Born at Exeter during the English Civil War, Henrietta Anne was taken to France as an infant and raised at the court of her cousin Louis XIV. In 1661 she married Philippe, Duke of Orléans, the king's brother.
Her position connected the restored Stuart monarchy with the French royal court, although her marriage was marked by personal and political tension. Henrietta connected the Stuart and Bourbon courts and helped negotiate the Treaty of Dover shortly before her death. Henrietta Anne Stuart was born in Bedford House, Exeter and died in Château de Saint-Cloud.
In Andrew Taylor’s The Royal Secret, Cat Hakesby receives a royal commission to design a poultry house for Charles II’s beloved sister, Henrietta Anne Stuart, and carries the project to the French court. For broader historical treatment of Henrietta Anne Stuart, see Linda Porter’s Royal Renegades.