Henrietta maria as a mediatrix of french court culture: A reconsideration of the decorations in the queen’s house

Abstract

This chapter studies Henrietta Maria’s patronage in the Queen’s House in Greenwich, particularly decorations and architectural elements of contemporary French court culture. The patronage manifests Henrietta’s perception of the queen consort’s role in context of préciosité and honnêteté. Against previous prejudices, the chapter re-evaluates the queen’s conservative feminism that complements the King’s political visual program. Her iconographic House models on the ideal honnête woman characterized by wit and knowledge, expounded by Jacques Du Bosc’s L’Honneste Femme. The chapter also discusses Henrietta’s préciosité in the House decorations that signify religion validating all forms of virtuous human love.