Henrietta was born in 1689 as one of the daughters of Sir Henry Hobart, 4th Baronet. She was orphaned at a young age and became the ward of Henry Howard, 5th Earl of Suffolk. He arranged for Henrietta to marry his youngest son, Charles. Like many arranged marriages, the parties weren't happy. Henrietta had married Charles to benefit her family and provide her siblings security. Charles felt used by Henrietta and mistreated her. They did have one son, Henry, would became the 10th Earl of Suffolk.
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| Henrietta Howard |
As nobility, the Howards followed the royal court of George I. Here, Henrietta became acquainted with his son, George, and daughter-in-law, Caroline of Ansbach. George wanted a mistress as it was seen as a status symbol amongst monarchs. However, George truly loved Caroline and truly didn't want to find intimacy outside of his marriage. While George made the decision to take on a mistress, Caroline ultimately chose who would fulfill that role. Henrietta was serving as Caroline's Mistress of the Bedchamber and she prompted George to take on Henrietta as his mistress. Caroline was friendly enough with Henrietta and felt that she would make a good mistress for George. Henrietta was not a great beauty, which may have made her less of a threat to Caroline. However, Henrietta was known to be intelligent and witty, which endeared her to the Court. These charms, however, did not endear her to George.
George was not too fond of Henrietta. She wasn't his first choice for a mistress and he wasn't attracted to her looks. Instead, George would visit Henrietta's rooms and they would play cards. Henrietta was also hard of hearing, and this supposedly annoyed George. Despite George's indifference to her, she remained his mistress for fifteen years.
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| King George II of Great Britain |
Henrietta's new relationship saw the end of her marriage to Charles. They separated in 1727, and while Henrietta followed Prince George and his court, Charles stayed in London. Charles also kept their son, Henry, and Henrietta would never see him again.
When George grew tired of Henrietta, he dismissed her from her role as mistress. Despite is cold treatment of her through their dalliance, Henrietta received financial compensation from George so she could have her own fortune that could not be seized by her estranged husband. Henrietta used this money to purchase a stately home, Marble Hills House. After her estranged husband died, she also remarried, to the Hon. George Berkeley, son of the Earl of Berkeley. Their marriage lasted eleven years and they seemed to be very happy with each other. At her home, Henrietta hosted other intellectuals, including Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, and had her own small court there.
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| Marble Hill House |
When King George II died, his financial support of Henrietta died with him. She grew completely deaf in her old age and lived a life of solitude. Henrietta died in 1767 and was buried along with her beloved husband, George.
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