Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion

Anne is an interesting topic. I've read a lot about Charles II but little about his niece. The first half was wonderful. I found her explanation of James II fascinating. Most history books just gloss over the so called 'Glorious Revolution' but somerset explains it well. Also of great interest to me was the beginning of the Tories and Whigs, not to mention the conflicts regarding religion. I think it was a fair portrait of the Queen herself. I am still stunned that she went through 17 pregnancies with no surviving children. The fact that she could function at all after those emotional and physical tramas is amazing. The reason for four stars is that the second half really bogged me down. There was so much about the political infighting that I think should have been edited down. On the other hand, I learned a lot in the first half and am quite glad I read it.

A historical account of the reign of Queen Anne of England, and also the events leading up to and surrounding her reign. I found the book to be quite easy reading and very informative. It deals with the difficult relationship between Anne and the Sarah Churchill who became Lady Marlborough. This was certainly a love/hate relationship and involved Lord Marlborough, the head of the English army, as well. It is incredible that Queen Anne did not produce an heir in spite of 17 pregnancies. This book was written from historical letters and documents and I believe was accurate. It avoided being fanciful as are other stories of Queen Ann that I have read. Because it was a little boring in places, I rate it four stars, but I esteem it as a very good book.

After watching "The Favourite", I was really curious about Queen Anne. My knowledge of her was quite limited, and not accurate. This book gives you the full, and much more truthful, picture. Sadly for Anne, her reputation (and the film) rests on the memoirs of someone who was selfish and resentful at the end - and who outlived her and thus had the last word. Anne seems to have been misunderstood by her advisors, all of them believing her to be more ignorant than she was. By and large, they were more interested in their own aggrandizement and power than in serving their queen. The Protestant/Catholic and English/Scottish divisions in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the rise of Whig/Tory party politics, provide an unsettling backdrop to her life and reign.The book is very thorough, very well documented and footnoted, and beautifully written.

“In view of her inexperience, lack of education, and current perceptions about the incapacity of women, the challenge that confronted her was certainly formidable.” – from QUEEN ANNE, the author’s judgement at Anne’s accession“Sleep was never more welcome to a weary traveller than death was to her.” – from QUEEN ANNE, her physician’s opinion“So good and so wise a Queen” – from QUEEN ANNE, the author’s final judgementA casual aficionado of English and British history, I’d never paid much attention to the reign of Queen Anne (1702 – 1714). However, after having seen the 2018 film THE FAVOURITE, I felt it was time. So…QUEEN ANNE: THE POLITICS OF PASSION is Anne Somerset’s lengthy narrative of the life and reign of the last Stewart monarch before the first of the Hanoverians, King George I.After reading the first several chapters which chronicle Anne’s life during the rules of her father, King James II, and that of her sister, Queen Mary II, and the co-monarch, William III, I was prepared to believe that Anne was perhaps the most unprepared and pathetic creature ever to occupy the throne of England. At the chapter beginning her reign, it was “We’ll see.”A reader of QUEEN ANNE cannot but be appalled at the horrific bad luck Anne had when it came to bearing children. She was pregnant some seventeen times by her devoted husband, Prince George of Denmark. One hydrocephalic child, Prince William, lived until age eleven. All other pregnancies ended in a miscarriage, stillbirth or post-partum infant death, perhaps evidence of the autoimmune disease, lupus erythematosus (LE), which the book states is the current consensus diagnosis of the Queen’s lifelong condition.Also of particular interest is the evolution of England’s rivalry of the Whig and Tory parties beginning around 1678 that, during Anne’s reign, reached a level of animosity that makes the current Republican-Democrat strife in U.S. politics a garden party in comparison.Somerset’s research for QUEEN ANNE was apparently exhaustive. Unfortunately for the reader, it approaches exhausting, especially the author’s documentation of the relationship between Anne and Sarah the Duchess of Marlborough, which went from devoted to stone cold over the years. The author quotes letters sent between the two and third-party accounts of their relationship ad nauseum; she goes on and on and on about it in multiple contexts. Ok, we get it; enough already! QUEEN ANNE could not have been but improved with some serious editing of that sub-topic.At the end of the book, my opinion of Queen Anne had been elevated by Somerset’s obviously sympathetic narrative. Despite the enormous pressures of her own health, the War of the Spanish Succession, her husband’s and children’s deaths, the thorny Act of Union (between England and Scotland), the threat of a Jacobite uprising, and the constant warfare between the Tory and Whig political factions in Parliament and Ministry, Anne delivered the monarchy intact to her successor; she was an improbable but effective caretaker. Honor is due.

I admit I knew almost nothing about this time in English history so reading this was a learning experience. It was interesting to see the rise of the Whigs and Tories and to carry that through to the revolution. Also instructive to compare the partisan politics of the time to today. I also had no idea how England went from the Stuart's to the Germans.I have to admit when I saw the movie The Favourite I was sure it has to be about a fictional queen and Lady in Waiting because I couldn't believe a Queen would let an underlying treat her the way she did in the movie. However, this book makes their relationship out about the same.The book itself is written as a historical biography with lots of footnotes, quotes and sources. It is not written to mimic historical fiction or much of a story so if you don't enjoy the academic feel you probably won't like this. It is not a lyrical book but it is fairly easy to read. I would recommend to learn more about Anne a d the politics of the time.

The film prompted me to look a bit more deeply - this is a period of history not covered very well at school (even though that's a long, long time ago...).It makes the film look very poor. Yes, Anne had two favourites, Sarah Churchill and Abigail Masham, but there is no real evidence for the raunchy stuff in the film. Sarah Churchill turns out to be a thoroughly nasty piece of work and dominated Anne quite distressingly, but one wonders why Anne allowed that in the first place.Somerset goes deeply into the political wrangling between the Whigs and Tories, and frankly Brexit just seems like a blast from the past. It is a very readable book and I am glad to have caught up with that bit of history.The Kindle version gives much better versions of the portraits but not good for the Family Tree which is essential reference material.

Complex reading. Queen's earlier years are an easier read. Then came the reign of James II , the Glorious Revolution, the rule of William and Mary, Anne seems to have yet to have made an impact apart from her desertion of her father James II in 1688, But during the reign of William and Mary Anne demonstrated that she could fight for her own interest, especially when Mary tried to get her to dismiss Sarah Churchill.But once as queen, this writer suggests that Anne made her mark. There is a lot of information about her illnesses, the death of her son, the series of pregnancies ending in tragedy. Her husband, Prince of George of Denmark's health problems, and death when she was queen. Anne's emotional dependency on Sarah Churchill's friendship. Anne died in 1714, surviving her husband and children. This makes the book tough going in places.Yet Anne took and active interest in the politics of the day, and the military progress of the Wars of Spanish Succession. There is a great emphasis on the Whig v. Tory political in fighting and easy to lose track of all the politicians mentioned. Anne somehow could rule in a volatile political climate and seemed keen to work with parliament. This writer gives the case that Anne genuinely tired of the Wars of Spanish Succession and generally wanted to end them. There could be more analysis here ....how much of a threat was Louis XIV to Britain ? Could Britain have stayed aloof from this conflict ?Anne managed to dislodge Sarah Churchill ( who does not come out well in this biography) and develop a close friendship with Abigail Hill. Anne was adamant that Britain must remain Protestant and would not accept her half Brother James Stuart as her successor. She was also shrewd enough to forbid the House of Hanover gaining a foothold in Britain until their succession, realising the danger of an 'alternative' court being formed.Anne also showed no inclination to hunt down and execute 'traitors' which was unusual for a Stuart monarch. In other words, besides the suffering that Anne went through, she found her own way to rule and developed her own policies.

I found this very interesting as the period was unknown to me apart from its beautiful architecture. The politics were fascinating and it was a relief that the Queen didn’t have anyone executed! It was, I must say, very long and some people might find that off-putting. I enjoyed it very much, however, and would like to read more by this author.Gilly Jamieson

This is a very detailed biography of Queen Anne, a monarch who, to date, has been largely invisible to history. Certainly the period from the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 to Queen Anne's death in 1714 is not taught in schools. As,over this period,Great Britain came into being with the union of Scotland with the English crown in 1707, the period might be more relevant given the contemporary campaign for Scottish independence.Anne Somerset reveals Anne's life and times largely through intensive scrutiny of her letters and of relationships at her court. This includes an analysis of her stormy relationship with Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. The period was an eventful one in which the map of Europe was being redrawn. The reader is introduced to the birth of party politics. Anne's heart was with the Tories but she recognised the importance to government of being able to maintain alliances with the Whigs. Somerset is good on painting the roguish personalities on both sides of the party divide. Readers are also offered a bed-side seat as Anne's heath steadily declines through a lengthy history of miscarriage and disabling gout. Somerset is particularly good on the medical details and the limited treatments available at the time.Anne emerges as a woman complete with the prejudices of her time, but as a more astute politician than perhaps has been recognised previously.This is very much biography and the story of the great and the good living in and around the London court. Readers interested in a broader picture of the period and how London politics influenced life in the provinces, Ireland or in the colonies would need to look elsewhere. The book is a solid and informative read for the reader prepared to persist with the level of intricate personal detail offered by Somerset.

Anne Somerset's study of Queen Anne's life is very detailed but never boring. Anne lived and reigned during an epoch of great ferment in British history and its intricacies, especially religious and political, need a very clear commentator. Ms Somerset's style, while displaying her erudition, is eminently readable; she has clearly had access to all the essential sources. I finished this volume understanding far better the Queen's character and the problems she faced and, having known very little about her previously, I now recognise her impact on successive generations. The Kindle edition must be the best value there is for such a serious but enjoyable read.