A Life in Mourning: The Tragic Tale of Queen Anne
Her efforts to produce an heir were besieged by misfortune
When you’re a queen, your first responsibility is to produce an heir to ensure the line of succession. English history is full of sad endings for those who did not. The reign of Henry VIII provides several examples. His six marriages were due in part because the law allowed only males to inherit the throne.
By the time Queen Anne ascended the throne in 1702, English law no longer insisted the county’s rulers be men. She was the fifth woman to serve as a principal ruler of England. The need for an heir, however, was still a concern.
Sister sovereigns
Following the founding of the Anglican Church of England by Henry VIII, a debate over whether England should be a Roman Catholic or a Protestant country continued. The discussion ended with the deposition of Anne’s Catholic father, King James II. He was the last of his faith to occupy the English throne.
Luckily for Anne and her sister Mary, their father’s brother King Charles II had insisted that the girls be brought up apart from him and…
