Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Encyclopedia
Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (2 November 1709 – 12 January 1759) was the second child and eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain
and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach
. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange
, the first hereditary stadtholder
of the Netherlands. Princess Anne was the second daughter of a British sovereign to hold the title Princess Royal
. She was Regent
of the Netherlands from 1751 until her death in 1759, exercising extensive powers on behalf of her son William V
. Because of her English upbringing and family connections, she was known as an Anglophile - despite being unable to convince the Dutch Republic to enter the Seven Years' War
on the side of the British.
Palace, Hanover, five years before her paternal grandfather, Elector George Louis, succeeded to the British throne as George I
. She was christened shortly after birth at Herrenhausen Palace. She was named after her paternal grandfather's second cousin Anne, Queen of Great Britain.
She learned German, French and English, and was taught music (including singing, harpsichord
, and composition) by Georg Friedrich Händel. Händel did not like teaching, but said he would "make the only exception for Anne, flower of princesses". She remained a life-long supporter, attending his operas and subscribing to his music.
She contracted and survived smallpox
in 1720, and two years later her mother helped to popularise the practice of variolation (an early type of immunisation against smallpox), which had been witnessed by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
and Charles Maitland in Constantinople
. At the direction of Caroline, six prisoners condemned to death were offered the chance to undergo variolation instead of execution: they all survived, as did six orphan children given the same treatment as a further test. Convinced of its medical value, the Queen had her two younger daughters, Amelia and Caroline, inoculated successfully. Amelia's face was scarred by the disease, and she was not considered as pretty as her two younger sisters.
created his eldest daughter Princess Royal
. Charles I
first bestowed this title on his eldest daughter, Mary, Princess of Orange
(mother of William III
), in 1642. However, the title fell from use until the reign of George II. (Princess Anne became Princess Royal during the lifetime of her aunt, Queen Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
, who had been eligible for this honour but did not receive it.)
was eventually discarded when the French insisted that Anne convert to Roman Catholicism. On 25 March 1734 (New Style
) in the Chapel Royal
at St. James's Palace
, she married William IV, Prince of Orange
. William had a spinal deformity, which affected his appearance, but Anne said she would marry him even "if he were a baboon". She ceased to use her British style in favour of the title she gained by marriage. The music played on her wedding, This is the day was set by Händel to the princess's own words based on Psalms
45 and 118. She quarreled with her brother, the Prince of Wales
, about her choice.
William and Anne sailed to Holland after a honeymoon at Kew
. Anne soon felt homesick when her husband went on campaign in the Rhineland, and she travelled back to England believing herself to be pregnant. Eventually, her husband and father commanded her to return to Holland. By April 1735, it was clear she was not with child after all. In 1736, she did become pregnant, but the child (a daughter) was stillborn.
for her 3 year-old son, Prince William V
. She was hard-working, but arrogant and imperious, which made her unpopular. This would help William later in his tough life. The 1750s were years of increasing tension and commercial rivalry between Holland and Britain, which placed her in a difficult position.
, Netherlands
, when she was replaced by her mother-in-law, Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel, and by Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
. When she too died, Anne's daughter, Carolina
, was made regent until William V turned 18 in 1766.
Princess Anne, Maryland
is named for her.
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and his consort, Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
. She was the spouse of William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
, the first hereditary stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of the Netherlands. Princess Anne was the second daughter of a British sovereign to hold the title Princess Royal
Princess Royal
Princess Royal is a style customarily awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter. The style is held for life, so a princess cannot be given the style during the lifetime of another Princess Royal...
. She was Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the Netherlands from 1751 until her death in 1759, exercising extensive powers on behalf of her son William V
William V, Prince of Orange
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
. Because of her English upbringing and family connections, she was known as an Anglophile - despite being unable to convince the Dutch Republic to enter the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
on the side of the British.
Early life
Duchess Anne of Brunswick-Lunenburg was born at HerrenhausenHerrenhausen
Herrenhausen is an area of the German city Hanover which is most notable for the baroque Herrenhausen Gardens.Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg died in Herrenhausen Castle and his grandson King George II of Great Britain was born there. During the Second World War the castle was...
Palace, Hanover, five years before her paternal grandfather, Elector George Louis, succeeded to the British throne as George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
. She was christened shortly after birth at Herrenhausen Palace. She was named after her paternal grandfather's second cousin Anne, Queen of Great Britain.
She learned German, French and English, and was taught music (including singing, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, and composition) by Georg Friedrich Händel. Händel did not like teaching, but said he would "make the only exception for Anne, flower of princesses". She remained a life-long supporter, attending his operas and subscribing to his music.
She contracted and survived smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
in 1720, and two years later her mother helped to popularise the practice of variolation (an early type of immunisation against smallpox), which had been witnessed by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
The Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was an English aristocrat and writer. Montagu is today chiefly remembered for her letters, particularly her letters from Turkey, as wife to the British ambassador, which have been described by Billie Melman as “the very first example of a secular work by a woman about...
and Charles Maitland in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. At the direction of Caroline, six prisoners condemned to death were offered the chance to undergo variolation instead of execution: they all survived, as did six orphan children given the same treatment as a further test. Convinced of its medical value, the Queen had her two younger daughters, Amelia and Caroline, inoculated successfully. Amelia's face was scarred by the disease, and she was not considered as pretty as her two younger sisters.
Princess Royal
On 30 August 1727, George IIGeorge II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
created his eldest daughter Princess Royal
Princess Royal
Princess Royal is a style customarily awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter. The style is held for life, so a princess cannot be given the style during the lifetime of another Princess Royal...
. Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
first bestowed this title on his eldest daughter, Mary, Princess of Orange
Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland and his queen, Henrietta Maria of France...
(mother of William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
), in 1642. However, the title fell from use until the reign of George II. (Princess Anne became Princess Royal during the lifetime of her aunt, Queen Sophia Dorothea of Prussia
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover was a Queen consort in Prussia as wife of Frederick William I. She was the sister of George II of Great Britain and the mother of Frederick the Great.- Biography :...
, who had been eligible for this honour but did not receive it.)
Marriage
A potential marriage contract between Anne and King Louis XV of FranceLouis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
was eventually discarded when the French insisted that Anne convert to Roman Catholicism. On 25 March 1734 (New Style
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
) in the Chapel Royal
Chapel Royal
A Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
at St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
, she married William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange
William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
. William had a spinal deformity, which affected his appearance, but Anne said she would marry him even "if he were a baboon". She ceased to use her British style in favour of the title she gained by marriage. The music played on her wedding, This is the day was set by Händel to the princess's own words based on Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
45 and 118. She quarreled with her brother, the Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
, about her choice.
William and Anne sailed to Holland after a honeymoon at Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
. Anne soon felt homesick when her husband went on campaign in the Rhineland, and she travelled back to England believing herself to be pregnant. Eventually, her husband and father commanded her to return to Holland. By April 1735, it was clear she was not with child after all. In 1736, she did become pregnant, but the child (a daughter) was stillborn.
Regency
When her husband died at the age of 40 in 1751, Anne was appointed regentRegent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for her 3 year-old son, Prince William V
William V, Prince of Orange
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
. She was hard-working, but arrogant and imperious, which made her unpopular. This would help William later in his tough life. The 1750s were years of increasing tension and commercial rivalry between Holland and Britain, which placed her in a difficult position.
Later life
She continued to act as regent until her death from dropsy in 1759, at The HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, when she was replaced by her mother-in-law, Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel, and by Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Bevern was a field-marshal in the armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic...
. When she too died, Anne's daughter, Carolina
Carolina of Orange-Nassau
Princess Carolina of Orange and Nassau-Dietz, Princess of Nassau-Weilburg was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal.Her maternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Queen Caroline.-Regent:Princess Carolina was born in...
, was made regent until William V turned 18 in 1766.
Princess Anne, Maryland
Princess Anne, Maryland
Princess Anne is a town in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,313 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Somerset County.Princess Anne is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area....
is named for her.
Titles and styles
- 2 November 1709 – 27 September 1714: Her Serene Highness Duchess Anne of Brunswick-Lüneburg
- 27 September 1714 – 11 June 1727: Her Royal Highness Princess Anne
- 11 June – 30 August 1727: Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne
- 30 August 1727 – 25 March 1734: Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal
- 25 March 1734 – 22 October 1751: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Orange
- 22 October 1751 – 12 January 1759: Her Royal Highness The Princess-Regent of Friesland
Arms
On 31 January 1719, as a grandchild of the sovereign, Anne was granted use of the arms of the realm, differenced by a label argent of five points, each bearing a cross gules. On 30 August 1727, as a child of the sovereign, Anne's difference changed to a label argent of three points, each bearing a cross gules.Issue
The Prince and Princess of Orange-Nassau had a stillborn son, in 1735. Their other children were:| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stillborn Daughter | 19 December 1736 | 19 December 1736 | |
| Stillborn Daughter | 22 December 1739 | 22 December 1739 | |
| Carolina Carolina of Orange-Nassau Princess Carolina of Orange and Nassau-Dietz, Princess of Nassau-Weilburg was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal.Her maternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Queen Caroline.-Regent:Princess Carolina was born in... , Princess-Regent Regent A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu... of Friesland Friesland Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân... |
28 February 1743 | 6 May 1787 | married 1760, Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg; had issue |
| Anna of Orange-Nassau | 15 November 1746 | 29 December 1746 | |
| Willem V Batavus | 8 March 1748 | 9 April 1806 | married, 1767, Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange Wilhelmina of Prussia, born Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina, , was the consort of William V of Orange and also the de facto leader of the dynastic party and contra revolution in the Netherlands... ; had issue |