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Anne (1665-1714) (DNB00)

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ANNE (16651714), queen of Great Britain and Ireland, was born at St. James's Palace, London, 6
Feb. 1665. She was the second daughter of James, duke of York, afterwards King James II, and his
first wife, Anne Hyde, daughter of the Earl of Clarendon. Of the eight children born from this
marriage only the Princesses Mary and Anne survived their mother, who died 31 March 1671 after
receiving the last sacraments of the church of Rome. There can have been little resemblance
between this very extraordinary woman, as Burnet calls her, and her second daughter, unless
Grammont's gossip be worthy of record, that the duchess too was fond of eating. Not long after the
death of his first wife the duke was pressed by his friends to marry again, and in 1673 gave his
hand to Mary of Modena, whom in later days the Princess Anne came cordially to detest, and to
regard as an evil influence with her father (see her letter, 9 May 1688, in DALRYMPLE'S Memoirs,
ii. 174). But this censorious attitude can only have been gradually adopted. During Charles II's
reign Anne necessarily shared the fortunes of her father and stepmother, though protected together
with her sister by the prudence of the king from sharing their unpopularity. By the express
command of Charles II, and with their father's consent, the two princesses were brought up as
members of the church of England. With the same intention Lady Frances Villiers, wife of Colonel
Edward Villiers, and daughter of the Duke of Suffolk, was chosen as governess for the Princess
Anne. She appears to have been a sickly child, and when about five years of age was sent over on a
visit to France for the benefit of her health. Of her childhood little else is known. It must, however,
have been at a period of her life of which no dated records have come down to us, that she first
formed an intimacy destined to affect nearly the whole of her after life. The beginnings of the
princess's kindness for me, writes the Duchess of Marlborough, had a much earlier date than my
entrance into her service. My promotion to this honour was wholly owing to impressions she had
before received to my advantage; we had used to play together when she was a child, and she even
then expressed a peculiar fondness for me (Conduct, 9). More trustworthy details concerning the
Princess Anne begin for us with the first week in November 1677, which produced four
memorable things. The Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of York's eldest son by Mary of Modena,
was born on the same day as that on which the Archbishop of Canterbury (Sheldon), who had been
the godfather of the Princess Anne, died. The Princess Mary and the Prince of Orange were
married on the Sunday, and on the Friday Lady Anne appear'd to have the small-pox. With this
record of sickness (confirmed by a letter in the Hatton Correspondence, i. 155) begin such
personal reminiscences as we possess concerning a life which will never be justly judged if its
sufferings are left out of the account. The passage referred to opens the diary of Dr. Edward Lake,
which extends from November 1677 to April 1678. Dr. Lake was introduced as chaplain and tutor
into the service of the Princesses Mary and Anne by the Bishop of London, Dr. Henry Compton,
who was said to have actively contributed to the decision that they should be educated as
protestants, and who had himself been appointed their preceptor. On 23 Jan. 1676 he had
confirmed them in the Chapel Royal at Whitehall, of which he was dean. Lake was much troubled
at being kept away from attendance on the Princess Anne by her illness, the more so because her
nurse was a very busy, zealous Roman catholic; and accordingly obtained permission from the
governess and the preceptor to offer his ministrations notwithstanding. He gives a rather touching
picture of the poor young princess during this passing attack of illness, which shows both that a

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