 |
| Portrait by Jan van der Vaart & Willem Wissing (1685) |
Birth name: Anne Stuart
Gaelic name: Anna Stiùbhart
Born: 06 February 1665, Westminster, Middlesex, Kingdom of England
Father: King James II & VII of England, Scotland and Ireland
Mother: Anne Hyde
House: Stuart
Nationality: English
Religion: Protestantism
Claim: Child of James II & VII
Reign: 08 March 1702 - 01 August 1714 (12 years)
Coronation: 23 April 1702
Predecessor: William III
Successor: George I
Died: 01 August 1714 (aged 49), Kensington, Middlesex, England
Cause: Stroke
Burial: Westminster Abbey
Motto: Always the same
Spouse(s):
- Prince George of Denmark (m. 1683 - 1708)
Children:
- With Prince George of Denmark
- *Unnamed Princess* (1684 - 1684)
- Princess Mary (1685 - 1687)
- Princess Anne (1686 - 1687)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1687 - 1687)
- *Unnamed Prince* (1687 - 1687)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1688 - 1688)
- Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (1689 - 1700)
- Princess Mary (1690 - 1690)
- Prince George (1692 - 1692)
- *Unnamed Princess* (1693 - 1693)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1694 - 1694)
- *Unnamed Princess* (1696 - 1696)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1696 - 1696)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1696 - 1696)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1697 - 1697)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1697 - 1697)
- *Unnamed Prince* (1698 - 1698)
- *Unnamed Prince* (1700 - 1700)
Appearance:
For most of her youth, Anne was described as beautiful and graceful, though she did suffer from a watery eye condition from an early age. She was also small and stout. Her hair was lighter as a child, but likely darkened to brown as she
grew older, and often kept it curly as was the style at the time.
Due to her suffering from gout and being in extreme pain, Anne was confined to a wheelchair during her later years, which also resulted in her gaining a considerable amount of weight. Her best friend would even come to describe her as 'grotesque' in appearance. The condition of her body was likely not helped by the numerous pregnancies she also went through.
Character:
She was a very shy individual, however, she could stand up for herself when necessary, and was very much dedicated to her work as queen, and to the Protestant faith. Anne was a renowned hard worker, and attended as many cabinet meetings as she could. Anne was dedicated to Protestantism, even turning against her father,
King James II & VII, and supporting her sister and brother-in-law
during the Glorious Revolution, in which her father was deposed as king.
Although she was close with her husband, she also experienced passionate relationships with women, in particular her best friend, Sarah Churchill. Despite her status, Anne had her closest friends speak to her and treat her as an equal, and was very fond of nicknames and pet names. It's highly possible that Anne was perhaps bisexual or homosexual.
She gradually became more depressed throughout her life, as all of her children would die, and she suffered many miscarriages and stillbirths. Though she was a dedicated mother, she could be harsh towards her longest surviving son, Prince William, describing him as ugly due to his hydrocephalus.
Even before the deaths of her children, and her clinical depression, Anne was known to be quite sensitive, and would often burst into tears over the slightest of issues, and could not handle arguments or conflict.
Biography:
Anne was born in London, England in the year 1665. She was the fourth child of King James II & VII and his first wife, Anne Hyde, though both she and her older sister, Mary, would be the only ones to survive into adulthood. Anne would also go on to have many illegitimate siblings from her father's numerous affairs, as well as legitimate younger siblings from his second marriage.
At the time of her birth, her uncle, King Charles II had recently been restored as the reigning monarch after Britain briefly became a republic, and Anne was third in line for the throne after her father and sister. Despite her parents' conversion to Catholicism, both Anne and her sister were raised as Protestants at the insistence of their uncle.
When she was young, Anne was sent away to live with her grandmother in France where she could receive treatment for a watery eye condition. Her grandmother would die not long afterwards, and instead, Anne was predominantly raised by her aunt for another year until she too also died. In 1670, Anne returned to England, only for her mother to suddenly pass away from cancer just a year later.
Anne and Mary were raised in their own household, only occasionally seeing their father who soon remarried the Catholic Lady Mary of Modena. Despite their differences in religion, Anne got along really well with both her father and new step-mother. Mary of Modena would have many children in the coming years, but all would die in infancy.
It was during her childhood that Anne would meet Sarah Churchill, her best friend and possible lover in the future. The two of them would become almost inseparable. Growing up, Anne was also close to her sister, Mary, however, Mary would marry Prince William of Orange in 1677 and leave England to be with him in the Dutch Republic.
Meanwhile preparations were being made for Anne's own potential marriage; the subject became the hot gossip of the English court. This task was mainly undertaken by her uncle, Charles II, who desired to find her a suitable Protestant match that would also create a political alliance. Keen for an alliance with the Kingdom of Denmark, her uncle and her father arranged for her to marry Prince George of Denmark, a decision that annoyed her brother-in-law due to the threat the Danes posed to Dutch expansion.
In 1683, Anne and George were married, and the two of them immediately got along with each other, despite it being a political arrangement. They quickly grew to care for each other, and their own household was established in London. Anne's best friend, Sarah, became one of her most trusted servants and advisors. Not long into the marriage, Anne became pregnant, though their first daughter would be stillborn. Little did they know at the time that this would mark the beginning of one of the most tragic aspects of Anne's life. Two other princesses soon followed, named Mary and Anne.
King Charles II died in 1685, meaning that Anne's father became King James II & VII of England, Scotland and Ireland. His reign was met with much nervousness due to his Catholicism, as Britain had become a deeply Protestant country by this point. Anne herself began to feel concerned about the return of Catholicism to the royal family, and was reduced to tears when her father attempted to force her to baptise her daughters into the Catholic faith. This resulted in Anne falling out with both her father and step-mother. It's possible that all of this stress caused Anne to suffer yet another miscarriage.
Not long afterwards, her husband contracted smallpox, and he accidentally spread the infection to their two daughters. While George would recover, their daughters would not, and they tragically died in 1687. Both Anne and George were left devastated by this and could often be found crying together afterwards. Anne then gave birth to a boy who was also stillborn, worsening their tragedy.
Meanwhile, after years of her own natal tragedies, Mary of Modena finally gave birth to a boy, Charles, Prince of Wales. This event plunged Britain into a deep panic as this looked to ensure further Catholic succession to the throne. Rumours circulated that the baby was not biologically James' and that his stillborn son had been switched at birth by the queen. To further fuel these rumours, Anne had not been present at the birth as was customary, causing the people of Britain, as well as Anne's sister, Mary, to believe that the baby was an imposter. Anne then lied about being pregnant herself so that she would not have to attend the council meeting that recognised the legitimacy of her younger half-brother.
Powerful members of the Protestant church and other nobles began the Glorious Revolution with the help of Anne's brother-in-law, William of Orange. William's forces invaded England, and Anne's father was deposed before he fled to exile in France. Anne had been made aware of the whole plan, and was in full support. Upon the news of her father having to flee the country, she displayed no emotion or concern, nor did she acknowledge the news, and instead asked to play a game of cards.
It was declared by Parliament that by fleeing the country, James had abdicated the throne, and the crown was offered to Anne's sister Mary, along with William, who would then rule England as joint monarchs. Anne became their heir in the event that they had no children (which was looking likely), and around this time, Anne gave birth to her son, William, who would be the only one of her children to survive infancy. However, Anne despaired at her son's constant sickness and physical disabilities.
It wasn't long into her sister's reign that the relationship between the two women became strained. Seeking to control Anne, William and Mary refused to grant her financial independence, much to Anne's annoyance. The husband of Anne's best friend, Sarah Churchill, was then accused of conspiring to help put their father back on the throne. Mary ordered Anne to dismiss Sarah from her household, but she refused. Eventually, Sarah was forced away from her, and courtiers were ordered to ignore Anne and refuse to attend to her. Causing further stress, Anne gave birth to another son who died within a few hours of his birth. Rather than provide comfort, Mary once again berated Anne for her closeness with Sarah Churchill, and the two sisters argued, reducing Anne to tears. When Mary left afterwards, this would be the last time that Anne would ever see her sister again.
In 1694, Mary suddenly died after contracting smallpox, and it was agreed by Parliament that William would continue to reign alone after her death. Anne remained his heir, and with both of them grieving the death of Mary, they were able to reconcile their relationship. However, Anne was still not granted any financial and governing independence which would have prepared her for her future role as queen.
Anne became pregnant for a final time in 1700, only for this one too to result in a stillbirth. She was becoming more and more physically disabled as she battled with gout, and began to be confined to a wheelchair. She grew more depressed and gained weight.
Further worsening her tragedies, her longest living son, William, fell critically ill later that same year. Anne nursed him and remained constantly by his bedside, but he would unfortunately die. Anne and George were left grief-stricken. Furthermore, this meant that a succession crisis was looming on the horizon, as both William and Anne had no surviving children. Through fear of James and his other Catholic children inheriting the throne, a bill was passed in which Anne's new heir was the Protestant Sophia, Electress of Hanover, a living grandchild of the previous King James I & VI. Both Anne and Sophia did not get along very well.
Anne would then be devastated by her father's death in 1701, as both she and her sister had always retained guilt over their roles in his deposition. However, Mary of Modena would write to Anne to console her and inform her that her father had forgiven her for her actions, but with the underhanded comment that she hoped Anne would restore her younger half-siblings to the line of succession. Even if Anne wanted to do this, an act of Parliament now meant that James and Mary of Modena's line of succession had been barred from ever inheriting the throne.
Just one year later, King William also died, meaning that Anne was now the queen. She completely devoted herself to the role, and Sarah Churchill was restored to prestigious roles of service. Now permanently disabled, Anne had to be carried through her coronation.
One of the largest acts of Anne's reign would be the Act of Union in 1707, in which England and Scotland finally formally united as one kingdom. Although they had shared the same monarch for over a century, they had always technically been two separate kingdoms, and this union united their governments. Thus, Anne became the very first Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, the prelude to what would one day become the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Anne and Sarah's relationship began to become more strained. Anne had gradually become closer with another of her attendants, Abigail Hill, which further caused a rift between her and Sarah. Likely jealous, Sarah flaunted a poem at court that heavily implied a sexual relationship between Anne and Abigail. When Anne refused to wear jewels which had been a gift from Sarah, the two of them argued which resulted in Sarah disrespecting Anne by telling her to 'be quiet'. The two would continue to exchange heated letters, with Sarah even threatening to reveal sordid information about their relationship.
In 1708, Anne would be further devastated by the death of her husband, Prince George. Sarah attempted to further control the queen during this period, and even confiscated a portrait of her deceased husband, refusing to return it, much to Anne's horror and grief. This would ruin their relationship beyond repair.
After George's death, Anne insisted on carrying out his role of Lord High Admiral herself. Many politicians protested against this until Anne was finally forced to give the role to a man just a year later.
In the years that followed, Anne became involved in ending the Spanish War of Succession. As part of the peace treaty between all parties involved, the King of France officially recognised Sophia, Electress of Hanover, as Anne's heir, rather than her younger half-brother, Prince James. This ensured a smooth succession after her death, especially as it diminished support for the Jacobite faction in its claim to the throne. Unfortunately for Anne, gossip would remain rife that she did not support the idea of Sophia's succession. While it is true that the two woman did not like each other, and Anne made strong attempts to outlast her in life, she was always keen to ensure a Protestant succession.
By 1713, Anne was rendered completely unable to walk. She grew more frequently ill, and would fall unconscious for hours on end. However, Anne continued to insist that she attend cabinet meetings, and carry out her duties, though her doctors attempted unsuccessfully to get her to avoid stress.
Finally, in 1714, Anne suffered a stroke and passed away not long afterwards.
Rule:
Although unfortunately often forgotten about by history, Anne was one of the most important and hardworking monarchs in British history. Her main achievement was finally helping to unify the kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain, something her ancestors had tried and failed to accomplish multiple times. It was a great act of nationalism, and also provided the future smooth transition of power between the once shared monarchy. To this very day, England and Scotland continue to remain united, becoming one of the most powerful countries on the world stage.
Anne attended the most cabinet meetings out of any monarch, and was very much dedicated to her role as queen, and helping to govern whenever she could. As a result of this, she was very highly respected, and enjoyed a high level of popularity throughout her reign.
She also invested heavily in art, literature and sciences, something which would pave the way for the Industrial Revolution in the decades to come. This would once again place Great Britain as a dominant power within the world, as it would become a leader of science and technological advancements. Free trade increased dramatically, especially in the East Indies, further increasing Britain's wealth and access to spices and other resources.
Perhaps Anne's only failing was her over reliance on her female favourites, of which she could become overly emotionally attached to, which created a great deal of drama within her court. The favouritism could also cause conflicts in the government, and Anne often faced public shame and ridicule, particularly when her lifelong best friend, Sarah Churchill, fell from her favour. Among these favourites, she often failed to command respect, which often resulted in her humiliation.
Nonetheless, Anne remains one of the most successful and popular monarchs in British history, though it unfortunately often overlooked.
Trivia:
- Many of her doctors and friends viewed her death as a merciful release from her life of tragedy.
Quotes:
"I must tell you that I abhor the principles of the Church of Rome as much as it is possible for any to do."
Regarding her opinion of Catholicism.
"I know my own heart to be entirely English."
Speech to Parliament.
"Whoever of ye Whigs thinks I am to be hectored or frighted into a compliance though I am a woman, are mightily mistaken in me."
Her desire not to be underestimated because of her gender.
"Oh come to me tomorrow as soon as you can that I may cleave myself to you."
Message to her best friend (and possible lover), Sarah Churchill.
Timeline of Reign:
| 1702: War of Spanish Succession - England becomes involved in European conflict.
| 1702: First daily newspaper begins - The Daily Courant begins circulation in England.
| 1703: Great Storm of 1703 - South-west England and Wales hit by extratropical cyclone.
| 1704: Capture of Gibraltar - Britain seizes control of Gibraltar from Spain.
| 1704: Battle of Blenheim - Britain defeats France.
| 1707: Acts of Union - England and Scotland officially unite as one kingdom, Great Britain.
| 1708: United Company of Merchants formed - English trade in the East Indies increases.
| 1708: Jacobite invasion of Scotland fails - Anne's half-brother, James' invasion fails.
| 1708: Lord High Admiral - Anne puts herself in charge of the navy before being pressured to quit.
| 1708: St Paul's Cathedral completed - Reconstruction of St Paul's Cathedral finally finished.
| 1709: Great Frost - Coldest winter in Britain in over 500 years.
| 1710: Statute of Anne - First copyright legislation begins in Britain.
| 1711: Tuscarora War begins - War between British colonists and the Tuscarora of North Carolina.
| 1713: Treaty of Utrecht - House of Hanover recognised as Anne's heirs by French king.
Sources & Further Reading:
Anne | Biography & Facts. (2019). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anne-queen-of-Great-Britain-and-Ireland
Cartwright, M. (2022). Anne, Queen of Great Britain. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Anne,_Queen_of_Great_Britain/
Johnson, B. (n.d.). Queen Anne. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Queen-Anne/
Jones, N. (2014). Queen Anne and the Union of England and Scotland. Discover Britain. https://www.discoverbritain.com/history/icons/queen-anne/
Queen Anne: The real story of a forgotten Queen who changed Britain. (n.d.). Historic Royal Palaces. https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/history-and-stories/queen-anne/
Willem Wissing and Jan van der Vaardt - Queen Anne, when Princess of Denmark, 1665 – 1714 - Google Art Project.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2012). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Willem_Wissing_and_Jan_van_der_Vaardt_-_Queen_Anne,_when_Princess_of_Denmark,_1665_%E2%80%93_1714_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment