After the French civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653 (known as the Fronde), the French court made it a priority to find a bride for the young king of France Louis XIV. Queen Henrietta Maria hinted at the idea of a union between her daughter Henrietta and Louis, but his mother Queen Anne rejected the idea, preferring instead her niece by blood, Maria Theresa of Spain. Louis and Maria Theresa married in June 1660, after which Queen Anne turned her attentions to her unmarried son Philippe.
Princess Henrietta married king Louis XIV's younger brother Philippe I, who was openly homosexual.
The couple signed their marriage contract at the Palais Royal on 30 March 1661. The ceremony took place the next day in the same building in front of select members of the court.
Known as Henriette d'Angleterre in France, and Minette to her intimates, she was known officially as Madame and was ever popular with the court. Court gossip later said that the king was the father of Henrietta's first child. Henrietta's very open flirting is said to have caused a jealous Philippe to retaliate by beginning to flaunt his sexuality openly in a less than accepting era.
Henrietta's flirting with the king started early in the summer of 1661 while the newlyweds were staying at the Palace of Fontainebleau for the summer. Philippe complained to his mother about the intimacy that Louis and Henrietta displayed, which led Queen Anne to reprimand both son and daughter-in-law.
The couple moved from the Tuileries in early 1662 to the Palais Royal.
A year into the marriage, Henrietta gave birth to a daughter later baptised Marie Louise. The paternity of the child was doubted by some of the court, who insinuated Louis XIV or the Count of Guiche was the father.
Soon after, Louis started an affair with one of Henrietta's ladies-in-waiting by the name of Louise de La Vallière, who had joined her household at the end of 1661 and had protected Henrietta with regard to the affair of Guiche.