Estafania

Estafania is the Spanish lady-in-waiting and confidante of Queen Anne of Austria, the only one of the queen's Spanish attendants who was not driven from the court by the jealousy of King Louis XIII or the persecutions of Cardinal Richelieu. She appears in the queen's private chambers during the most intimate and dangerous moments of the novel, including the queen's secret meeting with the Duke of Buckingham and the humiliating search conducted by Chancellor Seguier. Her role is that of a silent, loyal witness and discreet assistant, embodying the queen's isolation and vulnerability within the French court.

Identity and Background

Estafania is a Spanish woman who accompanied Queen Anne of Austria from Madrid to the French court. She is the only one of the queen's Spanish women who was not driven from her by the jealousy of the king or by the persecutions of Richelieu. This fact alone marks her as a figure of exceptional trust and resilience in a court where the queen's household was systematically stripped of her compatriots. Her presence is a living link to the queen's Spanish heritage and to the world she left behind.

Role in the Queen's Secret Meeting with Buckingham

During the Duke of Buckingham's clandestine visit to the Louvre, Estafania is the only attendant present when the queen receives him. When Buckingham throws himself at the queen's feet and kisses the hem of her robe, Estafania is there. When the queen, overwhelmed by the duke's passionate declarations, stretches forth her hand for him to kiss, she leans with the other upon Estafania, for she feels that her strength is about to fail her. Estafania thus serves as a physical and emotional support for the queen at the most compromising moment of her life, a silent witness to a love that could destroy the monarchy.

Role in the Search of the Queen's Papers

When Chancellor Seguier arrives to search the queen's apartments on the king's orders, Estafania is again present. The queen, after a defiant stand, finally gives up the keys of her drawers and desks, telling Estafania to hand them over. Estafania obeys, and the chancellor proceeds to search the furniture. It is Estafania who, along with the other ladies, witnesses the queen's humiliation as the chancellor, failing to find the incriminating letter in the desks, is forced to demand it from the queen's person. The queen's cry of "What horror!" and her ultimate surrender of the letter from her bosom are events that Estafania observes, her presence underscoring the queen's complete lack of privacy and the invasive power of the crown.

Narrative Significance

Estafania's function in the novel is to represent the queen's last remaining link to her Spanish past and to provide a discreet, trustworthy presence during the most secret and dangerous episodes of the court intrigue. She is a figure of loyalty in a world of betrayal, a silent confidante who asks no questions and tells no tales. Her very survival in the queen's service, when so many others were exiled or dismissed, testifies to her discretion and to the queen's desperate need for at least one person she can trust. She is a minor character whose presence, however, is essential to the atmosphere of peril and secrecy that surrounds Anne of Austria.