oung Princess
Henrietta, upon whom the sun of prosperity was now shining in all its
effulgence, seemed like a new being, radiantly lovely and self
reliant. Philip fell desperately in love with her. With a form of
exquisite symmetry, with the fairest complexion and lovely features,
she suddenly found herself the sister of a monarch, transformed into
the principal ornament, almost the central attraction, of the court.
She went to England to attend the coronation of her brother. She then
returned to Paris. On the 31st of March, 1661, she was married to
Philip in the Palais Royal, in the presence of the royal family and
the prominent members of the court.

A few weeks after this the whole court removed to Fontainebleau. Here
a month was spent in an incessant round of festivities. The fickle
king, as soon as his brother had married Henrietta, saw in her new
personal beauty and mental charms. It is not improbable that she
almost unconsciously, in order to avenge the past neglect of the
king, had studied all courtly graces, all endearments of manner, all
conversational charms, that she might compel the king to do justice to
the fascinations of person and character with which she was conscious
of being richly endowed. Unhappily, she was triumphantly successful;
perhaps far more so than she had intended. The changeful and
susceptible king became completely entranced. He was continually by
her side, exasperating Philip by his gallantry, and keenly wounding
the feelings of his young queen.

The marriage of the king with Maria Theresa had been merely a matter
of state policy. The connection had not been inspired by any ardent
affection on either side. Though the king treated her with great
politeness as the Queen of France, her enthusiastic nature claimed a
warmer sentiment from her young husband. When she saw the attentions
to which she was entitled lavished upon Henrietta, the wife of his
brother, her affectionate heart was chilled. She became reserved,
wept, sought retirement, withdrawing from all those gayeties in which
her husband attracted the attention of the whole court by his
undisguised admiration for Henrietta. At last her secret anguish so
far overcame her that she threw herself, trembling and in tears, at
the feet of Anne of Austria, and confided to her the grief of her
heart.

The queen-mother could not have been surprised at this avowal. Her
eyes were open to that which all the court beheld; and, besides,
Philip