Queen anne of England. Anne, Queen of Great Britain - All Monarchies of the World

On March 8, 1702, after the death of King William III of Orange, Queen Anne Stuart ascended the English throne. She became the last member of this family on the English throne and the first monarch of the united kingdom of England, Scotland and Ireland (Great Britain).

Anna was born during the reign of her uncle Charles II, who had no legitimate children, in the family of the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father Jacob was the first in the line of succession, but was not popular in England, as he was a Catholic. Anna and her older sister Maria, being the next in the line of succession, were brought up in Protestantism by order of Charles II. After the death of his brother, Jacob became king, but already in 1689 - he was overthrown as a result of the "Glorious Revolution". Parliament elevated to the throne the spouse of Jacob's eldest daughter, Mary Protestant William III of Orange.

In 1694, Anna's elder sister, Queen Consort Mary, died, and since her marriage to William III was childless, Anna became heir to the throne and Parliament granted her the title of Princess of Wales. In the same year, Anna's wedding took place with the Danish Prince George.

On March 8, 1702, King William III of Orange died of pneumonia, Anna was declared Queen of England and Scotland and crowned at Westminster. She was a kind and friendly woman, but not very understanding, indecisive, and did not like to work hard on state affairs. Virtually all power was concentrated in the hands of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, who has great influence over Anna.

The war with France ended with the signing of a peace treaty in 1713, according to which England received Gibraltar, Minorca and a number of French colonies in North America. However, the most important event during the reign of Anna was the unification of England and Scotland.

In 1701, the Scottish Parliament passed the Protection Act, reserving the right to elect a new Protestant monarch and to withdraw Scottish troops from the English army. Fearing that an independent Scotland would enter into an alliance with France, England in 1705 threatened its northern neighbor with economic sanctions. The parties sat down at the negotiating table, and as a result adopted a resolution on the unification of the two countries into one - Great Britain. The historic event took place on May 1, 1707. Scotland won sixteen seats in the House of Lords and forty-five seats in the House of Commons of the English Parliament.

Anna died on August 1, 1714, leaving no direct heirs. Of all the queen's many pregnancies, only five ended in normal childbirth, but only one child was able to live longer than two years - William, Duke of Gloucester. However, he also died in 1700.

Anna's cousin Sophia was declared the heir to Anna, but she died in 1714 a little earlier than Anna, and her son George of Hanover became king. The Hanoverians who ascended the British throne were not at all the highest priority branch among the heirs. However, unlike the rest of the Stuarts, they were Protestants, which played a decisive role in choosing a new king.

Anna Stewart (February 6, 1665 - August 1, 1714) - Queen of England and Scotland from 1702 to 1707. The first monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (on May 1, 1707, the kingdoms of England and Scotland formed a single sovereign state). The last representative of the Stuart dynasty on the English throne.

Anna was born during the reign of her uncle Charles II, who had no legitimate children, in the family of the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father Jacob was the first in the line of succession, but was not popular in England, as he was a Catholic. Anna and her older sister Maria, being the next in the line of succession, were brought up in Protestantism by order of Charles II. After the death of his brother, Jacob became king, but already in 1689 - he was overthrown as a result of the "Glorious Revolution". Parliament elevated to the throne the spouse of Jacob's eldest daughter, Mary Protestant William III of Orange.

In 1694, Anna's elder sister, Queen Consort Mary, died, and since her marriage to William III was childless, Anna became heir to the throne and Parliament granted her the title of Princess of Wales. In the same year, Anna's wedding took place with the Danish Prince George. On March 8, 1702, King William III of Orange died of pneumonia, Anna was declared Queen of England and Scotland and crowned at Westminster. She was a kind and affable woman, but not very understanding, indecisive, and did not like to work hard on state affairs. Virtually all power was concentrated in the hands of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, who has a great deal of influence over Anna. During the War of the Spanish Succession, Sarah's husband, the Duke of Marlborough, was made commander-in-chief of the army, and the queen's husband, Prince George, led the fleet.

The war with France ended with the signing of a peace treaty in 1713, according to which England received Gibraltar, Minorca and a number of French colonies in North America. However, the most important event during the reign of Anna was the unification of England and Scotland.

In 1701, the Scottish Parliament passed the Protection Act, reserving the right to elect a new Protestant monarch and to withdraw Scottish troops from the English army. Fearing that an independent Scotland would enter into an alliance with France, England in 1705 threatened its northern neighbor with economic sanctions. The parties sat down at the negotiating table, and as a result adopted a resolution on the unification of the two countries into one - Great Britain. The historic event took place on May 1, 1707. Scotland won sixteen seats in the House of Lords and forty-five seats in the House of Commons of the English Parliament. In the same year, relations between Anna and Sarah Churchill deteriorated. The place of the main adviser was taken by Abigail Masham, Sarah's cousin, and her husband Robert Harley, one of the Queen's ministers, became the unofficial ruler of England. However, soon, thanks to the intrigues of Lord Godolphin and the Duke of Marlborough, he was dismissed, and power passed into the hands of a group of five Whig nobles, also known as the Junta.

In 1708 Anna's husband, Georg, died. The Whigs, dissatisfied with his actions as head of the Admiralty, tried to remove him from this post while he was still on his deathbed, but thanks to the intervention of the Duke of Marlborough, this was avoided. The War of the Spanish Succession was extremely unpopular in English society, and therefore the influence of the Whigs soon began to wane. In the elections of 1710, the majority in parliament again, as in the first years of Anna's rule, went to the Tories. Anna died on August 1, 1714 from gout, which turned into erysipelas. Her body was so swollen that a very large, almost square coffin had to be used for the funeral. Of Anna's many pregnancies, only five ended in normal childbirth, but only one child was able to live longer than two years - William, Duke of Gloucester. However, he also died in 1700. Her cousin Sophia was declared Anna's heiress, but she died in 1714 a little earlier than Anna, and her son George of Hanover became king. The Hanoverians were not the most priority branch among the heirs, however, unlike the rest of the Stuarts, they were Protestants, which played a decisive role in choosing a new king.

QUEEN ANNE Anne (English Anne, 6 February August 1714), Queen of England and Scotland since 1702, since 1707 the first monarch of a legally unified Great Britain. The last representative of the Stuart dynasty to the English throne. 6 February August 1714 England Scotland 1702 1707 Great Britain of the Stuart dynasty Anna died of chronic gout on 1 August 1714. gout 1 August 1714

Since Sophia of Hanover died two months before her (June 8), the eldest son of the latter, Elector George of Hanover, who became King of Great Britain George I, ascended the throne. In accordance with the Act of Succession, more than 50 persons who were genealogically older than George were bypassed from - for their Catholicism Sophia of Hanover 8 June George I Sixpence Sixpence with a portrait of Queen Anne

QUEEN BESS Elizabeth I (7 September March 1603), Good Queen Bess, Queen of England and Queen of Ireland since 17 November 1558, the last of the Tudor dynasty. Youngest daughter of King Henry VIII of England and his second wife Anne Boleyn. The reign of Elizabeth is sometimes called the "golden age of England", both in connection with the flourishing of culture (the so-called "Elizabethans": Shakespeare, Marlowe, Bacon, etc.), and with the increased importance of England on the world stage (the defeat of the Invincible Armada, Drake, Reilly, East India Company) September 7, 1603 England Ireland November 17, 1558 Anne Boleyn's Tudors Henry VIII Culture Shakespeare Marlow Bacon of the Invincible Armada Drake Rayleigh East India Company

QUEEN VICTORIA Victoria (English Victoria, baptismal name Alexandrina Victoria English Alexandrina Victoria) (May 24, 1901) Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 20, 1837, Empress of India from May 1, 1876 (proclamation in India on January 1, 1877), the last representative of the Hanoverian dynasty to the throne of Great Britain. Victoria has been on the throne for over 63 years longer than any other British monarch. Her birthday is still celebrated as a holiday in Canada (usually on the same day, May 24, Canada also celebrates the official birthday of the reigning monarch). Victoria died at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, on January 22, 1901, at the age of 82 and 64, in the presence of her beloved grandson, the German Emperor Wilhelm II. She was buried next to her husband in the Frogmore mausoleum. She was succeeded by her son Edward VII. 24 May 1901 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 20 June 1837 1 May 18761 January 1877 Hanoverian Dynasty Canada official birthday of the reigning monarch Osborne House White 22 January 1901 William II Frogmore Mausoleum Edward VII

Victoria regia L INDL., Found in British Guiana by a German botanist in the English service, R. G. Schomburgk, is named after Victoria. Also named after the Queen is one of the largest waterfalls in the world (Victoria Falls) and one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world (Lake Victoria). Presumably in honor of Victoria, the asteroid (12) Victoria, discovered in 1850 by the English astronomer John Hind Amazonian Victoria Royal L INDL, is named after Victoria. British Guiana G. Schomburgvictoriaozero waterfall Victoriaasteroid (12) Victoria by John Hind Place of death of Victoria Osborne House on the Isle of Wight Victoria on a postage stamp of the British dominion Canada, 1893 postage stamp of the British dominion Canada

QUEEN MAB 1. Queen Mab is a fairy mentioned in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. She also appears in other 17th century literature, and in various guises in later poetry, drama and cinema. In the play, her activities are described in the famous speech of Mercutio, written in an iambic pentameter, in which she is described as a miniature creature that forces her chariot into the noses and brains of sleeping people to make them experience dreams of wish fulfillment. She would also bring plague on some occasions. She is also described as a midwife to help sleeping people "give birth" to their dreams. Fairy Romeo and Juliet Mercutio iambic pentameter dreams

2. Queen Mab is the ruler of Magical creatures, fairies, elves, trolls and gnomes. With the rise of Christianity in Britain, its power is weakening. Mab decides to fashion for people a strong leader, endowed with magical abilities, who will return the people to paganism. That was the kind of person that Merlin was supposed to be. But in the process of training, the boy abandons his mission, declares Mab his enemy and vows to use magic only to fight the queen. Mab constantly arranges provocations that should lead Merlin back to her. Among the merits of the wizard, assistance to the troops of Uther Pendragon in the conquest of Britain, saving his beloved from the dragon, raising King Arthur and helping to equip Camelot.

Views (as opposed to their Whigs opponents). Nevertheless, the Whigs gained great influence during the War of the Spanish Succession, but in 1710 Anna stripped many of them from office. She separated from her close friend Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough due to political differences.

All her life Anna suffered from health problems. After her 30th birthday, she began to limp especially badly and quickly gain weight. Despite her marriage to George of Denmark and 17 pregnancies, she died without leaving any heirs, becoming the last monarch of the Stuart family. According to the "Act of Succession" of 1701, the throne was inherited by George I of the Hanoverian dynasty (who was a descendant of the Stuarts through his maternal grandmother - Elizabeth, daughter of James I).

Princess Anne was born at 11:39 pm on February 6, 1665 at St James's Palace in London. She became the fourth child and second daughter of Prince James, Duke of York (later King James II) and his first wife, Anne Hyde. The Duke and Duchess of York had eight children, but only Anna and Mary survived to adulthood. Her father was the younger brother of Charles II, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, and was his heir to the throne. At the same time, her mother, being the daughter of Lord Chancellor Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, was "no equal" to the prince, becoming his chosen one during the period of the Stuarts' exile.

The newborn was Anglican baptized in the Royal Chapel of St James's Palace. Her elder sister Princess Mary, Duchess of Monmouth and Archbishop of Canterbury Gilbert Sheldon became godparents.

As a child, Anna suffered from an eye disease and was sent to France for treatment, where she lived with her paternal grandmother, Queen Henrietta Maria, at the Château de Colombe near Paris. After the death of the latter in 1669, Anna settled with her aunt, the Duchess of Orleans Henrietta, after whose sudden death in 1670 the girl returned to England. Her mother died the following year.

As was customary in royal families, Anna and her sister lived and were raised separately from their father on their own estate in Richmond. At the direction of the then reigning monarch - uncle Charles II, they were raised in the Protestant tradition, despite the fact that their parents were Catholics. The children were cared for by the relatives of the Duke of Buckingham - Edward Villers with his wife Francis. In education, the emphasis was on the teachings of the Church of England. Bishop Henry Compton of London was appointed her mentor.

Around 1671, Anna met Sarah Jennings, who later became her close friend and one of her most influential advisers. Jennings married John Churchill (future Duke of Marlborough) around 1678. His sister Arabella Churchill was the mistress of the Duke Jacob of York (becoming her during the life of Anna Hyde), and Churchill himself later became one of Anna's main generals.

In 1673, the Duke of York's conversion to Catholicism was announced, and he married the Catholic Princess Mary of Modena, who was only six and a half years older than Anna. Charles II had no legitimate children, and therefore the Duke of York was next in the line of succession, followed by the two surviving daughters from his first marriage - Maria and Anna. Over the next ten years, the new Duchess of York had ten children, but all of them were born dead or died in childhood, so that Mary and Anna remained second and third in line to the throne. All evidence indicates that Anne and her stepmother got along well, and the Duke of York was a conscientious and loving father.

On November 4, 1677, her older sister Maria married her maternal cousin, Prince William III of Orange, who belonged to the influential Protestant dynasty in the Netherlands Republic. The wedding took place at St James's Palace, but Anna was not present due to smallpox. When she recovered, Maria had already left for the Netherlands. Lady Frances Willers also contracted smallpox and died, and Anna's daughter-in-law, Henrietta Hyde (wife of Lawrence Hyde's brother), was appointed Anna's new governess. A year later, Anna and her stepmother visited Maria in Holland for two weeks.

In March 1679, in the wake of anti-Catholic outrage caused by the papal conspiracy, the Dukes of York left for Brussels, where Anne visited them at the end of August. In October, they returned to Britain: the Duke and Duchess went to Scotland, and Anne to England. She then settled with her father and stepmother at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh (from July 1681 to May 1682. This was her last trip outside England.

Since George of Hanover dropped out of the list of potential suitors, Charles II began to look for another suitable representative of the royal dynasty, who would simultaneously suit both Protestant subjects and the Catholic ally of Louis XIV. A suitable candidate was provided by Protestant Denmark, an ally of France. Louis XIV approved an alliance between England and Denmark limiting the power of the Dutch. Anne's uncle Lawrence Hyde (granted the title of Earl of Rochester) and the English Secretary of State for the Northern Department Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, worked on the conclusion of the marriage contract between Anne and Prince George of Denmark (younger brother of King Christian V). Anna's father willingly agreed to the wedding, as she limited the influence of his other son-in-law, William of Orange, who was unhappy with the situation.

On July 28, 1683, the Bishop of Compton held the marriage ceremony of Anna and George of Denmark. Although it was a contractual marriage, they were loyal and devoted spouses. Several Whitehall buildings, known as the Cockpit, were given to them as their London residence. Sarah Churchill became one of Anna's main maids of honor. A few months after the wedding, Anna became pregnant, but in May the child was born dead. Anna recovered her health in the resort town of Tunbridge Wales, and in the next two years gave birth to two daughters one after the other: Maria and Anna Sophia.

"Portrait of King James II", OK. 1690 Unknown artist. National Portrait Gallery, London

After the death of King Charles II in 1685, Anne's father assumed the English and Irish throne as "James II" and the throne of Scotland as "James VII". To the horror of his subjects, the new king began to appoint Catholics to military and administrative positions, violating the "Act of Oath", adopted specifically to avoid such actions. The Protestant Anna shared widespread fears about the king's behavior. Since her sister Maria lived with her husband in the Netherlands, Anna and her husband and children remained the only members of the royal family to attend Protestant religious services.

When Jacob tried to force Anna to baptize her newborn daughter into the Catholic faith, she burst into tears.

« The Roman Church is evil and danger- she wrote to her sister, - their ceremonies - most of them - almost outright idolatry» .

Anna's relationship with her father and stepmother soured when Jacob set out to diminish the influence of the Church of England.

At the beginning of 1687, in just a few days, a series of tragic events occurred: Anna suffered a miscarriage, her husband contracted smallpox, and their two youngest daughters died of the same disease. According to the memoirs of Lady Rachel Russell, the young couple. A year later, she gave birth to another dead child.

Public concern about Jacob's Catholicism grew even stronger when his wife Maria of Modena became pregnant for the first time since his accession to the throne. In letters to her sister, Anna expresses suspicions that the queen is faking pregnancy in order to present a false heir. She writes:

"They will stop at nothing, even if it would be so ungodly, if it would be in their best interests ... foul play could be planned here."

In April 1688, Anna suffered another miscarriage, and she left London, moving to the resort town of Bath for treatment.

"Portrait of Queen Mary of Modena with her son James", 1690s Hood. Benedetto Gennari the Younger

The Queen gave birth to a son who was named James Francis Edward on June 10, 1688. As a boy, he had priority in succession to the throne over the elder sisters Maria and Anna, so the prospect of another Catholic taking the throne became obvious. Anna herself remained in Bath at the time of his birth, so she was not present at birth, which is why she remained convinced that the baby had been changed. She could have deliberately left the capital to avoid being present at this event, or she was really sick. It is also possible that Jacob wanted to remove all Protestants, including his daughter, from public affairs.

“I will never know for sure,” Anna wrote to her sister Mary, “this child is true or false. He may be our brother, but only God knows ... no matter what changes occur, you will always find me firm in my faith and loyal to you. "

To dispel rumors that the boy was a change, Jacob invited 40 witnesses (according to the ceremonial who were present at the birth) to a meeting of the Privy Council. Anna claimed that she could not attend because she was pregnant herself (although this was not the case), and then refused to read the testimony, explaining that it was “not necessary”.

"King William and Queen Mary", ceiling painting. Artist James Thornhill. Royal Maritime College, London

Dissatisfaction with the actions of James II in the country was growing, and the birth of his son was one of the last drops. On November 5, 1688, Prince William of Orange invaded England to overthrow his father-in-law - the "Glorious Revolution" began.

It is believed that Anna was aware of the plans of her sister and her husband. Although her father forbade Anna to visit Mary in the spring of 1687, the sisters corresponded, so Anna was aware of the plans for intervention. On the advice of the Churchills, she refused to support her father after William's disembarkation and on November 18 wrote a letter to her relative approving of his actions.

On November 24, Churchill refused to serve the king. Anne's husband, Prince George, followed suit that evening, and on the evening of the next day, the king ordered Sarah Churchill to be placed under house arrest at St James's Palace. Anna and Sarah left Whitehall by the back stairs, entrusting themselves to the protection of the Bishop of Compton. They spent one night at his home and traveled to Nottingham, where they arrived on 1 December. Two weeks later, accompanied by a large retinue, Anna arrived in Oxford, where she met her husband. “God help me,” Yakov exclaimed, on November 26, upon learning of his daughter’s escape, “Even my children have left me.” On December 19, Anna returned to London, and on December 23, the king fled to France.

In January 1689, Parliament was convened in a special order, which ruled that the king, having fled, abdicated the throne, therefore the thrones of England and Ireland are now free. A similar decision was made by the Scottish parliament. William and Mary were proclaimed rulers of all three kingdoms (as co-rulers).

Soon after their accession to the throne, William and Mary rewarded John Churchill with the title of Earl of Marlborough, and Prince George was given the title of Duke of Cumberland. Anna asked for permission to use Richmond Palace and a parliamentary grant. The new monarchs refused in the first case and unsuccessfully opposed the execution of the second request, which caused discord between the sisters. Anna's resentment intensified when William did not allow Prince George to serve in the English army. The monarchs feared that if Anna gained financial independence, they could lose control over her, and political opposition would gather around her.

In January 1692, suspecting that Marlborough had secret connections with the followers of Jacob (Jacobites), William and Mary removed the duke from all posts. To publicly show her support for Marlborough, Anna invited Sarah to a social event at the palace and ignored Maria's demand to dismiss her. Lady Marlborough was subsequently removed from the court by the Lord Chamberlain, and Anna, angry, left the royal palace and settled in Cyon House, the home of the Duke of Somerset.

There, Anna was deprived of her honorific guard. The courtiers were forbidden to visit her, the civil authorities were ordered to ignore her existence. In April, Anna gave birth to a son who died without living even a few minutes. Maria visited her, but did not offer support, but only once again reproached her for her friendship with Sarah. Later that year, Anna moved to Berkeley House in Piccadilly Circus in London, where in March 1693 she had a dead girl.

Queen Mary died of smallpox in 1694. Wilhelm continued to rule alone. Anna was his heiress (since all the children he could have from a new wife would be below her in the line of inheritance). The King and Anne were publicly reconciled. He returned her due honors, allowed her to live in St. James's Palace and gave her the jewelry of the late Mary, but expelled her from the government and did not appoint him regent during his stay abroad. Three months later, William reinstated Marlborough in all positions. When Anna again began to appear at court, her Berkeley House began to be visited by courtiers, who had previously avoided meeting with Anna and her husband.

In 1696, Anna wrote to her father, the deposed King James, who was in exile on the continent, and asked for permission to inherit William. At the same time, she (according to him) promised, at an opportunity, to return power to his offspring (from a second marriage). However, Yakov refused her this request. Perhaps, with this letter, Anna wanted to guarantee that she would become the next monarch, and her father would not claim the throne.

Anna's last pregnancy ended in miscarriage on January 25, 1700. In total, she had at least 17 pregnancies and had a miscarriage 12 times or the baby was born dead. Of the 5 live births, 4 children died before reaching 2 years of age.

Anna (at least since 1698) suffered from gout attacks, pain in the limbs, abdomen and head. Based on her fertility problems and other symptoms described in the sources, she is now presumably diagnosed with lupus erythematosus or Hughes syndrome. The assumption that she suffered from salpingitis is supported by the fact that the onset of some of the symptoms coincided with her penultimate pregnancy. Other versions of her unsuccessful pregnancies: listeriosis, diabetes mellitus, intrauterine growth retardation and Rh-conflict (Rh-conflict, however, as a rule, worsens from one pregnancy to the next, nevertheless, her only son, who stepped into infancy, was born after a series of miscarriages ). Experts also dismissed versions that she had syphilis, porphyria, or pelvic deformities as inappropriate to her medical history.

Her only surviving child, William, Duke of Gloucester, died on July 30, 1700 at the age of 11. Anna and her husband were "overwhelmed with grief." She ordered her household to mourn every anniversary of his death. Since William had no children and the Duke of Gloucester died, Anne was the only person in the line of succession established by the 1689 Bill of Rights.

To solve the crisis of succession to the throne and prevent Catholic restoration (since the ex-King James was still alive and even gave birth to another daughter, Louise in exile), the Parliament of England adopted the Act of Succession in 1701. According to him, after Anna, the crown of England and Ireland was to be inherited by the Hanoverian princess Sophia and her Protestant descendants. Sophia was the granddaughter of Jacob I (through his daughter Elizabeth, sister of Charles I), that is, she was a cousin of Jacob II. Since Catholics could not inherit the English throne, more than 50 contenders closer in blood to Anna lost their right to the throne. Exile Jacob II died in September 1701. His widow, Anne's stepmother, former Queen Maria of Modena, wrote to Anna that her father had forgiven her and reminded her of his promise to try to return the rights to the Stewarts. Anna, however, by this time had already agreed to the new order established by the Act of Succession.

Anna ascended the throne after the death of William III on March 8, 1702. At the beginning of her reign, she was popular among the people. In her first speech to the English parliament on March 11, she contrasted herself with her late Dutch relative, saying: “As I know my heart is all English, I can sincerely assure you that there is nothing that you could expect or desire. from me that I will not be ready to do for the happiness and prosperity of England. "

Soon after her accession, Anna appointed her husband Lord Admiral, giving him nominal control over the navy (unlike Wilhelm, her older sister's husband, he was not made co-ruler, remaining just a consort). She gave control of the army to Lord Marlborough, whom she appointed captain-general. Marlborough also received several honorary awards from the Queen: he was promoted to Knight of the Garter and elevated to the rank of Duke. The Duchess of Marlborough also held several honorary positions at court.

At this time, Ireland was subject to England, Wales was part of it, but Scotland remained an independent sovereign state with its own parliament and laws. The "Act of Succession", issued in 1701 by the Parliament of England, operated in England and Ireland, but not in Scotland, where the majority wanted to preserve the Stuart dynasty (male branch) and its right to the throne.

In her first speech to Parliament, Anna proclaimed that it was "imperative" to unite England and Scotland, and in October 1702, an Anglo-Scottish commission convened at her former Cockpit residence to discuss the terms. The negotiations ended in early February 1703: no agreement could be reached.

The Parliament of Scotland responded to the English Act of Succession by adopting its own Act of Security, according to which, if the Queen does not have more children, then the Parliament itself will choose the next monarch of Scotland from among the Protestant descendants of the royal family of Scotland. This heir could not at the same time become king of England, if England does not guarantee complete freedom of trade for Scottish merchants. At first, Anne did not give royal assent to the Act, but when the Scottish Parliament threatened to halt supplies the following year, thus diminishing Scottish support for the English wars, she agreed to it.

In turn, the British Parliament issued the Aliens Act threatening to impose economic sanctions and declare Scottish nationals foreigners in England, unless Scotland repeals the Security Act or begins the process of unification with England. Scotland chose the latter; The Parliament of England agreed to repeal the Aliens Act, and in early 1706, Anne appointed a new commission to discuss the terms of the union.

The unification clauses, approved by the members of the commission, were presented to Anna on July 23, 1706, and ratified by the English and Scottish parliaments on January 16 and March 6, 1707, respectively. Under the Union Act, on May 1, 1707, England and Scotland were united into one kingdom, called "Great Britain", with a single parliament.

Anna, being, despite the disagreement in both countries, a staunch supporter of the unification of England and Scotland, took part in the thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral. The Scotsman John Clerk, who was also present there, wrote: "No one was more sincerely devout and grateful on this matter than the Queen herself."

During the reign of Anna, the bipartisan system was further developed. In general, the Tories supported the Church of England and the "land interests" of the nobility, while the Whigs supported commerce and Protestant dissenters. A staunch Anglican, Anna leaned more towards the Tories. The members of her first cabinet of ministers belonged mainly to this party: they were such high-ranking Tories as Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, and Anna's uncle Lawrence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester. The cabinet was chaired by Lord Treasurer Earl Godolphin, Duke of Marlborough (who were moderate Conservatives) and Speaker of the House of Commons Robert Harley.

The Whigs supported the War of the Spanish Succession, increasing their influence after the victory of the Duke of Marlborough at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. Many of the high Tories who opposed British involvement in the land war with France were removed from office. Godolphin, Marlborough and Harley, who now served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department, formed a "triumvirate" with power in their hands. They had to increasingly rely on the support of the Whigs and, in particular, the "Whig junta" - the Lords of Somers, Halifax, Orford, Wharton and Sunderland, whom Anna did not like. The Duchess of Marlborough constantly asked the Queen to give the Whigs more important positions and reduce the power of the Tories, whom she considered little better than the Jacobites, so that Anna's attitude towards her soured.

In 1706, Godolphin and Marlborough forced Anna to appoint Lord Sunderland, a member of the Whig Junta and Marlborough's son-in-law, as Secretary of State for the Southern Department. This strengthened the position of the ministry in parliament, but worsened the relationship between the ministry and the queen; dissatisfaction with Anna Godolphin and her former favorite, the Duchess of Marlborough, grew as they supported Sunderland and the other Whigs who wanted vacant government and ecclesiastical positions. The Queen sought advice from Harley, who was at odds with Marlborough. She also became close to the lady-in-waiting Abigail Hill (after marriage to Mash), and the worse Anna's relationship with Sarah became, the more influence the new queen's favorite gained. Abigail talked to both Harley and the Duchess; being politically close to Harley, she mediated between him and the queen.

The gap in the ministry turned into open conflict on February 8, 1708, when Godolphin and Marlborough announced that the queen should remove Harley or do without their services in the future. Anna hesitated, and Marlborough and Godolphin refused to attend the cabinet meeting. Harley tried to go about business without them, but some of those present, including the Duke of Somerset, refused to do anything until they returned. The Queen was forced to fire Harley.

The next month, Anne's half-brother James Francis Edward Stewart, a Catholic, attempted to land in Scotland. He was about to take the throne; France supported him in this adventure. Anna delayed the issuance of Royal Assent to the Scottish Militia Bill because it might have sided with the Jacobites. She was the last British ruler to veto a parliamentary bill, although little displeased comment was received on these actions. The fleet never reached the ground and was driven off by British ships under the command of George Byng. Fear of a Jacobite invasion dropped Tory support, and the Whigs won the majority of the vote in the 1708 general election.

The Duchess of Marlborough became angry when Abigail took over rooms in Kensington Court that Sarah considered her own, although she rarely used them. In July 1708, the Duchess noticed a poem written by some Whig propagandist, possibly Arthur Mineworing. The poem hinted at a lesbian relationship between Anna and Abigail. The Duchess wrote to Anna that her reputation was seriously damaged by "a great passion for such a woman ... strange and incomprehensible." Sarah felt that Abigail was too high-ranking: “I never considered her education sufficient to be a worthy company of the great queen. Many people liked the humor of their maids and they were very kind to them, but it is very unusual to have private correspondence with them and have close friendships. " Some modern authors conclude that Anna was a lesbian, but most reject this point of view. According to Anna's biographers, Abigail for her was only a devoted servant, especially since Masham had traditional customs and was completely loyal to her husband.

Anna did not wear the jewels Sarah had sent to the thanksgiving service for the victory in the Battle of Oudenaard. At the door of St Paul's Cathedral, they argued, and Sarah told the queen to shut up. Anna was shocked. When Sarah sent Anna a letter from her husband that was not related to the quarrel, she attached a note, continuing the argument. Anna replied: “After you ordered me not to answer you on Thanksgiving Day, I should not bother you with these lines, but return the Duke of Marlborough's letter to your hands, where it will be safe, and for the same reason I do not say anything about him, not about your application. "

Anna's husband died in October 1708, an event devastating her. It marked a turning point in her relationship with the Duchess of Marlborough. Shortly before George's death, Sarah arrived at Kensington Palace; when he died, she began to insist that Anna should move from Kensington to St. James's Palace - the queen did not want that. Anna was irritated by the actions of the duchess, who, in particular, removed the portrait of George from the queen's bedroom and refused to return it, arguing that it was natural to "avoid seeing papers or anything that belonged to loved ones when they had just died."

The Whigs used George's death for their own benefit. Whig leaders accused Prince George and his deputy George Churchill (brother of the Duke of Marlborough) of mismanaging the Admiralty and the fleet. Now the Whigs prevailed in parliament, Anna was confused after the death of her husband, so they seized the opportunity, telling her to bring the leaders of the junta Somers and Wharton into the cabinet. Anna, however, intended to act as Lord Admiral herself, without appointing anyone to replace George. However, the junta did not retreat and demanded the appointment of one of its members to the post of First Lord of the Admiralty - the Earl of Orford, one of the main critics of George. On November 29, 1708, Anna gave this place to a moderate in views

Queen Anne, 1702-1714

The character of this woman is best described by the word "ordinary". Actually, there is nothing to say about her, except that she is a queen. Her husband, Prince George of Denmark, who was described by one of the historians as "a kind, inconspicuous man", looked the same. Quite a bourgeois couple - not too smart, ate a lot, drank a lot and were selflessly loyal to each other. Their reign passed under the sign of the war on the continent, which ended a year before Anna's death. All this time in England there was an endless struggle for power between various political groups.

Marlborough and the war in Europe

Until 1707, Sarah Churchill, whose husband was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Alliance, created to fight France, was among the Queen's closest and most influential favorites. For his brilliant military victories in 1702, he was awarded the title of Duke of Marlborough. As commander-in-chief of the allied forces, Marlborough planned to attack the French as soon as possible, but his aspirations for the time being were curbed by the cautious Dutch. In 1704, Marlborough gathered forces, ostensibly for a battle on the Moselle. Further, events developed according to an unexpected scenario: to the horror of the Dutch allies, the British passed the intended point and marched through the territory of Germany in a hurried march. They met with the French army near the city of Blenheim. Marlborough needed a quick and unconditional victory in order to suppress the indignation of the Dutch (whose borders as a result of this maneuver remained completely defenseless), as well as the opposition in England, dissatisfied with the exorbitant costs of military operations. Thanks to the pressure and brilliant strategy, the British really won one of the largest victories in military history: the French lost fourteen thousand killed and eleven thousand prisoners, among whom were high-ranking generals.

This success was the beginning of a chain of brilliant victories: in 1704, the British managed to capture the fortress of Gibraltar almost without a fight, over the next five years Marlborough inflicted crushing defeats on the French at Ramilia, Ouderand and Malplac. After the victory at Rami-li, the duke was granted a large landholding in Woodstock near Oxford and a huge sum of money for the construction of a luxurious palace, called Blenheim. Defeated on all fronts, King Louis XIV requested peace in 1707, but Marlborough refused to negotiate, and the war continued. Ironically, in the subsequent period, military success turned to face the French, and they began to gain victories. Only in 1713 was the Utrecht Peace Treaty finally signed, according to which the British acquired Nova Scotia (a province of Canada), Gibraltar, as well as the islands of Newfoundland and Minorca into their possession. In addition, England bargained for itself a monopoly on the slave trade in the Spanish colonies. As a result, she inexpressibly strengthened her position as a trading and colonial power, especially in the New World.

Politics

Politically, within the country, the traditional scheme was preserved, established even under William and Mary: in wartime, the Whigs (1705-1710) occupied the dominant position, with the advent of peace, power passed to the Tories (1702-1705, 1710-1714). the changes were accompanied by constant struggle between the two groups, both on a national scale and in individual counties. The coffeehouses that proliferated in London became the sites of bitter political skirmishes, and the press also divided into two hostile camps that supported their leaders. The interests of the Whigs and Tories diverged so far that, according to the witty remark of one of the then politicians, reconciling them was as difficult as "mixing oil with vinegar" or "making the lamb (lie down) next to a lion."

Unification of England with Scotland

The most important decision taken by parliament during the reign of Queen Anne was the political unification of the two neighboring powers - England and Scotland. James I united the two crowns in 1603, but this did not go further. Each nation still retained its own state religion and was subject to various parliaments. As a result, the entire 17th century was marked by endless conflicts between the Scots and the British. A single king did not make it easier for the two countries to coexist. This was confirmed by a failed attempt by the Scots to establish trading settlements in the Isthmus of Panama in 1698. King William did not like this initiative, and he refused to support Scottish investors, who lost a lot of money as a result. The need to unite with neighboring Scotland was also dictated by political reasons: the fact is that the majority of Scots still supported Jacob I, who went down in history under the name of the Senior Challenger. It was necessary to take urgent measures, otherwise the Jacobites, with the help of France (which retained its traditional influence on Scotland), sooner or later could raise an uprising.

The idea of ​​uniting the two states came up even with William I, but, unfortunately, the king died, and did not have time to implement his plans. Anna inherited Wilhelm's plans along with his crown, but, as usual, the matter dragged on. An additional impetus was the next Scottish crisis that broke out in 1704. The Scots announced that after the death of Queen Anne, they would elect their own king and support him with military force. In response, the British Parliament passed the "Aliens Act" prohibiting the import of goods from Scotland. Thus, the local herders were deprived of their main sales market. The British pulled up troops to the border with Scotland, serious preparations were also noted in the enemy camp - it seemed that both countries were on the verge of war. But in the end a compromise was found: the Scots retained their faith and judicial legislation, in addition acquiring trade rights equal to those of the British. In return, they were required to be represented in the London parliament. On May 1, 1707, the Scottish Parliament met for the last time, on the same day the United Kingdom of Great Britain was born.

Politics and the last years of Anna's reign

By 1707, Anna was tired of her longtime favorite Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, and decided to replace her with a Tory supporter, Abigail Masham. In 1710, the slanderous proceedings initiated by the Whig government against the Tory priest forced all the Tories to unite. As a result, they gained such strength that Queen Anne risked dismissing the Whig government and replacing it with a Tory cabinet. The Duke of Marlborough was also fired and accused of corruption, so yesterday's hero had to flee abroad.

The end of the war in Europe made it possible to concentrate on the sore point of Anna's succession. In 1701, parliament adopted the "Act of Succession", which determined the further fate of the English crown. According to him, the queen was to be inherited by the granddaughter of Jacob I, the wife of the Elector of Hanover, Sophia, and her Protestant descendants. Thus, George of Hanover became the alleged heir to the throne. This did not suit many Tories, who insisted on the candidacy of the son of James II, James. In 1714, it became clear that Queen Anne's days were numbered. She was to appoint a successor to the disgraced Duke of Marlborough. After hearing a furious argument between two Tory leaders, the Viscount Bolingbroke and the Earl of Oxford, she rejected both and opted for the moderate Whig, the Earl of Shrewsbury. On August 1, 1714, Anna died - alone, without a husband, without friends, almost forgotten by her subjects. Immediately after her death, the Earl of Shrewsbury hastened to announce the queen's heir - George I of the German dynasty of Hanover became him.

Vasily Vasilyevich Golitsyn (1643–1714) Another predecessor of Peter could have been Golitsyn, a rather young man who lived, dressed, and thought like a European, but who managed to side with Sophia in the struggle of the tsar's children for the throne. Golitsyn did everything he could