ABSTRACT
Towards the end of James's reign the popularity of Prince Charles plummeted again with his betrothal to the French princess. Henrietta Maria, immediately preceding his father's death and his own accession to the crown. The auguries for the new reign were not improved when only a few weeks later he contracted a secret marriage with her containing a settlement allowing her freedom to practise her Catholic faith, to maintain a retinue of Catholic priests and further, to take responsibility for the upbringing of any children until their thirteenth birthdays. Princes cannot act in total secrecy and inevitably information leaked, allowing rumours to spread. Upon James's death, the King's Men, as the late king's servants, were each provided with four yards of black cloth for the funeral procession in May. and the list of players taking part on this solemn occasion includes Lowin. At this point, they may well have been concerned about their future. Charles had his own players so they cannot immediately have been sure of their position.
