SAINT NICOLAS' PLACE
KINGS NORTON BIRMINGHAM
Queen's Room
Queen Henrietta Maria of France is reputed to have stayed in this, the best chamber of the house, on the night of the 10th July 1643, as she followed her husband, King Charles I, to Worcester in the Civil War. You can still see the tracks for the window shutters which she would have used to give herself some privacy. Today, the room still commands good views over both Saint Nicolas’ churchyard and The Green.
The Queen's Roman Catholic faith made her unpopular in England and prevented her from being crowned in an Anglican coronation service. As the Civil War approached, she began to immerse herself in national affairs and was compelled to seek refuge in France in 1644 after the birth of her youngest daughter, Henrietta.
The execution of King Charles I in 1649 left her penniless. She settled in Paris and then returned to England after the Restoration to the throne of her eldest son, Charles II.
In 1665, she returned to Paris, where she died four years later. American visitors might be interested to learn that the Province (now the State) of Maryland was named in her honour.
The room is perfect for a meeting or a small party get together.
The maximum seated for this room is 20 people.