Henrietta I: Difference between revisions
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===== Religious policies =====
Henrietta issued the Edict of Religious Toleration in 1676, giving religious freedom to non-Anglican Protestants and slightly easing the ascribed persecution and punishments for Roman Catholics. While the former was effective and accepted widely as a part of the country's pro-Dutch policy, the latter policy remained unsuccessful in much of the country. Only few counties even acknowledged the singular paragraph addressing Catholicism, and even fewer adopted a more merciful position towards Catholicism.
===== Divorce from the Duke of Bedford =====
In the 1680s, Henrietta and William's marriage deteriorated. Palace attendants often reported fights between the two regarding religion, their children, the Stuarts, and national politics. Eventually, in 1683, Henrietta requested Parliament to annul her marriage. When it was not approved, Henrietta invited Calvinist preachers from the [[Netherlands]] to address Parliament and 'amend English [marriage] laws'. During the divorce process - which would take four years - several rumours of Henrietta spread among London, accusing her of adultery and nymphomania.
In 1686, in order to clear her reputation, Henrietta was convinced to fabricate claims of adultery against William. This was successful, with Parliament approving the annulment of marriage in 1687. Detested in England, William exiled himself to [[History of Virginia#Colonial Era|colonial Virginia]]. He would go on to establish the province of Bedford in western Virginia. He would outlive Henrietta, dying in the city of Ajax in 1707.
Henrietta chose not to remarry after her marriage's annulment in order to protect her reputation, and vowed to live as chastely as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I the Virgin Queen]. Henrietta later established the first bones of unified British divorce law in 1691, based on the existing divorce laws of Holland and Scotland. Each divorce had to be approved by the English Parliament and could only be based on grounds of adultery or malicious desertion.
== Family ==
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