Royal Flush: The Story of Minette

by Margaret Irwin

This is not an historical novel in the ordinary sense. It is something the life of an actual royal family, whose story is so rich and varied that it falls naturally into the form of a modern novel. The heroine is that `Minette`, princess of England, Duchess of Orleans, who linked to dramatically the fate of her brother, Charles II, with that of her cousin, Louis XIV.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, 17th Century, Fiction, France, Historical Romance, British Literature

370 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

Born in 1899 and educated at Oxford, Irwin was recognized as a novelist of well-researched and occasionally heart-breaking historical fiction. She is best known for her trilogy about Elizabeth I: Young Bess, Elizabeth Captive Princess, and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain. Young Bess was made into a movie starring Jean Simmons.

Irwin also wrote passionately about the English Civil War, causing generations to fall in love with the ill-fated but charismatic Earl of Montrose.

Reviews

[☕️Hélène⚜️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable story. But, has I was reading I felt like I had already read this story but in a documentary form. It felt predictable. Nothing new.
Thank to Timeless Fiction and NetGalley.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodness, this book was hard work. It felt physically draining to read and I tried so hard to enjoy it. Persevering to the end, I thought I would grow to like the novel but, alas, this was not the case.

First published in 1932, I was really excited with the opportunity to read this book. As readers of my blog are aware, I firmly believe that books are timeless and I was really enthusiastic about having the chance to read my oldest book of the year so far. Whilst this is not a classic as such, you can certainly tell that it was written a while ago because of the writing style. It was wordy, lengthy and there felt like a lot of detail. I guess that this was one of the features that deterred me from the book.

Having studied this period in History many years ago, I was also keen to see a fictitious account with some familiar characters. However, I found myself confused by the vast array of people, particularly as they were often referred to as ‘Monsieur’ or ‘Madame’. I felt disconnected with the protagonist, Minette, and was unsure of what she was doing and with whom. Indeed, when pregnancies came and went, I am certain that I had not fully read the narrative – it felt like a miracle pregnancy!

There was so much promise with this book and I kept going in an attempt to enjoy Irwin’s writing. I guess I have found an author who I cannot immerse myself with and found the lack of energy in the narrative too hard-going. I did eventually sympathise with Minette but it was too little, too late. She clearly had a difficult life – a bit like my reading of her story!

I despise giving one-star ratings but this was unavoidable. I stuck it out to the very end because I wanted to see what would happen to Minette and whether this novel would gradually grow on me. Whilst I was wrong on this occasion, I can safely say, hand on heart, that I did try my best.

With thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Orsolya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sibling relationships can either be sadly brutal or just unremarkable. Sometimes, however, they are beautiful and richly loving. That is the precisely the case with King Charles II and his dear younger sister, Minette. Unfortunately, there is a lack of books (historical fiction and history) detailing Minette’s life. Margaret Irwin spotlights this mysterious figure in the historical fiction novel, “Royal Flush: The Story of Minette”.

“Royal Flush” is intensely gratifying as it captures reader attention right out of the gate with an emotional onslaught; creating a connection to both the plot and Minette. Irwin does this naturally and with ease which continues throughout the entire novel. Granted, the writing style isn’t for everyone with an omnipresent narrator highlighting the views of various characters but in the case of “Royal Flush”: it works.

Elaborating on this, some readers may feel that “Royal Flush” is somewhat chunky with too many characters. Often times, Minette isn’t even the main focus. However, Irwin connects all of these threads intricately so that the plot reads smoothly, artistically, and with the vivid imagery of a film. There is “something special” about “Royal Flush” which may not work well in other HF novels but is terrific here.

Irwin’s writing style is in the literary fiction realm with flowery descriptions and deeper philosophies often slipping into stream of consciousness flows (“Royal Flush” isn’t overly dialogue-heavy). This isn’t overdone, though, that the novel has an ideal ratio of creativity to reality; maintaining a strong pace. In fact, “Royal Flush” feels very ‘real’ and is light on the fluff; instead focusing more on its historical accuracy. Readers will certainly be compelled to turn the pages even if the “real story” is well-known.

Irwin’s characterizations are strong and dense with each figure having an individualized personality. Minette’s arc is well-executed, with the relationship between her and King Charles II being quite appealing (and making sense). Irwin doesn’t simply stick to stereotypes and box up the characters. On the other hand, there is an overabundance of characters present in the novel and thus readers new to the topic run the risk of being overwhelmed. “Royal Flush” is recommended more for those readers already familiar with Charles II and Minette.

The middle of “Royal Flush” is noticeably weaker. Although Minette is more of a focus; her storyline is a bit rushed and glossed over. Furthermore, there are absences in historical accuracy and a complete void of showcasing her unhappy marriage with Philippe (the brother of King Louis of France). It should be noted, however, that Irwin does well in portraying Philippe with some depth versus merely being a flamboyant homosexual.

This portion of the novel is also a disappointment in its focus on inconsequential drama revolving around Minette and several of her lovers. Not only is this an odd portrayal (one which I have not seen substantiated in historical books nor scripted in other HF novels); but it also dampers the plot and strength of the novel’s pace. The highlight during this section is the snippets of letters from Charles to Minette which are authentic quotes even with the original spelling. This adds to the depth and realism of the story.

The final quarter of “Royal Flush” returns to Irwin’s heightened emotional writing drawing the reader back to Minette while connecting to the character’s inner-self. The pace is quickened and (finally) there is a focus on her marriage. The only downside is a bit too-obvious attempts at foreshadowing Minette’s fate.

The flow into the conclusion (plus the ending, itself) is heavy and powerful in the best way possible. Historical accuracy is strong while the fictional liberties are meaningful and not over exaggerated. Not only is “Royal Flush” well-rounded but Minette as a historical figure is rehabilitated and in an essence: sainted. All in all, the final pages are quite good.

As a side note, Irwin’s text does include some grammatical and spelling errors but nothing too major or harmful to the story. There is also an absence of genealogical tables or an author’s note which many HF readers of today highly enjoy.

“Royal Flush” isn’t perfect and could have used some improvement but it has something magical flowing within its pages. The plot is emotional on a subject (Minette) not often explored and is presented in a manner which outdoes many contemporary HF novels. Although Irwin’s style is definitely not for everyone; “Royal Flush” is recommended for readers interested and with some knowledge of Stuart England, Charles II, Minette, and the Sun King.

[Misfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this novel Irwin recounts the life of Henrietta Anne (Minette) daughter of Charles I of England, and begins when a young Minette and her mother are in exile in France during England's Civil War. Eventually Charles Stuart regains the crown and Minette marries the younger brother of Louis XIV, Philippe Duke of Orléans - but Philippe's temper, vanity and penchant for *pretty* young men are not conducive to wedded bliss and Minette soon find herself growing closer to Louis. Much beyond this I don't want to say - if you're familiar with Minette's history you know what happens and I don't want to spoil it for the rest of you.

This is the first book by Irwin I've read and while I enjoyed her writing, but be warned it is dated (first published in 1932) and best taken in small daily doses and not in one lump read. I found myself a bit lost at times with several of the secondary characters and their multiple names/titles and would have appreciated a who's who reference guide, although you don't find those often in older novels. If you've never read anything on Minette and/or the court of Louis XIV I don't recommend this as a starting point - you'll be tossing it by page 100. However, if you are familiar with the period this is a good novel to give you a closer look at Minette's tale.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

First written in 1932, the tale of King Charles I's daughter. It was a little slow and dry, but did keep my interest. The first part of the book was less interesting to me than the last. It seemed, when telling the story of the child Minet, as her older brother, Charles called her, rather slow. Of course, without this back story, you wouldn't understand the rest of her life. It ended so sadly for her.

Thanks to Timeless Fiction and Netgalley for the book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1932 - a bit dry but kept my interest.

[Mela · Rating 4 out of 5]

If she could find some pattern, like the measure of a dance, some thread of meaning that should bring together the confused and crowded elements of her life into a whole, then she might not feel that she had lived so foolishly, untidily, so utterly in vain

I have a soft spot for Charles II, and his siblings. I have read a few books about him, that period, and other people of that time - fiction and non-fiction. I am sad when I think of Charles, his parents, brothers, sisters, and all English who suffered because of the Civil War. I am not going to decide who was right. I only think about how tragic was the fight, and how broken were those people.

they at least would appreciate each other and be amused at their efforts to cock their hats against the world

- I will never forget this metaphor, that when nothing is left, we can still cock the hat against the world.

Margaret Irwin captured splendidly the side of that story which always squeezes my heart again. How all those men and women were broken, and how later, in a bit better times (those who survived long enough) tried to live in that broken state.

Your mob is one of hucksters but mine is of starving wolves

The part about the court of Louis XIV was interesting and well-researched too. Yet, I wasn't as gripped by it as by the first part. Moreover, sometimes I was even overwhelmed by the "French part".

I agree with Misfit, I found myself a bit lost at times with several of the secondary characters and their multiple names/titles. I had access to the Internet (consequently, I got a history lesson), so I could check them, but it was tiring.

And I loved the young Minette's point of view (the view of a child). Sometimes authors forget that child's perspective is different from an adult one (long, long ago, as long ago as last winter).

[4-4.5 stars]

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royal Flush tells the story of Princess Henriette, sister of Charles II of England and sister-in-law of Louis XIV of France, from the day she and her mother were told of Charles I's execution after they had fled to exile in France until her own premature death at the young age of 26. A well-drawn portrait of an interesting historical figure not all that frequently written about. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of the enduring, loving relationship with her eldest brother despite the long periods of separation. The age of the book mostly shows when it comes to sexual relationships, which are only very vaguely hinted at throughout the novel, but I didn't mind the author timidly avoiding any more explicit mentions thereof overly much. All in all, I found this a slow-paced but enjoyable read and will likely check out more of the author's works.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely written in the 30's but an interesting take on what swirled around Henriette d'Angleterre in Louis XIV's court.

[Conor Primett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret Irwin’s Royal Flush: The Story of Minette, first published in 1932, stands as one of those curious historical novels that reveal as much about their own time as about the period they reconstruct. Its subject, Henrietta Anne of England — Minette — the youngest daughter of Charles I, who grew to womanhood in exile at the French court before becoming the wife of Philippe, Duke of Orléans, brother to Louis XIV, is a figure both marginal and central, a woman who embodied the dynastic entanglements of Stuart, Bourbon, and continental politics, yet whose life was cut tragically short. Irwin’s prose, though at times dry and somewhat constrained by the conventions of the interwar historical novel, seeks to restore Minette to narrative life, to trace the arc of her childhood in displacement, her adolescence at court, and her marriage into one of the most dazzling yet suffocating societies in European history.

To read Irwin’s novel now is to enter a double temporality. On one level, it is an attempt to recapture the world of mid-seventeenth-century France and England: the fall of Charles I, the flight of his family, the fragile restoration under Charles II, and the marriage politics that tied Stuart legitimacy to Bourbon favour. On another, it is an interwar meditation on politics, legitimacy, and spectacle, a product of the 1930s when European societies once again faced questions of monarchy, democracy, and authoritarian performance. It is precisely this double temporality that gives Royal Flush its peculiar power: one feels the weight of Louis XIV’s Versailles and, at the same time, the shadow of 1930s Europe, where the theatre of politics threatened to overwhelm substance.

Irwin’s Minette is shaped by displacement. She is born into loss: the execution of her father, the exile of her mother, the suspicion that accompanies her family’s wandering across Europe. This background of instability sets the stage for her later entrapment at Versailles, where stability itself takes the form of ritual so constraining it amounts to another kind of exile. The girl who fled England becomes the woman suffocated by etiquette. Her marriage to Philippe, Duke of Orléans, epitomises this transformation. Philippe is vain, jealous, ostentatious, devoted to his young male favourites, and ill-suited to conjugal partnership. Yet in a court where marriage is an instrument of politics, affection is not the point. The union is expedient, and Minette becomes a piece in the larger chess game of Bourbon diplomacy.

Here Norbert Elias’s concept of court society becomes indispensable. Writing in the 1930s, not long after Irwin, Elias argued that Versailles was not decadence but discipline, not frivolity but strategy. Louis XIV tamed the nobility by drawing them into the endless rituals of court life, where every gesture, every glance, every favour became part of a system of dependence. The nobles, once threatening to royal power, became domesticated courtiers, vying for access, reputation, and prestige. In Royal Flush, we see Minette caught in precisely this system. Her proximity to Louis XIV offers her both intimacy and danger; her marriage binds her into the rituals of display; her every act is interpreted as signal. What Irwin depicts, perhaps more intuitively than analytically, is how a human life is reshaped by the structures of court society. Minette’s tragedy is not simply that she marries a vain man or dies young, but that her very selfhood is absorbed into a system where sincerity and performance are indistinguishable.

If Irwin never quite penetrates Minette’s psyche in the manner of modern psychological fiction, that itself may reflect a deeper historical truth. Minette could not, in her context, be a modern individual. Her life was defined by dynastic structures, by rituals that scripted behaviour, by a publicness that denied the private. To read Royal Flush today is to confront how different notions of selfhood once were, how alien the courtly world is to modern notions of authenticity. And yet, the interwar prose betrays its own cultural anxieties: Irwin writes in the 1930s, when authoritarian spectacle in Europe was once again reshaping public and private life, when rituals of mass politics threatened to reduce individuals to emblems. Versailles becomes, in this reading, a mirror of the present.

The dryness of Irwin’s style has been remarked upon, and it is true that her prose lacks the lushness of later historical novelists or the psychological vividness of contemporaries like Virginia Woolf. But again, the dryness suits the subject. Court life at Versailles was itself dry in its elaboration, ritualistic, formulaic, repetitive. Spontaneity was suspect; ritual was everything. Irwin’s style reflects this atmosphere: restrained, precise, attentive to ceremony. If the reader feels suffocated at times, that is because Minette herself was suffocated. The novel becomes less an imaginative re-creation than a sociological case study rendered in fiction.

To place this alongside other works in my review corpus clarifies its value. Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, with its emphasis on repression, is not as distant as it might seem: Minette’s life is itself a study in repression, where desire is transformed into ritual, where intimacy is policed, where even affection for her brother-in-law Louis XIV is constrained by etiquette. Adorno’s critique of spectacle also resonates: Versailles was itself a culture industry avant la lettre, where every gesture was consumed as performance, where authenticity was replaced by representation. Dickens’s depictions of claustrophobic legal and social systems likewise echo here: Irwin’s Versailles is no less a labyrinth than Dickens’s Chancery, both systems where individuals are caught in webs of ritual, unable to escape.

Yet if the novel is historically astute, it falters in literary terms. Its Minette remains elusive, half emblem, half woman. We see her caught in structures, we feel her suffocation, we glimpse her frustrations, but we never quite inhabit her mind. The novel is more court chronicle than psychological fiction. It is interesting, it is informative, but it is not transformative. This is why it earns three stars rather than more. It sustains interest, it conveys atmosphere, but it does not burn into the imagination.

And yet, even this limitation has value. It reminds us that some lives cannot be narrated as modern novels would wish. Minette was not Emma Bovary, nor Dorothea Brooke, nor Clarissa Dalloway. She was a Stuart princess, a Bourbon duchess, a figure in a system where individuality was constrained. To capture her fully might be impossible; to render her as emblem may be the truest form of historical honesty.

The novel closes, inevitably, in tragedy: Minette’s death, possibly by poison, certainly by exhaustion, at an age when her life should have been just beginning. It is a reminder that beneath the splendour of Versailles lay fragility, that beneath the rituals of court lay human cost. Irwin, in her muted prose, captures this fragility. If the novel does not soar, it nonetheless lingers, a meditation on the cost of court life, on the suffocation of splendour, on the tragedy of a life lived more as emblem than as self.

As an historical novel, then, Royal Flush is middling; as a cultural artefact, it is revealing. It reflects the interwar fascination with monarchy and spectacle, the anxieties about legitimacy, the recognition of how politics becomes theatre. It does not dazzle, but it illuminates. It is not unforgettable, but it is worth remembering. And in its muted way, it teaches us something: that splendour suffocates, that power disciplines, that ritual consumes.

Adorno, in closing, provides the necessary crescendo. Versailles, as rendered here, is the culture industry in embryo: spectacle that disciplines, splendour that suffocates, ritual that consumes. Minette’s life, reduced to emblem, is the prototype of what mass culture would later do on a grander scale: transform individuals into roles, authenticity into performance, desire into ritual. The court of Louis XIV is less distant from our world than it seems. Irwin’s novel, in its dryness, in its restraint, in its very failure to ignite, reveals this truth. The royal flush is not only Minette’s fate; it is modernity’s. A hand dazzling at first glance, but stacked, rigged, and ultimately unplayable.

[Loves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book previously, not for a few years .though, so I jumped at the chance to read a review copy, to refresh my memory.
I have always been fascinated with this period of history and the research that went into ithis book was thorough. The storyline revolves around Princess Henrietta Anne ,daughter of the ill fated King Charles 1 ( Minette as her brother Charles calls her) and her early life with her Mother Queen Henrietta Maria , living in near penury at the court of her cousin,King Louis in France . It follows the years of their exile on the fringes of the French court , where they are treated as the poor relations to the restoration of King Charles Ii and the families rising fortunes. Minette is now a favourite of the court and marries the kings brother Phillipe Duc D'Orleans. My only criticism is that at times there was too much detail about the underlying historical aspects ,which helped you to understand the characters later motivations ,but made it appear more like a biography than a work of fiction. For this reason I think it made it harder for the reader to connect with the characters in an emotional way. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes historically correct fiction.
I received this copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and all thoughts are freely given and unbiased.

[Melisende · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan.
I did not like the writing style though can appreciate it was written in the 1930s.
I felt no empathy with the character of Minette as represented here.
I found the storyline hard to follow at times as other characters took centre stage.
There is no clear timeline - for someone not au fait with this period, this would be very confusing.
It is a highly romanticised account of this tragic Stuart Princess., which fell flat.

At the very start of the book the author claims although this is a novel, it's not "but something new". A great contradiction I could not find - and what was the actual point of this statement - I am still left wondering.

So glad there are much more current and up-to-date books covering Henrietta Stuart.

[The Idle Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This novel by Margaret Irwin, who specialised in stories about the Tudor and Stuart periods, focuses on the life of Charles II's little sister Minette, the wife of Louis XIV's younger brother Philippe. Although Minette features in a number of novels, this was the first time I'd read about her and I enjoyed the novel's old-fashioned romantic charm. Dense and detailed, it offers a sweep of the most colourful vistas of the 17th century: the lively Restoration court of Charles II and, more importantly, the glittering court of the young Louis XIV.

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/06/18/r...

[Mystica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book deals with Princess Henrietta and the role she played - the many roles she was forced to play from a marriage without any feeling, to royal alliances and secret affairs.



The story is quite rich, occupied by many who are all important in their various positions and in court but at the same time the story is lengthy, quite wordy and though historically so very rich, it took me quite a while in getting to grips with the book.

This is a part of history that is interesting to those who like historical fiction but it was not an easy read.

The language is old fashioned but that may be due to the times of publication which was in the 1930s.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written and makes the era come alive but is ultimately almost a hagiography—Minette is the most beautiful, kind, intelligent, everyone loves her except those who are jealous of her. The opening is the strongest—focusing on the abject misery of a little girl who is also a princess in exile, who both does and doesn’t understand that her father has been executed. Once she grows up and the focus shifts to court intrigue the going is a bit rougher.

[Polly Krize · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The life of Henrietta Anne (Minette), daughter of Charles I of England, is exiled with her mother during England's Civil War. This book was written in 1932, and some of the prose reflects this. I would suggest reading small portions of this book to keep your interest. Enjoyable, but a bit wordy, but well worth the read.

[Christopher Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dull.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 but I am rounding up.

[Indra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars? I almost feel bad for giving this book only 3 stars because I really like Irwin's writing, her understanding of human nature, exploration of human psychology and their philosophy but I simply didn't enjoy this novel as much as her Elizabeth I trilogy.