Mary Stuart, Princess of Orange (possibly by Gerrit van Honthorst), c. 1647-1650.
Mary Stuart, Princess Royal and later Princess of Orange, was born in November 4th of 1631, daughter of the ill-fated King Charles I (beheaded by the Puritans in 1649) and his French Queen Henrietta. She was baptised Mary Henrietta.
Her Papa and Mama married in unromantic circunstances, in a rare time of friendly ties between England and France in early XVII Century (rare and brief time, since England-France rivalry would last untill 1904). He had been first intended to Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, but after unacceptable conditions were required by the Spanish King, Charles refused and left Spain furious, asking his father to declare war on the Spaniards.
But this not happened; and Charles married Princess Henriette de Françe in May 1625. Henrietta (her name was anglicized after her marriage) was merely 15 at the time of her marriage. In the first years, they were miserable. Charles disliked her French staff and dismissed everyone, and only 7 servants were saved. Charles, to, was heavily influenced by his favorite, Buckingham, and Henrietta disliked him a lot.
It was only after Buckingham's murder, in 1628, that their relationship improved. She became his confidant, friend and adviser; which would later had bad consequences. Their first child was stillborn and their first surviving son, Charles (later Charles II of England) was born the following year, 1630.
A year later, Mary Henrietta was born.
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Mary in 1639.
Mary was the first Princess Royal. Her exceptional mother, Queen Henrietta, was the daughter of the King of France and wanted to imitate the way the eldest daughters of the French kings were called (Madame Royale). So, Mary was created Princess Royal in her early childhood. The daughters of British kings were generally called Lady with the style Her Highness (a example is Mary's niece and daughter in law Mary II of England).
In my opinion, Mary was a cute child, however, with a head to big for her little body, as well as her eyes being to big for her head; but she soon grew beautiful, and there were several suitors.
Her father wanted her to marry a son of Philip IV of Spain and her first cousin Karl Ludwig, Elector Palatine (brother of Sophia of Hanover) was also a suitor. But early in her life her destiny was already sealed: she was to become Princess of Orange, as the wife of the Dutch stadtholder and Prince of Orange William II.
William, even from the early age of 14, was extremely handsome. He had dark hair and eyes, and a pointy nose. They were married in the Chapel Royal of St. James Palace in London. She was 10, he was 14.
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Celebrating Mary and William's engagement, by Anthony van Dyck, 1641.
Celebrating Mary and William's engagement, by Anthony van Dyck, 1641.
The marriage, as a result from the early ages of the couple, the marriage remained unconsummated for several years.
Mary was well conscious of her position as Princess Royal and Princess of Orange. She was very proud of her royal birth and expected to be treated as Royalty should be treated. Furthermore, she refused to speak any dutch, and her husband was quite indifferent to her. This made her unpopular in Holland.
Even her own relatives (Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate; Sophia of Hannover) made fun of her insistence to be treated as the most important Royal in Holland. In a time when Royalty was always praised (and if not, prohibited to be criticised), she wanted to be the most important of this elitist group.
Her mother-in-law Amalia of Solms-Braunfels was her enemy. She only arranged the marriage to bring prestige to her and the House of Orange. Their fights only got worse after the death of Mary's husband and fight for the custody of the little Willem III of Orange, later King William III of England.
Mary, after some time, fell for her husband's good looks. However, he was generally indifferent to her and only consummated the marriage after strong pression from his mother.
William II, however, fell ill with smallpox and died in November 6 of 1650, in The Hague.
A week later, William III of Orange & England was born.
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Mary, Dowager Princess of Orange, 1652, by Bartholomeus van der Helst.
After her husband's death, Mary was obliged to share her son's guardianship with her mother-in-law, Amalia of Solms-Braunfels, and uncle-in-law, Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg. She was unpopular with the Dutch because of her sympathies with her family, the Stuarts. She lived in the palace of the Stadtholder at the Binnenhof in the Hague, the building complex that now houses the Senate of the Netherlands.
At length, public opinion having been further angered by the hospitality that she showed to her brothers, the exiled Charles II and the Duke of York (later James II), she was forbidden to receive her relatives. From 1654 to 1657, the princess was usually not in Holland. In 1657, she became regent on behalf of her son for the principality of Orange, but the difficulties of her position led her to implore the assistance of Louis XIV of France; the French king answered by seizing the principality.
It seems that Mary didnt have any close relationship with her son, or influence in his upbringing.
The restoration of Charles II in England and Scotland greatly enhanced the position of the Princess of Orange and her son in Holland. In September 1660, she returned to England. She died of smallpox on 24 December 1660, at Whitehall Palace, London and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
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Sources:
Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange- Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Princess_Royal_and_Princess_of_Orange)
Mary Princess Royal and William II- Alexander Palace Time Machine (http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=16846)
Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange- Wikimedia (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Princess_Royal_and_Princess_of_Orange)
SUBALBUM: Princess Royal Mary Stuart- Grand Ladies Site (http://www.gogmsite.net/casual_dress_-_1641_to_1683/subalbum-princess-royal-mar/)
