This is a beautifully executed antique oil on canvas painting of Charles I of England (1600-49) and Queen Henrietta Maria of France (1609-69), circa 1740. It is after the original by Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) which is displayed in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy. The painting depicts facing portraits of the couple dressed in grand and elegant seventeenth century costumes. They are young, rich and beautiful and appear to want to preserve that impression forever. On the verso there is a label for Aitken Dott & Son, Castle Street, Edinburgh, who will have bought and sold this painting in the mid 19th Centry. The painting is beautifully framed in the original Florentine, giltwood frame with ornate scrolls and shells. It is a very distinctive painting which makes a grandiose impression on the beholder. Condition: In excellent condition the painting and frame having been beautifully cleaned and restored in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 94 x Width 106 - Frame Height 66 x Width 78 - Canvas Dimensions in inches: Height 3 feet, 1 inch x Width 3 feet, 6 inches - Frame Height 2 feet, 2 inches x Width 2 feet, 7 inches - Canvas Charles I (1600 – 1649 )- was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles was the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after his father inherited the English throne in 1603, he moved to England, where he spent much of the rest of his life. He became heir apparent to the English, Irish and Scottish thrones on the death of his elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, in 1612. An unsuccessful and unpopular attempt to marry him to a Spanish Habsburg princess culminated in an eight-month visit to Spain in 1623 that demonstrated the futility of the marriage negotiations. Two years later he married the Bourbon princess Henrietta Maria of France instead. After his succession, Charles quarreled with the Parliament of England, which sought to curb his royal prerogative. Charles believed in the divine right of kings and thought he could govern according to his own conscience. Many of his subjects opposed his policies, in particular the levying of taxes without parliamentary consent, and perceived his actions as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch. His religious policies, coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic, generated the antipathy and mistrust of reformed groups such as the Puritans and Calvinists, who thought his views too Catholic. From 1642, Charles fought the armies of the English and Scottish parliaments in the English Civil War. After his defeat in 1645, he surrendered to a Scottish force that eventually handed him over to the English Parliament. Charles refused to accept his captors' demands for a constitutional monarchy, and temporarily escaped captivity in November 1647. Re-imprisoned on the Isle of Wight, Charles forged an alliance with Scotland, but by the end of 1648 Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army had consolidated its control over England. Charles was tried, convicted, and executed for high treason in January 1649. The monarchy was abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared. In 1660, the English Interregnum ended when the monarchy was restored to Charles's son, Charles II. Henrietta Maria of France (1609 – 1669) was queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I. She was mother of his two immediate successors, Charles II and James II. Her Catholic religion made her unpopular in England, and also prohibited her from being crowned in an Anglican service; therefore she never had a coronation. She began to immerse herself in national affairs as civil war loomed on the horizon, and was compelled to seek refuge in France in 1644, following the birth of her youngest daughter, Henrietta, during the height of the First English Civil War. The execution of King Charles in 1649 left her impoverished. She settled in Paris, and then returned to England after the Restoration of her eldest son, Charles, to the throne. In 1665, she moved back to Paris, where she died four years later. Aitken Dott Ltd 1842-1988, Aitken Dott plc from 1988. At Lady Lawson St, Edinburgh 1842, 12 South St David St 1844-1847, 16 South St David St 1846-1863, 14-16 South St David St 1863-1874, 26 South Castle St or Castle St 1874-1982, 94 George St 1982-1993, 16 Dundas St, EH3 6HZ from 1993. Carvers and gilders, frame makers, artists’ colourmen, from the 1890s also fine art dealers and picture restorers. This leading Edinburgh business was founded by Aitken Dott (1815-92) as carvers, gilders and frame makers in 1842 and developed by his son Peter McOmish Dott (1856-1934) to become fine art dealers as ‘The Scottish Gallery’. It was continued by George Proudfoot (1873-1943) and by subsequent owners and still trades today. Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641)- was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England, after enjoying great success in Italy and Flanders. Our reference: 06548 Please feel free to email or call us (+44 20 8809 9605) to arrange a viewing in our North London warehouse. Shipping: We ship worldwide and deliver to Mainland UK addresses free of charge. A shipping cost to all other destinations must be requested prior to purchase. To request a shipping quote for the items in your cart, please click HERE. Delivery and return policy: We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply. In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item. The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition. Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses. Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the European Union.