Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion
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Review
“The formidable Anne Somerset ….in this admirably objective study sets out to rescue Anne’s unfortunate reputation from her critics….and restate the case for this shy and sickly ruler as one of our most unexpectedly effective monarchs….It has taken immense patience and skill ….to create a new and subtler image of the last of the Stuart monarchs. Anne Somerset has done a real service both to us and to her namesake” Sunday Times
“Somerset …..goes a considerable way towards overturning ….the negative judgment attached to Anne, both during her lifetime and later….in this well-argued biography”. Daily Telegraph
“one of the most enjoyable biographies I’ve read in the past year, elegantly written and with an encyclopaedic grasp of the period. I loved every page of it….Somerset guides us expertly and effortlessly through the labyrinthine party politics of the reign….with flair and scholarship” Literary Review
“This magisterial new biography paints a fascinating picture of an often-overlooked monarch….on the basis of this incisive and compelling portrait, none could argue that she did not keep the interests of her people close to her heart” Country Life
Review
‘Proves no period of history is ever dull… A wonderfully pacy and absorbing read.’ John Harding, Mail on Sunday
‘One of the most enjoyable biographies I’ve read in the past year, elegantly written and with an encyclopaedic grasp of the period. I loved every page of it’ Literary Review
‘It has taken immense patience and skill ….to create a new and subtler image of the last of the Stuart monarchs. Anne Somerset has done a real service both to us and to her namesake.’ Sunday Times
‘Somerset …..goes a considerable way towards overturning ….the negative judgment attached to Anne, both during her lifetime and later….in this well-argued biography.’ Daily Telegraph
‘This magisterial new biography paints a fascinating picture of an often-overlooked monarch….on the basis of this incisive and compelling portrait, none could argue that she did not keep the interests of her people close to her heart.’
Country Life
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anne Somerset has written some excellent historical biographies and, in this latest effort, she turns her attention to Queen Anne. This is an exhaustive and well researched biography about a woman who never thought she would become Queen. Her father, James, Duke of York, was the younger brother of Charles II. When he secretly married a woman already pregnant and not of royal blood, it caused a scandal that Charles II, who had only fairly recently regained the throne his father lost, was deeply unhappy with. Luckily for Anne, Charles refused her fathers suggestion that his daughter Anne be beheaded, and took her side eventually. After a difficult start, James and Anne had two daughters, Mary and Anne. Having no living boy, and with Charles II childless, James re-married when he was widowed in that desperate search for an heir. James eventually became King and, if she hoped to ever inherit the throne, Anne had to make a choice between her father's wish that she become a Catholic, or remain a Protestant as the people would not trust a Catholic monarch.
This book looks at the marriage of Anne's sister Mary to William of Orange and her own marriage to the compatible, amiable and devoted Prince George of Denmark. There is a terrible and tragic account of births, miscarriages, stillbirths, phantom pregnancies and early deaths. Anne herself endured pregnancy after pregnancy in her attempt to produce a healthy child and, when her father's wife had a healthy son, she was so horrified that she believed the rumours that the baby was an imposter who had been smuggled into the palace in a warming pan.
During the whole of this book there is political turmoil, much related to the issue of the succession. William of Orange's invasion, Anne's political desertion of her father, the constant friction between Protestants and Catholics, almost endless wars, the Whigs and Tories, political infighting, Jacobite plots and intrigue abound. However, where this book comes alive is in Anne's personal relationships, most notably with her sister Mary and her favourites, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough and later, Sarah's cousin Abigail. Her deep love and friendship for the, somewhat sly and malicious Sarah, ended in recrimination and threats. It is almost painful to read their letters and the glee with which Sarah refers to Anne as "that thing" and worse in hysterical outbursts that still shock so many years later in their sheer vitriol.
In many ways, Anne comes across as a sad and friendless person with little to cling to. Her husband, although caring, was often side-lined and her need for an heir overwhelmed her. When Anne did become Queen, she faced huge challenges persuading her subjects that the Act of Settlement was safe in her hands. There were worries that her Catholic half-brother, the Pretender, was poised to reclaim his inheritance and many feared civil war. She was horrified at the prospect of her unloved and distant Hanoverian cousins residing in England during her lifetime, yet had no closer, protestant family to leave the Crown. She indulged political prejudices, often allowed private quarrels to impinge on state affairs and had great passion for her favourites. Yet, she also strove to preserve the political equilibrium, believed strongly in her ability to lead her country and ultimately tried to bring peace to her people. This is a very interesting account of a turbulent time and of a woman who rose to the challenge when she became Queen and was, ultimately, a successful monarch. Lastly, I read the kindle edition of this book and the illustrations were included.
This book looks at the marriage of Anne's sister Mary to William of Orange and her own marriage to the compatible, amiable and devoted Prince George of Denmark. There is a terrible and tragic account of births, miscarriages, stillbirths, phantom pregnancies and early deaths. Anne herself endured pregnancy after pregnancy in her attempt to produce a healthy child and, when her father's wife had a healthy son, she was so horrified that she believed the rumours that the baby was an imposter who had been smuggled into the palace in a warming pan.
During the whole of this book there is political turmoil, much related to the issue of the succession. William of Orange's invasion, Anne's political desertion of her father, the constant friction between Protestants and Catholics, almost endless wars, the Whigs and Tories, political infighting, Jacobite plots and intrigue abound. However, where this book comes alive is in Anne's personal relationships, most notably with her sister Mary and her favourites, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough and later, Sarah's cousin Abigail. Her deep love and friendship for the, somewhat sly and malicious Sarah, ended in recrimination and threats. It is almost painful to read their letters and the glee with which Sarah refers to Anne as "that thing" and worse in hysterical outbursts that still shock so many years later in their sheer vitriol.
In many ways, Anne comes across as a sad and friendless person with little to cling to. Her husband, although caring, was often side-lined and her need for an heir overwhelmed her. When Anne did become Queen, she faced huge challenges persuading her subjects that the Act of Settlement was safe in her hands. There were worries that her Catholic half-brother, the Pretender, was poised to reclaim his inheritance and many feared civil war. She was horrified at the prospect of her unloved and distant Hanoverian cousins residing in England during her lifetime, yet had no closer, protestant family to leave the Crown. She indulged political prejudices, often allowed private quarrels to impinge on state affairs and had great passion for her favourites. Yet, she also strove to preserve the political equilibrium, believed strongly in her ability to lead her country and ultimately tried to bring peace to her people. This is a very interesting account of a turbulent time and of a woman who rose to the challenge when she became Queen and was, ultimately, a successful monarch. Lastly, I read the kindle edition of this book and the illustrations were included.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Anne Somerset is on her usual magnifcant form dealing with a difficult subject. Queen Anne was not the most physically attractive of our monarchs. The last of the Stuarts, her reign was beset with problems of the succession, religous schism, political faction and war in Europe. Queen Anne did her best to cope with all these problems.
Anne Somerset's analysis of how Queen Anne tries to deal with all these problems is based on meticulous research and explained in her own delightful style.
We feel for Queen Anne - 17 pregnancies yet no child who survived her. The consequence was the Hanovarian succession and the Act of Union.
One of the most compelling themes of the book is Queen Anne's relationships with Sarah Churchill and Abigail Masham. Somerset comments that Queen Anne's reign was bloodless; no one was executed for treason. I think Queen Anne made a mistake there.
Even if you don't like history, read and enjoy this excellent book.
Anne Somerset's analysis of how Queen Anne tries to deal with all these problems is based on meticulous research and explained in her own delightful style.
We feel for Queen Anne - 17 pregnancies yet no child who survived her. The consequence was the Hanovarian succession and the Act of Union.
One of the most compelling themes of the book is Queen Anne's relationships with Sarah Churchill and Abigail Masham. Somerset comments that Queen Anne's reign was bloodless; no one was executed for treason. I think Queen Anne made a mistake there.
Even if you don't like history, read and enjoy this excellent book.
7 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have read other books by Anne Somerset and this is of the same high standard. It is detailed and very well researched. I suspect the two facts most widely known about Queen Anne are that the Union of England and Scotland occurred during her reign and that she suffered the loss of many children.
Whilst the book gives us a comprehensive overview of the difficult and shifting politics of the reign, its greatest strength is the portrait it gives us of Anne herself. A woman of limited education and experience and painfully shy, what the book proves beyond doubt is that she tried to be the best monarch she could in the interests of the people and that in that aim she largely succeeded. Despite chronic illhealth and much tragedy in her life Anne always put her duties first. At the same time she suffered merciless bullying at the hands of her supposed friend the Duchess of Marlborough and bore with this patiently for many years.
It would be hard to read this book without feeling great compassion and admiration for perhaps the only largely successful Stuart monarch. Also it is worth noting that she was one of the most English monarchs by blood ever to reign, being the daughter of Anne Hyde an English lady. I was left with the strong feeling that if only Anne could have reigned longer and produced an heir the course of history would have been better served.
Whilst the book gives us a comprehensive overview of the difficult and shifting politics of the reign, its greatest strength is the portrait it gives us of Anne herself. A woman of limited education and experience and painfully shy, what the book proves beyond doubt is that she tried to be the best monarch she could in the interests of the people and that in that aim she largely succeeded. Despite chronic illhealth and much tragedy in her life Anne always put her duties first. At the same time she suffered merciless bullying at the hands of her supposed friend the Duchess of Marlborough and bore with this patiently for many years.
It would be hard to read this book without feeling great compassion and admiration for perhaps the only largely successful Stuart monarch. Also it is worth noting that she was one of the most English monarchs by blood ever to reign, being the daughter of Anne Hyde an English lady. I was left with the strong feeling that if only Anne could have reigned longer and produced an heir the course of history would have been better served.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The first Queen of Great Britain
It is quite some time since I have read "Queen Anne" by Edward Gregg. So I was happy that Anne Somerset took on this project and had a fresh look on Anne, her personality and her... Read more
Published 24 days ago by Amelrode
Political History
A very good read and easy to understand, factual, but not to heavy. Written by an author who's style I like.
Published 1 month ago by Fred Porter
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