ABSTRACT
Spanning the period from the time of queen's arrival in England in 1625 to the death of Lord Treasurer Richard Weston in 1635, this chapter explores Charles and Henrietta's personal and court relationship as well as the relationship the queen was developing with her and her husband's subjects. An additional element of this chapter is an examination of contemporary perceptions of the queen. The first, and most obvious, reason for Henrietta's weak political position at court during her first years in England was her youth. When the young bride landed at Dover on 22 June 1625, she was only fifteen years old, still very much a child physically and emotionally. Charles was nine years her senior and doubtless this disparity in ages contributed to the poor relations between the royal pair. Interestingly, Charles's public political power was conveyed through the iconographies of his personal life - that is, through the carefully executed paintings of the royal family.
