Father Philip Preston (d.1647) was a priest of the Oratory who was confessor to Queen Henrietta Maria. He was a Scot. At the time of the purging of Henrietta Maria's French household in 1626 by her husband, King Charles I, there were three English priests allowed to her, Fathers Potter and Godfrey, and Father Philip Preston, a Scot. Because of his Scottish nationality he was elected to be her Majesty's confessor.[1]

This arrangement proved to be so successful that he remained her confessor until the end of his life, he died in 1647. Henrietta was so much attached to him that she went to see him in his sickness at the Oratorians' House in the Rue S. Honoré.[2]

In the summer of 1641, it was proposed that, in compliance with the request of the prince of Orange, the Queen should attend her daughter, Mary, Princess Royal into Holland, and also use the Spa waters, which were strongly recommended for her own health. The parliament, correctly surmising that there was some secondary motive in the queen's proposed visit, raised objections to her departure. According to a letter sent to Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange:[3]

The confessor, Father Philip, was sent to the tower by parliament, for placing improper persons about her, such as her secretary, Sir John Winter ; a letter from him to Montague having been intercepted, in which he said "The Puritans, if they dared, would pull the good queen to pieces; and can the good king of France suffer a daughter of France, his sister, and her children, to be thus affronted?"

He must soon have been released, because he was with Queen to Hague, where she went to urge solid assistance from the Prince of Orange and raising money by pawning her own jewels and those of the crown, amongst the rich merchants of Holland.[4]

Father Philip was with the Queen when she fled the English Civil War to her native France in 1644.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Venice: August 1626, 1-15 | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-25. There are rumours at Court that before leaving the king left instructions for his officers to recompense the French with 30,000l. sterling, 11,000l. in money and the rest in jewels. However the French profess to have received nothing as yet except some trifle of little consequence, and they declare thay have been treated too harshly and cruelly in their own words in not being allowed to see the queen first or even time to take away their baggage from the Court. They declare they will carry such a report to the Most Christian as will arouse quarrels between the two kings, so that with a good accommodation it may be possible to repair the offence which they pretend France has received by the manner of their dismissal, and the queen may obtain some advantage. Her prayers to the king have only resulted in obtaining for her a solitary French lady and two fathers of the Oratory, one of whom, because of Scottish nationality will be her Majesty's confessor. (fn. 4) 4. The French lady was Madame de Vantelet, who used to dress the queen. There were three English priests allowed, Fathers Potter and Godfrey, and Father Philip Preston, a Scot. Birch: Court and Times of Charles I, vol. i., pages 122, 138. Tillières says the intention was to deprive the queen of all her French attendants, but as she refused all food and drink unless she had at least one, they allowed her Mme. de Vantelet. Mémoires, ed. Hippeau, page 146. The Bishop of Mandé wrote to Richelieu in August "Il a mis près de la Reine deux ecclesiastiques Godefrey et Potier très bien connus au Père Berulle pour ennemis de la Religion: et tout ce que nous avons faire par nos prières, et la Reine par ses larmes a été d'y faire entrer un père de l'Oratoire avec son compagnon, qui ont desia reçu defence d'écrire de sa conduite en France, et n'auront la liberté de lui parler qu'en presence de temoins." Public Record Office, Paris Transcripts. The French priests were Father Philip as confessor and Father Viette as chaplain. Tillières: Mémoires, page 252.
  2. ↑ Haynes, Henrietta (1912). "Henrietta Maria". The Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 2022-10-28. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ↑ Green, Mary Anne Everett (1857). "Letters of Queen Henrietta Maria : including her private correspondence with Charles the First : collected from the public archives and private libraries of France and England". pp. 38–39. Retrieved 2022-10-28. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ↑ Green, Mary Anne Everett (1857). "Letters of Queen Henrietta Maria : including her private correspondence with Charles the First : collected from the public archives and private libraries of France and England". pp. 49–50. Retrieved 2022-10-28. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ↑ Lisle, Leanda de (2022-08-04). Henrietta Maria: Conspirator, Warrior, Phoenix Queen. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4735-6673-6.
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