The Queen’s Dwarf: The Spy Gift Who Became A Loyal Ally Of Queen Henrietta-Maria

King Charles I and Henrietta-Maria, his French queen, reigned in England for less than three years. In 1629, they were gifted with a young dwarf who was identified as Jeffrey Hudson. Later, he was known to his contemporaries as “The Queen’s Dwarf” and was considered as one of her pets, a human pet.

Hudson suffered from a condition called hypopituitarism. At seven years old, he only measured 18 inches tall and then stopped growing since then. The lad was originally sold by his father to George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, who trained him to spy on the king and his then 17-year-old bride.

In the book written by Ella March Chase, the author revealed that the duke was known to be a wicked man, and he gave the “dwarf” to King Charles I and Queen Henrietta-Maria as a gift, only because of his bad intentions. As he taught Hudson to spy, the duke wanted him to collect information within the king’s household so he can gain intelligence that will help him cripple the queen's influence on the king.

However, Hudson got really close to the queen to the point that he would protect her when she’s threatened. His loyalty to the Duke of Buckingham became divided, and with each passing day, he became more of Queen Henrietta-Maria’s ally. Eventually, the “dwarf” came to love Her Majesty, the person whom he was sent to destroy.

Who Is Jeffrey Hudson?

In an article from the book titled “Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History Again,” Hudson was said to have been born on June 14, 1619, in Rutland County, the smallest county in England. His three brothers and his sister were all normal, and his father was a butcher.

When Queen Henrietta-Maria brought him home to the palace, he experienced the happiest days of his life. He was the star in every occasion, and people love to gather around him not only because of curiosity but also on account of his great humor, wit and charm. While in the palace, Hudson also learned several new skills like dancing, playing cards and gun shooting, which later got him into trouble.

Despite his popularity and his close relationship with the royals, Hudson was still often made fun of due to his small stature. In 1644, when he was already 25 years old, he announced that whoever will insult him again will be challenged to a duel. It was Charles Crofts who ended up having to face Hudson, but because Crofts did not take the duel seriously, he was killed by Hudson with a single bullet shot to the head.

In the same year, he decided to leave France. Unfortunately, while traveling on a ship, he was captured by pirates and was sold as a slave. After almost 25 years of being a slave, Hudson regained his freedom and returned to London.

However, once back in his homeland, he was targeted by people because of his well-known closeness to Queen Henrietta-Maria. He was put in jail and was released in 1680, when he was already an old broken man. Jeffrey Hudson, the Queen’s dwarf, was believed to have died in 1681.