ABSTRACT
The period under investigation in this chapter was a pivotal one for the queen. In the summer of 1636, the Venetian ambassador to England wrote to Rome that Queen Henrietta Maria was "reluctant to interfere in matters of grave consequence, especially those which concern the interests of the state." A review of the Domestic State Papers for the years 1635 and 1636 reveals ample evidence that the queen was successful in her efforts to intervene on behalf of Catholics. In December 1636 the queen's new chapel at Somerset House was completed and opened to the public - more confirmation of the permissiveness of court Catholicism. Her role in state affairs would expand beyond the making of court appointment, to include: reinstating formal ties with the Vatican; aiding Charles in his military campaigns against the Scots; embroiling herself in Army Plots; and advising Charles in his dealings with parliament.
