History of York

This oil painting belongs to the Merchant Adventurers' Hall.  It is of the Queen Henrietta Maria of France who was married to Charles I, King of England. 

It was painted in the early 1700s from an earlier portrait.  There is a story that the Queen visited prisoners who were kept in the Hall during the English Civil War and that this is the reason for the portrait's presence in the Hall's collections.  This is not to say that the Merchant Adventurers' Guild took sides - it is as likely that there were Parliamentarians as Royalists in the Company.

Click on the image for a better look.  The Queen is depicted in three-quarters length, facing us with her left shoulder turned slightly towards us, with her arms cradled. Her dress is of silk and is gold in colour, complete with lavish lace collar and cuffs, a black waist-bow, two strings of pearls, a brooch and a diamond pendant. On a table to her right is a jewelled crown.

This painting is located in the Great Hall.