Editing Mary of Modena (section)

=== Household ===
[[File:King James II as Duke of York.jpg|upright|thumb|[[James, Duke of York]], in a portrait by Sir [[Peter Lely]]|alt=Formal three quarter length portrait of James aged about thirty. He has a long face with large cleft chin and red lips. He has long blonde hair and poses in black armour, with a brocade sash and lace cravate and clasped a baton in his right-hand.]]

James, an avowed Roman Catholic, was twenty-five years older than his bride, scarred by [[smallpox]] and afflicted with a stammer.<ref>Haile, p. 40</ref> He had secretly converted to Catholicism around 1668.<ref>Waller, p. 135</ref> Mary first saw her husband on 23 November 1673 OS, on the day of their second marriage ceremony.<ref>Waller, p. 149</ref><ref>Haile, p. 41</ref> James was pleased with his bride.<ref>Turner, p. 114</ref> Mary, however, at first disliked him, and burst into tears each time she saw him.<ref>Oman, p. 31</ref> Nonetheless, she soon warmed to James.<ref name=Oman40>Oman, p. 40</ref> From his first marriage to [[Anne Hyde]], a commoner, who had died in 1671, James had two daughters: [[Mary II of England|Lady Mary]] and [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Lady Anne]].<ref name=Chapman33>Chapman, p. 33</ref> They were introduced to Mary by James with the words, "I have brought you a new play-fellow".<ref name=Chapman33 /> Unlike Lady Mary, Lady Anne disliked her father's new wife.<ref name=Waller22>Waller, p. 22</ref> Mary played games with Anne to win her affection.<ref name=Waller22 />

The Duchess of York received £5,000 spending money annually and her own household, headed by Carey Fraser, Countess of Peterborough;<!-- this is very unclear --> it was frequented by ladies of her husband's selection: [[Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond]] and [[Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch]].<ref name="Waller15" /><ref>Waller, p. 24</ref><ref>Oman, p. 46</ref><ref>Oman, p. 38</ref> That Mary loathed gambling did not stop her ladies compelling her to do so almost every day.<ref name=Oman45 /> They believed that "if she refrained, it might be taken ill".<ref name=Oman45>Oman, p. 45</ref> Consequently, Mary incurred minor gambling debts.<ref name=Oman45 />

The birth of Mary's first child, Catherine Laura, named after [[Catherine of Braganza|Queen Catherine]], on 10 January 1675 OS represented the beginning of a string of children that would die in infancy.<ref>Oman, p. 48</ref> At this time the Duchess of York was on excellent terms with Lady Mary, and visited her in [[The Hague]] after the younger Mary had married [[William III of England|William of Orange]]. She travelled incognito and took Lady Anne with her.<ref>Marshall, p. 172</ref>