Queen Anne

"Queen Anne has often been portrayed as a pasteboard character, a dull, weak, irresolute woman dominated by favourites, her policies determined by the outcome of bedchamber quarrels." So writes Edward Gregg in his extremely thorough biography of the first queen of Great Britain, who ruled from 1702 to 1714. As a queen falling between the much more legendary Elizabeth I and Victoria, Anne doesn't get much copy these days, though I was interested to read about her after the film The Favourite of a few years ago. Much of that film is fictionalized, but a lot of it bears the stamp of truth.

Anne was the second daughter of James II, who succeeded his brother Charles II to the throne. James converted to Catholicism, which was tantamount to abdication, as he was squeezed out in what was known as the Glorious Revolution. His eldest daughter, Mary, had married William of Orange, and they ruled together. After Mary died, William ruled alone.

While Anne was a girl she was pulled by various interests. It was the hope of the Jacobites, who supported James, that she also become Catholic. But to do so would have scotched any chances at her taking the throne. James had a son by another wife, who would be forever known as the Pretender (this is a title given to anyone who claimed the throne). But he, too, would not renounce his Catholicism, and Anne became queen.

Gregg tries to prop up her reputation. She was an active queen, taking part in all the major decisions of the day. Her reign was marked by the rivalry between parties, the Whigs and the Tories (plus the Jacobites, who never gave up on a putative James III).

She was married to Prince George of Denmark, but she never produced an heir. What Anne may be known now more than ever is that she had seventeen pregnancies, but none of her children survived into a adulthood. Therefore, the succession was determined to go to the house of Hanover (a part of modern Germany), which were second cousins. The dowager of Hanover, Sophia, was set to succeed Anne, but she died just before Anne did, and therefore George I became king, starting the Hanover line.

Gregg certainly leaves no stone unturned, and at times there may be more detail than the average reader can handle. The palace intrigue is dizzying. The second-most important person in the book is Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, who was Anne's friend and confidante. They referred to each other in letters as "Mrs. Morley" and "Mrs. Freeman." Sarah's husband was the Duke of Marlborough who led England to many victories in the War of Spanish Succession with France. But over the years, Sarah was presumptuous, even accusing the queen of lesbianism (with Abigail Hill Masham, who was played by Emma Stone in The Favourite).

Other important players in this drama were Lord Godolphin, who was her most trusted adviser for many years, and Robert Harley. At times the narrative becomes confusing, as Gregg refers to Harley by his name until he becomes the Earl of Oxford, and thereafter calls him by that name. The same happens with Henry St. John, who then is called Bolingbroke. This may be technically correct, but may require a scorecard.

The major events of Anne's reign were the unification with Scotland in 1707, when the two countries plus Ireland became Great Britain, and the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which ended the fighting with France (the French king at the time was Louis XIV). Through the use of many letters (and their idiosyncratic spelling) Gregg shows that Anne was actively involved in these events.

Anne died in 1714, without heir. Her legacy seems to be more in things that are named after her, such as architecture, than anything she did as queen. She was an invalid for much of her life (all the miscarriages and stillbirths couldn't have helped), and Gregg points out that her less than stellar reputation was largely formed by Sarah Churchill, who wrote a memoir that did not paint her former friend in a good light.

Many Americans find the idea of a monarchy, especially a hereditary one, as ridiculous, but an Englishwoman once explained to me that the purpose is largely as a neutral leader in a constitutional monarchy. Anne recognized this--there were no executions during her reign, and she always acknowledged the power of Parliament. The divine right of kings is idiotic, as there have been several weak sovereigns, but in England's case, for the most part, it seems that those who take the throne own up to their responsibility, including Anne.