Scandalous Facts About Queen Anne, Great Britain’s First Monarch

Queen Anne of House Stuart, was one of the most influential British monarchs to ever sit on the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland. She ruled from 1707 to 1714, but for those seven years, she ensured that she would be remembered. The 2018 film The Favorite documented a brief period of her reign, and the madness that her court was subject to.

However, it did not delve into every detail of her life, and some of the people that shaped her into the monarch she became. Keep scrolling to find out all about Queen Anne’s life, from the juicy details of her love triangle, to some of her strange habits.

The Pre-Anne Period

While Great Britain experienced some great rulers in the form of Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth I and II, it also had its fair share of bad rulers. Before Queen Anne took the throne in 1702, King William III was on the throne. King William III had been her brother-in-law as he had ruled beside her sister Queen Mary upon their father’s death.

When Mary passed away, her husband William, who was king by marriage kept the crown. Anne was not pleased with this, as he was not a direct descendent of the line, but the crown would eventually be bestowed upon her.

Being Crowned Queen

While Anne had never expected to be Queen, she was not surprised when she did receive the crown. Her brother-in-law William, who had ruled after her sister’s death was not well-loved by the English, as he was a Dutchman. With Anne becoming Queen, they once more had a British monarch, who was born and bred on British soil.

To make it even better, Anne was an Anglican, which meant she adhered to the Church of England created by Henry VIII. It was time for a period of tranquility, or so the English people thought, when Anne was crowned Queen.

What Led To Anne Becoming Queen

Anne was never meant to be Queen, or at least it was very unlikely according to the line of succession when she was born on February 6th, 1665 at St. James’s Palace.

Her mother was Anne Hyde, and her father was the Duke of York. As the fourth child of the family, she had both a sister and two brothers who she believed would get the throne before she ever did.

Lots Of Siblings

Anne may have been the fourth child, but that did not mean she was the last. Her parents had a total of eight children, but only Anne and her sister Mary lived to adulthood.

This is what placed them into the line of succession, with Mary as the eldest coming before Anne. As the current king at the time Charles II, had no legitimate offspring, the crown went to Anne’s father.