Henrietta Maria
Conspirator, Warrior, Phoenix Queen
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Henrietta Maria
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Narrated by:
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Daphne Kouma
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By:
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Leanda de Lisle
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
A myth-busting biography of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, which retells the dramatic story of the civil war from her perspective.
Henrietta Maria is the most reviled consort to have worn the crown of Britain's Three Kingdoms. Condemned as that 'Popish brat of France', a 'notorious whore' and traitor, she remains in popular memory the wife who wore the breeches and turned her husband Catholic—so causing a civil war—and a cruel and bigoted mother.
Leanda de Lisle's White King was hailed as 'the definitive modern biography about Charles I' (Observer). Here she considers Henrietta Maria's point of view, unpicking the myths to reveal a very different queen. We meet a new bride who enjoyed annoying her uptight husband, a leader of fashion in clothes and cultural matters, an innovative builder and gardener and an advocate of the female voice in public affairs. No bigot, her closest friends included 'Puritans' as well as Catholics, and she led the anti-Spanish faction at court linked to the Protestant cause in the Thirty Years War. When civil war came, the strategic planning and fundraising of his 'She Generalissimo' proved crucial to Charles's campaign.
The story takes us to courts across Europe, and looks at the fate of Henrietta Maria's mother and her sisters, who also faced civil wars. Her estrangement from her son Henry is explained, and the image of the Restoration queen as an irrelevant crone is replaced with Henrietta Maria as an influential 'phoenix queen', presiding over a court with 'more mirth' even than that of the Merry Monarch, Charles II.
It is time to look again at this despised queen and judge if she is not in fact one of our most remarkable.
©2022 Leanda de Lisle (P)2022 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Henrietta Maria
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lesley Thompson
- 23-02-23
Not a dry history book
I knew very little about Henrietta Maria and found this book enlightening and engaging. She had a lot to deal with at a very young age and her spirit and energy shine through
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Becky Marlow
- 29-11-22
excellent thanks
excellent thanks. very interesting and well worth it and excellent descriptive narration brought the book to life
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- fortinbras
- 24-02-23
Not a great narrator
Interesting text but such an irritating narrator, baby-ish voice more suited to nursery story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amanda turner
- 03-02-24
I like the story it takes a long time to Finish
I like the Story it took a long time to finish I think people will like it
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 07-11-23
An interesting life let down by the narrator
A very good balanced biography of an interesting woman...however the narrator sounds like a teenager and this reduces HM's voice to that of a child even when fully adult and organising funds for royalist troops.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gwenneth
- 04-08-24
Enlightening account
I had no idea Henrietta Maria had such wide influence, an illuminating and absorbing listen.
Yet again poor pronunciation was jarring.
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