Anne was born on February 6th, 1665 to Anne Hyde and James II. Although James was a nonconformist, Anne was baptised an Anglican. Anne’s older sister, Mary, also a Protestant, married William II and jointly succeeded Anne’s and Mary’s father to the throne in 1689.
Anne succeeded William to the throne (Mary having predeceased William in 1694) upon his death on the 8th of March 1702 and reigned until her death on the 1st of August 1714, aged 49.
The Lady Anne by Willem Wissing, c.1685.
History relates Anne took a keen interest in politics, but at times struggled against male-domination. Despite her tribulations, she ruled in a time of prosperity and cultural progression. In her personal life, the Duchess of Marlborough described her thus…
“She certainly meant well and was not a fool, but nobody can maintain that she was wise, nor entertaining in conversation. She was ignorant in everything but what the parsons had taught her when a child … Being very ignorant, very fearful, with very little judgement, it is easy to be seen she might mean well, being surrounded with so many artful people, who at last compassed their designs to her dishonour“. [1]
[1] David Green, Queen Anne, Collins, London, 1970, p. 330.
