Royal Renegades: The Children of Charles I and the English Civil Wars by Linda Porter
Macmillan, Pan Books, 2016, 432 pgs.
The history of Charles I, the English Civil Wars, and his execution are well-known; as is the time when the Three Kingdoms’ no longer had a monarch, instead allowing for Parliamentarian rule through Oliver Cromwell. The eventual Restoration of Charles II is also well-known. The lives of Charles I’s other children – Charles II’s younger siblings – is less recalled, however. Exploring the near-nomadic lives of the lost princes and princesses of the Stuart monarchy, we explore what happened to them, which courts in Europe they hid within, and the various places they were scattered to, whilst their home was forbidden to them. From various marriages, to smuggling them bodily from house arrests, to the battlefield, and into shaky peace-times, the Stuart children’s lives both during and after their exile is finally revealed.
This is an in-depth, but instantly readable, book on the lives of the Stuart monarchy, particularly the children of the eventually executed King Charles I. Initially focusing on his heir and future king of England, Charles II, to his ill-fated unpopular brother, James II, we follow the princes to battlefields from coast to coast, observing how these two young men came into their inheritances, despite it seeming to be dissolved for so many years. It is not just the kingly brothers who are followed here, though: Princesses Mary (future wife of William II of Orange, and William III’s mother), and Henriette Anne (future wife of Philippe, Duke of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV) are perhaps two of the more fascinating stories presented. After all, how many young daughters and sisters of monarchs have been forgotten or made footnotes of in history? Here, we see that it is their legacy which goes on to shape Europe in the century or so after.
The most fascinating segments of the book lies in the interpersonal experiences of these monarchs. The family feuds that occasionally threatened to tear them apart, as well as the threats from both their countrymen and foreign machinations, reveals the taut and often fraught lifestyles that many of these Stuart heirs experienced. The book has a strong chronological core to it, making it easy to follow for those of us whose history might still be a little patchy. Porter introduces us first to Charles and his wife, Henrietta Maria of France, and their turbulent years together, wherein Charles I’s rule was slowly driven out from under him, until Parliament took claim over the country and had him executed. His heirs, fearful for their lives, then became scattered, with some spirited to Europe, particularly Holland and France, to the courts of Orange and Bourbon respectively, where they were harboured (not always warmly). Likewise, some of the youngest of the king’s offspring found themselves under house-arrest, trapped in the manors and castles of English lords and ladies, unable to join their siblings abroad. It is in the smaller anecdotes of daring and scandal where the book shines (particularly memorable are the attempts to smuggle out the baby Princess Henriette Anne, dressed as a little boy, to her elder brother, James, smuggled out also from England, dressed awkwardly as a young woman).
The characters of the Stuarts are portrayed well here, without slipping into mythologising, and Porter is quick to explain away certain rumours or anecdotes which have, in the centuries passed, been proven to be little more than gossip, if not unfounded altogether. The queen, Henrietta Maria, stands out as matriarch; we understand her better than viewing her simply in terms of her marriage and title, instead she is shown to be a fickle person, complicated, who is reliant on family in France and Holland for the safety of herself and her children. Her famous dislike of Protestantism and her adoration for Catholicism is also made clear, eventually leading to rifts between her and her less fanatical children. The rifts she creates through her disagreements with them, her demands on them personally, and her own mismanaged attempts at match-making reveal, perhaps, a woman who struggled to maintain the little power she once had. Likewise, Princess Mary and her chaotic marriage to the House of Orange’s William II (a man prone to affairs) is also portrayed well: her distress at being separated from her beloved siblings and the pressures she felt from her overbearing female in-laws, presents a woman often stuck in her position. She often asked for assistance on behalf of her exiled brothers in their attempts to win back the Three Kingdoms – proving her a loyal sister, yet one who had hardly any agency to help them. The female members of the Stuarts, therefore, make up some of the more fascinating parts of the book. Their marriages, and their offspring, some of whom become incredibly powerful royals in their turn, are subjects which reveal the level of constriction and lack of power such women had, despite their powerful titles. Married off for certain political allegiances, it is perhaps the youngest, Princess Henriette ‘Minette’ Anne, whose story makes up the final, and perhaps most memorable, chapter, who represents best the tense and often difficult relationships and situations these women found themselves in.
Married to the Duke of Orleans, Philippe, and often fighting his male favourites for recognition, Henriette Anne is used occasionally as a conduit for France’s tense conversations with her brother, after his restoration; Charles II was incredibly fond of his little sister, and an anecdote about them sharing letters revealing the difficulties/embarrassments they both experienced on their respective wedding nights is a surprisingly funny, if bittersweet, revelation. Henriette, known as ‘Madame’ when married, was used for political gain, used for communication, and used for endless pregnancies and miscarriages, ultimately dying young and in sudden circumstances, breaking her elder brother’s heart. Her sad story is not alone in history, summing up the fates of numerous princesses. However, there are also fascinating stories too about the young male princes, Charles and James, particularly the ill-advised inclusion of them as young boys at the battles during the war, when their father agreed to have them present. The horror they must have seen and felt shines through Porter’s prose.
The tragedy of the Stuarts is well portrayed here, and it is getting to know and understand the children, their friendships with each other, and the bitter griefs felt in the first half of their lives, which really gives this book strength. It is wonderful to finally see some of these forgotten persons brought back to life, revealing the bizarre and often difficult circumstances which surrounded them, both before and after the eldest’s restoration to the throne. The book does, however, become a little slower in the middle, where the battles of the Civil War are explained, and numerous generals and admirals are introduced, some a little too fleetingly to really understand them. This is hardly a flaw, as this is a nonfiction history book not a novelisation, but it does slow down and turn away from the main focus of the novel – yet it’s hard to explain the in’s and out’s of the royals confusing lives during this period without acknowledging the conflict that caused it. However, for those of you with an interest in military history, this middle section is cleverly done, clearly written, and still engaging – explaining well the many battles and small rebellions that took place as Charles I desperately tried to stop his kingdom being taken from him. There are many interesting insights here too in which Charles I’s naivete and his missteps are made clear to a contemporary audience, revealing the follies which led to his own downfall and, later, the missteps made by those who sought to replace him. The Restoration’s emergence, ultimately, is made coherent by these more complex historical observations.
Ultimately, this is a memorable, though lengthy, history book, wherein the lives of the young exiled Stuarts is brought to the fore. We see the princes and princesses at all stages of their lives; sometimes lives which are long and accomplished, or tragically short and unassuming – but always massively eventful.
[4/5]
Note: The 1600s is a period of time I have a lot of interest in, from this turbulent period of British history, to the House of Orange, and the court of Versailles – those of you with similar interests would definitely enjoy this book, I think. I have a few other history books lined up about both the Restoration and some of the key players from this period, so keep your eyes peeled for the next Nonfiction blog post. Expect more from this time period!
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