Mary was the eldest daughter of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, and Britain’s first Princess Royal. In 1641, aged only nine, she married the future Dutch stadholder, or leader, William of Orange. After Mary was widowed aged nineteen, she devoted her time to promoting her brother, Charles II (who was in exile on the continent) and the restoration of the Stuart monarchy. Her political and financial support of the Stuart cause annoyed Oliver Cromwell’s regime and strained her relations with the Dutch. Hanneman had been one of Van Dyck’s studio assistants in England and his portraits had a sentimental familiarity for the many exiled British courtiers who sat to him in The Hague. Mary is shown revealing a coronet, reminding us of her royal status.