. “so long as the sectaries showed”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 310.
12. “The Princess wrote to me”: Ibid., 308.
13. “All made merry”: Pope-Hennessy, Anna van Schurman, 150.
14. “We learned quickly enough”: Ibid.
15. “Although much has been spread”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 337.
16. “I hear that all manner”: Ibid., 341–43.
17. “Next morning, as soon as we”: Ibid., 363.
18. “As though he had been the Delphian”: Ibid., 364.
19. “judge of his eloquence”: Ibid., 366.
20. “So forth we repaired”: Ibid., 366–67.
21. “Whilst he delivered all this”: Ibid., 368.
22. “But to this the Electress”: Ibid., 369.
23. “Tell the King”: Dixon, History of William Penn, 84–85.
24. “I did indeed discover”: Scott, Rupert, Prince Palatine, 313.
25. “Prince’s metal”: Ibid., 337.
26. “faithful great black dog”: Ibid., 342.
27. “the best players at tennis”: Ibid., 335.
28. “He is as merry”: Diary of Samuel Pepys, vol. 2, 14.
29. “Oath of Allegiance”: Janney, The Life of William Penn, 109.
30. “worshipping God after another manner”: Ibid.
31. “I have received your two letters”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 374-75.
32. “She would constantly”: Ibid., 398.
33. “Though she kept no sumptuous”: Ibid.
34. “I related… the bitter mockings”: Janney, The Life of William Penn, 32.
35. “the sense she had”: Ibid., 130.
36. “‘I cannot speak’”: Ibid.
37. “Dear Friend—Your tender care”: Ibid., 136–37.
38. “I must wait till God”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 334–35.
39. “I will execute thy commission”: Blaze de Bury, Memoirs of the Princess Palatine, 384.
40. “that he was quite comfortable at Windsor”: Scott, Rupert, Prince Palatine, 353–54.
41. “my sister was in bed”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 344.
42. “It is a great consolation to me”: Ibid., 346.
43. “I am still alive”: Ibid., 347.
44. “Elizabeth fails more and more”: Ibid., 348.
45. “The late blessed Princess Elizabeth”: Ibid., 397–400.
46. “God hath given it to me”: Dixon, History of William Penn, 191.
Chapter 19. Abbess of Maubuisson
1. the indomitable Blanche of Castile: For the history of the abbey, see Depoin and Dutilleux, Cartulaire de l’Abbaye de Maubuisson. For more on Blanche of Castile and Louis IX, later Saint Louis, see my earlier book Four Queens: The Provençal Sisters Who Ruled Europe.
2. “L’État, c’est moi”: Hassall, Louis XIV and the Zenith of the French Monarchy, 81.
3. descended from the same line as Henri IV: For an account of Henri IV’s early life, and his importance to France, see my earlier book The Rival Queens.
5. “War of the Queen’s Rights”: Martin, Martin’s History of France: The Age of Louis XIV, vol. 1, 302.
6 For more on Henrietta’s death: The case against poisoning is highly persuasive. One of Henrietta’s physicians reported to Louis XIV that she had had a frequent cough and been unwell for years. In the months preceding her death she had complained of digestive problems so severe that often she could tolerate only milk. She lost so much weight that a courtier who saw her at Versailles before her death observed that she looked like a corpse with rouge on its cheeks. According to Dr. Greg Soloway, a renowned gastroenterologist, these symptoms were much more likely to indicate intestinal tuberculosis, which was prevalent in France during this period (two of Catherine de’ Medici’s sons died of TB) or peptic ulcer disease, both of which could have led to the intestinal perforation and peritonitis that Henrietta likely experienced and that caused the terrible pain and her rapid demise. The chicory water (which in any event was sampled by both the lady-in-waiting who had prepared the drink and another duchess who was present, to no ill effect) was in this case an unfortunate red herring. “Acute poisoning would not account for her previous history of symptoms,” Dr. Soloway confirmed by e-mail.
7. “As I reached this town… orders on all matters”: Barine, Madame, Mother of the Regent, 64.
8. “Those who think that Monsieur”: Ibid., 65.
9. “Her peculiar characteristic”: Menzies, Political Women, vol. 1, 198.
10. “the marriage of Liselotte”: Barine, Madame, Mother of the Regent, 68.
11. “My marriage contract”: Ibid., 74.
12. “He was a little round man”: Ibid., 81.
13. “jewels, rings, and precious stones”: Ibid., 73.
14. he be allowed to wear them: For this condition of the marriage contract, see The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Charlotte, 12.
15. “It was cold; she wore no mask”: Barine, Madame, Mother of the Regent, 86–87.
16. “All my life, since my earliest youth”: The Letters of Madame, vol. 2, 185.
17. “I was very glad when… Monsieur”: Ibid., 142.
18. “One cannot believe how pleasant”: Scott, Rupert, Prince Palatine, 347–48.
19. “Her happy temper”: Godfrey, A Sister of Prince Rupert, 342–43.
20. “Since I have been a nun professed”: Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland, 325.
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