Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate Princess Palatine Benedicta Henrietta (Benedicta Henrietta Philippina; 14 March 1652 – 12 August 1730) was Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg, or of Hanover, by her marriage to Duke John Frederick. She was the third and youngest daughter of Prince Palatine Edward and the political hostess Anna Gonzaga. Born in Paris to the landless Prince Palatine Edward, "Bénédicte Henriette"'s paternal grandparents were Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart, the "Winter Queen". Her maternal grandparents were Charles I, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat and his French wife Catherine de Mayenne, daughter of Charles de Lorraine-Guise, Duke of Mayenne.
Henrietta Maria of France executed in England during the 1620s, and Henrietta Maria felt passionately about her faith. In due course, Henrietta Maria would unsuccessfully try to convert her Calvinist nephew Prince Rupert during his stay in England. Henrietta Maria had brought a large and expensive retinue with her from France, all Catholic, primarily her principal lady-in-waiting and confidant Madame St. George. Charles blamed the poor start to his marriage on this French entourage. Charles finally had them dismissed from the court on 26 June 1626. Henrietta Maria was greatly upset, and initially some – including the Bishop of Mendes – refused to leave,