Henrietta Hyde, Countess of Rochester

Henrietta Hyde, Countess of Rochester (née Boyle; 1646 – 12 April 1687) was an Anglo-Irish noblewoman.

[1] Like most of the Boyle dynasty, who in the space of two generations had become almost all-powerful in the south of Ireland, Henrietta was strong-minded and acquisitive, and could be ruthless in asserting her rights.

[citation needed] During the last two years of her life, when her husband was Chief Minister to his brother-in-law King James II, Henrietta took full advantage of his power to claim every possible privilege.

She clashed bitterly with her husband's niece, the future Queen Anne, over who should have the best apartments in Whitehall Palace.

Her sister Lady Dalkeith, despite many personal tragedies, is said to have retained her good nature and charm into her fifties.