Mary, 1st Princess Royal, Daughter of Charles I

An Ill-Fated Father: The Reign of Charles I from 1625 - 1649

As one would expect, Mary's childhood was influenced by the troubled reign of her father, Charles I. Charles I adhered to the belief he ruled by divine right, exhibited by his statement, "Kings are not bound to give an account of their actions but to God alone".  He believed he should be able to make unilateral decisions regarding the ruling of his country, including levying unpopular taxes without Parliamentary consent and granting illegal monopolies.  Parliament regularly took issue with these antics, seeking to curb and control Charles I's military expenditures.  Charles I sought to keep favorites, such as the Duke of Buckingham, in positions of power.  Parliament, citing the duke's military incompetence, sought to remove him from these positions.  Charles would respond by simply dismissing Parliament and imprisoning parliamentary leaders ... not exactly conciliatory or diplomatic decisions.

Charles I was disadvantaged by a perpetually strained treasury, constant European religious military conflicts, and religious differences between the Anglicans, Puritans, and Scottish "Covenanters" he ruled. Charles usually responded to dissension with defensive, polarizing maneuvers. One such maneuver led to the outright rejection of the Episcopal denomination by the Scots in 1638, in favor of Presbyterianism.

After a long succession of humiliating military failures in France and Scotland, with an Irish rebellion thrown in, things began to get personal. Parliament stated intentions to impeach Charles's wife, Henrietta Maria, while Charles threatened to execute key members of Parliament on grounds of high treason. These members having fled, Charles raised an army against parliament. The first Civil War began in 1642 and led to much bloodshed. Although defeated, Charles might have been reinstated, albeit with limited powers, had he not provoked a second Civil War in 1648.

Beheading of Charles I of England 

For the first time in English history, a reigning English monarch was brought to trial for treason against England, on the assumption that Charles I had placed his personal interest over the interests of England. He was convicted and sentenced to beheading, as his grandmother, Mary, Queen of Scots, had been ... to the shock 16th-century Europe.  Charles I's sentence was carried out on January 30, 1649.  The most famous of the revolutionary leaders, Oliver Cromwell, in an unprecedented gesture, allowed Charles's head to be sewn back onto his body, so Charles's family could pay their respects. Many English citizens were outraged by the execution of an anointed king. During the ensuing 11 years, known as the Interregnum, England became a Commonwealth.

Family tree of Charles I of England, including his children, Charles, Mary, and James (Ancestry.com):

Betrothed William and Mary by 
Anthony van Dyck

An Early Marriage: Mary's Early Years from 1631 - 1650

Now, just for a moment, imagine growing up in the midst of all that drama. Mary Henrietta Stuart was born in 1631.  In 1642, when she was 11 years old, her father created her Princess Royal.  By this time, Mary had already been married for almost two years, having wedded William, the son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, at the age of nine. William was almost 15 at the time of the marriage.  Fortunately, their marriage was not consummated for several years.

After her creation as Princess Royal, Mary moved with her mother to the Dutch Republic, little knowing her father would be executed seven years later in 1649, an event that would decrease her own status and value as a political asset. In 1647, when she was only 16, Mary's husband succeeded as Stadtholder, a position William II held for only three years. Mary tended to keep herself apart from Dutch society and was consequently unpopular among the people. Shortly after Mary's 19th birthday and while she was pregnant, William II died of smallpox. As if her life wasn't stressful enough, Mary's son, also William (later William III of England), was born only eight days later on November 4, 1650.


In-Law Problems and Custody Issues: Mary's Motherhood and Widowhood from 1651 - 1659

Like so many women today, Mary had in-law problems. Mary's mother-in-law, Amalia, would not even allow Mary to name her own son, choosing the perhaps more politically desirable name "William" (to increase the chances of his one day succeeding to Stadtholder) over Mary's less palatable preference of "Charles". Despite the wish of the late William II that Mary receive full custody of their son, in the event of William II's untimely demise, Mary was forced to share custody of her son with her mother- and uncle-in-law.

Princess Mary Stuart by Bartholomeus van der Helst and Johannes Lingelbach

The Dutch, displeased by Mary's sympathies with her by-now-exiled immediate family, further isolated her by forbidding her to show hospitality to her two brothers, Charles and James, who had fled to France when Charles I was deposed. Perhaps not surprisingly, from 1654 until 1657, Mary spent little time in Holland. This earned her the reputation of being an inattentive mother.

However, in 1657, she became regent on behalf of seven-year-old William for the principality of Orange. After seeking assistance with the attendant responsibilities from her extravagant cousin, Louis XIV of France, Louis seized the principality. This maneuver did not endear Louis to his nephew of tender years, who, as an adult, waged several wars against France, remaining Louis's lifelong enemy.

The Succession of Charles II and an Early Death: 1660

The English Interregnum coming to an end, largely due to internal divisions and power struggles, Mary's elder brother was crowned Charles II in 1660, thereby ending his nine-year exile and significantly increasing both Mary's status and her son's position in the Dutch Republic. Mary returned to England in 1660 to visit Charles II when her son was ten years old. Just when things were looking up, she died of smallpox (like her husband) on Christmas Eve of 1660 at the age of only 29. She was buried in Westminster Abbey, having been the daughter, eventually the sister, and ultimately the mother, of kings. The next Princess Royal would not be born for another 49 years.

An Ambitious Son: The Dutch Rule of William III: 1660 -1689

William III by Peter Lely

William III went on to receive a brilliant education, become Stadtholder, and maintain a strict sense of morality throughout his life (with the two minor exceptions of an acknowledged mistress and a usurpation of a rightful, albeit unpopular monarch). In 1677, he married his first cousin, Mary Stuart, his mother's namesake and a confirmed Protestant, like himself. The couple remained childless.

After the death of Charles II and the succession of Mary Stuart's father, James II, William and Mary invaded England in 1688, overthrew James II (who fled to France ... again), and were crowned as joint monarchs in 1689. For a more delicious description of the scandalous family drama and intrigue precipitating the couple's decision to overthrow James II, please read Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller (2004).

Family tree of Mary, Princess Royal, including William III and his wife, Mary II (Ancestry.com):

An Ambitious Husband: The English Rule of William III: 1690 - 1702

Mary II by Peter Lely

From the time of Queen Mary II's death in 1694 of that darned smallpox, William III ruled alone. He died in 1702 from pneumonia and was buried in Westminster Abbey alongside his wife. He was succeeded by Mary II's changeable and conniving younger sister, Queen Anne, who had impatiently awaited his death for eight years.

My next post will be about the transition of the English monarchy from the House of Stuart to the House of Hanover. It is necessary to understand this transition, in order to understand how the second Princess Royal, Anne, daughter of George II, came to be.