MY QUEEN, MY LOVE

A historical novel based on the life and marriage of an uncrowned queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland during the 17th century.

Henriette-Marie, the youngest child of King Henri IV of France and his queen, Marie de Médicis, is just 15 when she marries King Charles I of England in 1625—just a month after he assumes the English throne following the death of King James. It’s taken a year of political negotiations with various royals and the Vatican to get a papal dispensation for a union between the Catholic princess and the Anglican king; however, as a Catholic, she’ll never have a coronation. Still, Henriette-Marie, who’s also known as “Henrietta Maria,” declares her advantages with considerable merriment: “I had many offers for my hand, since my dowry was generous. Moreover, I was comely, as princesses go, and it was known that I had a straight back, all my teeth, clear skin and was a nimble dancer.” With naïve romantic idealism and a conviction that she’ll eventually convert her husband and offer protection to persecuted Catholics, she sets sail for her new home across the English Channel. Vidal’s expansive tale—the first installment of a projected three-volume series devoted to the life of Henriette-Marie—offers palace intrigue, international conflict, and personal turmoil. But at its heart, it’s a poignant and often charming love story. The author’s extensive research has resulted in pages that brim with vivid descriptions of all things royal, including wardrobe minutiae, architecture, interior palace décor, and an abundance of servants—some who are devoutly loyal, others decidedly less so. The warmongering Duke of Buckingham, an influential favorite of the king, serves ably as the novel’s villain, as he poses threats to the kingdom as a whole and to the royal marriage in particular. However, the narrative pace slows considerably each time Vidal dwells on the young queen’s repetitious religious devotionals, complete with liturgical passages. It’s also quite challenging to keep track of the names, nicknames, and changing titles of the numerous secondary characters. Nonetheless, a final surprise should leave many readers smiling.

A royal tale enlivened by imaginative drama but burdened with excessive religiosity.