Henrietta Maria [Princess Henrietta Maria of France] (Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, consort of Charles I, 1609-69) Autograph Letter signed "Henriette Marie" to Henry Rich, Lord Holland, her High Steward, 1 page with conjugate blank and address panel, in French, sm. 4to, no place, no date, [1630's], "I am extremely distressed that my letter should have to begin on such a sad note as the need to commiserate with you on your loss. I take an interest in everything which affects you as you are someone I hold in the greatest esteem. I will not write more but will tell you more [later] and also hear news of your meeting", two red wax armorial seals with the remains of pink coloured threads, small hole where opened slightly affecting two words, folds, browned.

⁂ Henry Rich, first earl of Holland (bap. 1590, d. 1649), courtier; second son of Robert Rich, third Baron Rich (1597?-1619), and his wife, Lady Penelope Rich (1563-1607), daughter of Walter Devereux, first earl of Essex, sister to the Elizabethan favourite and the Stella of Sir Philip Sidney's sonnets. In 1623, as Baron Kensington, Rich had been involved in the negotiations with the French which concluded with the marriage of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. A man of easy charm he had an affair with the duchess of Chevreuse, and later pursued Anne of Austria, Queen of Louis XIII. His relationship with Henrietta Maria was for a time extremely strong during the 1630's, from which time the present letter probably dates. Later, although a prominent courtier Holland supported parliament for much of the Civil War. At the outbreak of the second Civil War Holland switched sides again and his force was defeated by the parliamentary commander Sir Michael Livesy. Caught in St Neots a few days later, Holland was tried in a special court by John Bradshaw and found guilty and sentenced to death despite pleas for clemency by the Earl of Warwick and Sir Thomas Fairfax. Holland was executed in New Palace Yard, Westminster on 9 March 1649.