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Across the centuries
and around the world...
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..women have ruled
kingdoms and built empires.
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She could not be hidden,
she could not be suppressed.
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Now, we'll discover the real
story of six iconic queens.
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She tore the city down,
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despite the fire, despite
the whole city being massacred,
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we still have these walls.
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In this series,
we'll follow in the footsteps...
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Here it is, the Chapel Royal,
a pretty magical place.
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00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,440
..of history's most
important female monarchs...
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She believed that every single man
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who fought on the
battlefield in her name,
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was worthy of honour and respect.
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..to find out how they overcome
the prejudices of their times...
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She is their mother,
she is their commander,
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she is their goddess.
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..and the challenges
facing their reigns...
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This was a dangerous place to be,
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she wouldn't have shown any fear,
but I'm sure she felt it.
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..to change their world, and ours.
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She is sassy, she is fearless.
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She is a badass queen.
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1st of May, 1707.
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Queen Anne is making her way to the
nearly finished St Paul's Cathedral.
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Today, she's here to give
thanks for the creation of
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a new country, Great Britain.
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To her dying day, Anne saw that
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as one of her greatest achievements.
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Queen Anne was the first
monarch of Great Britain,
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the first monarch where
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England and Scotland formed
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a permanent union
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as a permanent nation.
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This is truly significant.
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Scotland an independent,
free and equal member
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of the family of nations.
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The legacy of Anne's
reign is all around us.
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We're still coming to
terms with the consequences
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of Anne's Union of
Scotland and England.
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And yet Anne is one of
England's least celebrated queens.
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Queen Anne is often
left out of the equation,
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almost as if she didn't exist.
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Anne's been traditionally seen
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as this dowdy ill invalid queen
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who presided over a very dull court
and was very much pushed around.
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She has been overlooked,
seen as being boring, ineffectual.
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I don't think any of
those things are true.
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Anne deserves her moment
in the sun now.
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It's about time
that we celebrate her.
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In fact, Anne had
already changed the world,
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15 years before
she even became queen.
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October 1687.
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The 22-year-old
Princess Anne is furious.
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She has just discovered her father,
King James II,
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and her stepmother,
Queen Mary Beatrice,
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are expecting a child.
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The announcement of the pregnancy,
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it was probably the least
welcome pregnancy announcement
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in the history of humankind.
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Anne absolutely hated Mary.
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Their family dynamics were
really complicated
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especially because Mary of Modena
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was only a few
years older than Anne.
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Just two years after
her mother died,
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eight-year-old Anne gained
a new stepmother.
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The 15-year-old
Mary Beatrice of Modena.
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Any young girl whose
father marries a girl
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who's only a few years
older than them,
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00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,240
would be able to empathise
with the young Anne,
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that that must have been quite
an uncomfortable position to be in.
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But there's another reason
why Anne isn't celebrating
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the King and Queen's big news.
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Her father, James II, is a Catholic.
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While she was still a child,
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her father and her mother
both converted to Catholicism.
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Now, to be a Catholic in
the 17th century was a big no-no.
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This is a period where people
are severely anti-Catholic,
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to a scale that we
probably cannot even imagine.
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People tolerated James's Catholicism
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because it would be short term,
it would be over soon.
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Anne's father James
converted to Catholicism
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at least 15 years earlier,
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when his brother,
Charles II was king.
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As a protestant, Charles took
action to safeguard his nieces,
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Anne and her older sister, Mary.
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Charles II demanded, basically,
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that Anne and Mary have
a Protestant education
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and they grow up
with Protestant peers and influences
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all around them, so they are
taught to be devout Protestants.
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Anne is a devout follower
of the Church of England.
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Some might say she had
been fully indoctrinated.
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The depth of Anne's
faith is revealed at
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one of her royal residences,
Hampton Court Palace.
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The Chapel Royal.
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This is, I think, one
of my favourite rooms
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at Hampton Court Palace.
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You can't underestimate how
important a space like this
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would've been to Anne.
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Anne will spend four years
transforming this chapel,
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an expression of her
devotion to the Protestant faith.
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And she uses the greatest architect
of the day, Sir Christopher Wren.
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It's a really big statement
about Anne's religion.
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We've got this
enormous altar screen,
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this is called a reredos,
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and it's a triumph of the Baroque
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with these oversized cornices and
these enormous Corinthian columns.
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The height of fashion.
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And this amazing organ,
which has these golden pipes.
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Pretty lavish.
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some might say garish,
but I'll leave that to you.
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Until now, the
22-year-old Princess Anne
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has been second in
line to the throne.
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But with her stepmother,
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Queen Mary Beatrice pregnant,
all that could change.
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If this child is a boy,
he will outrank Anne
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and her sister and become heir.
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It kind of threw Anne.
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This would ruin everything.
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England is in danger
of turning Catholic.
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Anne takes action.
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Anne starts writing letters
to her sister saying
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that the queen's
belly is suspicious,
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that she's not sure
that she's really pregnant,
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that perhaps she's wearing
some kind of false belly.
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Anne wants to convince her
sister Mary something must be done
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to keep the country Protestant.
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And Anne knows the
information she sends,
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Mary will share with her husband,
William of Orange.
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Who happens to be the most
powerful protestant in Europe.
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She definitely was trying
to influence her sister.
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And she had influence
because she was an eyewitness.
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So Anne keeps writing.
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It's like drip, drip,
drip, drip of information.
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She spread rumours that
she looked too healthy
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to be pregnant and that she
thought that it was suspicious
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that her stepmother
wouldn't undress in front of her.
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She does lots of bizarre things
that actually feel a bit creepy.
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She goes into
her stepmother's bed chamber
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and asks if she can
see or touch her belly.
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She says that she won't believe that
the queen has really been pregnant
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unless she sees this child
separated from the mother.
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It's quite a remarkable
tactic on Anne's part.
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Here's a very morally
upstanding woman,
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but she can play dirty
when she wants to.
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June, 1688.
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Anne is taking the
waters in Bath Spa.
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Here she learns her
stepmother Queen Mary
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has given birth to a baby boy.
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He's called
James Francis Edward Stuart.
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He's now heir to the throne
and will be raised a Catholic.
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When Mary of Modena gives birth,
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that doesn't stop the rumours
that Anne was trying to spread.
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She supports a rumour that
her half-brother
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is actually a changeling,
an impostor.
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That he was switched at birth,
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that her father's real son died.
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And, he has absolutely
no right to the throne,
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and she makes sure that that
rumour spreads far and wide.
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25th of November, 1688.
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Anne is fleeing London for her life.
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Her rumours have helped
kick start a series of events
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that in just six months' time,
will see the world changed forever.
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It feels like cloak
and dagger stuff.
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Gutsy is definitely the word.
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Anne's claim that the
king's son is a changeling
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has helped to start a revolution.
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This adds fuel to the fire
for William of Orange,
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because not only is
there a Catholic heir,
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but potentially an illegitimate one.
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She paved the way
for her sister, Mary,
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and her brother-in-law,
William, to take power.
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Encouraged by Anne's gossip,
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her brother-in-law,
William of Orange,
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and his invasion
fleet set out for England.
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This Protestant
Dutch prince is intent
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on removing James
II from the throne.
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Anne needs to join
him in the revolution.
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What she is doing is treason.
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This is risky.
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Anne has been writing
to William saying,
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I wish you success
in your endeavours,
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while she's at her father's side.
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Not a great daughter, granted.
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Now, that's quite a quite a thing,
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for a daughter to
oppose her own father
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in a male dominated society.
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And I think what it shows
is not only the strength
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of Anne's Protestant faith,
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but also her determination,
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when she puts her mind to it,
she's really gonna go for it.
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In a matter of weeks,
Anne's months of scheming pay off.
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Her father, James II,
flees to France.
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Parliament invites Anne's sister
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and brother-in-law
to take the throne.
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The so-called
Glorious Revolution is complete.
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All of this flies in the face of the
typical image of Anne as this weak,
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rather hesitant woman
who was devoid of all power.
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Clearly, she's an operator.
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July, 1689.
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00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,040
Princess Anne has just
given birth to a son.
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Now, she's having him christened in
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00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,760
the Chapel Royal at
Hampton Court Palace.
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00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,480
In the congregation are
the new king and queen,
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00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:26,920
William III and Anne's sister,
Queen Mary II.
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00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:28,600
It would've been incredible in here,
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the king and queen,
William and Mary,
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and all the great
members of the court,
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all in their finest dress.
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And it was William,
who at the font declared that
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this new baby boy would be
William Henry,
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00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:46,920
named after the king himself,
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and titled the Duke of Gloucester.
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William is born just after
the Glorious Revolution.
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00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:55,680
So this is a really
kind of key moment.
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William and Mary have
just taken the throne.
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There's this new regime.
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00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,360
For the dynasty
to continue there must be issue,
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00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,560
there must be children.
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00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:10,560
Trouble is, despite being
married for almost 12 years,
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00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:15,640
Anne's sister, now Queen Mary,
has no children.
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00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:18,800
Young William was seen as a
sort of Protestant champion
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00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:23,600
who could be a beacon of
hope for the Protestant cause.
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00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,640
Anne's son is the
one and only chance
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00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:30,440
to continue the
Protestant Stuart dynasty.
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00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:34,160
For Anne, I imagine standing here,
she has a sense of pride.
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00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,640
She has provided this solution
to the country's problem.
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00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:49,840
July, 1700.
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00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:54,000
Princess Anne, her husband, George,
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00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,720
and their son William
are at Windsor Castle
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00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,480
to celebrate his 11th birthday.
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00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:04,840
It's a moment of joy in
an otherwise difficult year.
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00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,640
The beginning of the year in
January, she has a miscarriage.
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And sadly there was
the child in her womb,
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00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:15,360
they believe may have
been dead up to a month.
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00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,960
It's not the first time
Anne has lost a pregnancy.
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00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,200
She has been pregnant 17 times.
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00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:27,680
But William is her
only surviving child.
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I can't imagine
239
00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,320
what Anne must have suffered
240
00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,400
by losing so many children.
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00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,080
Every miscarriage, every stillbirth
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00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,920
must've taken a
profound toll on Anne.
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00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:47,320
She's also lost
two daughters to smallpox.
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00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:52,440
This is a woman already in grief
who has unimaginable pain.
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00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,760
But she does have this
11-year-old boy, William.
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00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,640
And he is all of
her hopes and dreams.
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00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,480
In this portrait,
we feel the immediacy
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00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,000
and the tenderness
of their relationship.
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00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,000
The drapery is
draped around them both,
250
00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:12,080
holding them together.
251
00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:13,280
They are intertwined.
252
00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:14,840
The hands are holding.
253
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:18,880
We have a real sense here of
Anne in the role of mother.
254
00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:26,760
After a day of celebrations,
that end with a fireworks display,
255
00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,400
William says he's feeling unwell.
256
00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,680
Six days later, he's dead.
257
00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,040
Anne was absolutely
devastated by this loss,
258
00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,760
she went into a
very deep depression.
259
00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,120
There are accounts
saying that she would sit
260
00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:49,000
and stare into space.
261
00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:53,040
It almost suggestive
of a catatonic level of depression,
262
00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,800
where she was just
unable to function.
263
00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:01,000
Once William dies,
264
00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,600
Anne would never again
have a reported pregnancy.
265
00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,000
I think there's a
good likelihood that this was
266
00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:08,640
a conscious decision,
267
00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:13,440
that maybe she just couldn't
face any more prospects of loss.
268
00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,320
But in less than two years,
she will be queen.
269
00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:28,760
23rd of April, 1702.
270
00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,720
King William III died six weeks ago.
271
00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:38,400
His wife Queen Mary has
been dead for eight years.
272
00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:43,280
And so, today,
Anne will be crowned Queen.
273
00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:45,160
There was a huge
procession of people.
274
00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:46,800
There would've been
lots of people drinking
275
00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,120
and revelling and enjoying the show.
276
00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,000
Anne makes her way
to Westminster Abbey.
277
00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,760
She's only the third
woman in English history
278
00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:02,080
to be crowned queen
in her own right.
279
00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:04,240
A queen who's ruling
in her own right,
280
00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:06,040
some people see
them as placeholders.
281
00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,200
They're just keeping
the seat warm, if you like,
282
00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,440
until another man
can take the throne.
283
00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:14,120
Women are the inferior of men.
284
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,920
The expectation is that
a woman is, in essence,
285
00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:19,600
chattel, property,
286
00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,240
that she will pass
from father to husband.
287
00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:24,400
So if a woman misbehaves,
288
00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,880
then that's the man's fault
for not controlling her properly.
289
00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:31,160
In many ways,
they're like big children.
290
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:35,440
And so Anne's coronation
look has been carefully chosen
291
00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,320
to help assert her power.
292
00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:39,720
Particularly as, for many,
293
00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,520
Anne doesn't look
like a strong leader.
294
00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,600
She's seriously overweight.
295
00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:47,080
In the 18th century,
296
00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:49,440
it was kind of normal to be plump,
297
00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,720
especially if you were upper class,
298
00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:53,280
people were
absolutely fine with that.
299
00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:58,520
But there was stigma around being
more overweight, like Anne was.
300
00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:02,120
They would call people
things like bacon faced.
301
00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:05,440
Fussock was a word for a
woman that was considered
302
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,000
lazy and fat.
303
00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,640
They did have some
fatphobic attitudes.
304
00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:16,680
And Anne's size
isn't the only issue.
305
00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,120
What would normally happen would be
306
00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,440
that the Monarch would walk towards,
or ride towards Westminster Abbey
307
00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:23,840
in this procession.
308
00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,880
Queen Anne was suffering from
what they thought at the time
309
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,000
was a bad case of gout,
and she couldn't really walk.
310
00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,520
She was carried on a sedan chair
311
00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,040
with her six foot train behind her.
312
00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:41,040
Gout was definitely
associated with men over women.
313
00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,120
It was associated with
eating and drinking to excess.
314
00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,960
And so was definitely
criticised from that perspective.
315
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,680
To help overcome this,
Anne looks to the past.
316
00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:59,120
Her gown mirroring what Queen
Elizabeth I wore at her coronation.
317
00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,720
By the early 18th century,
318
00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,200
Elizabeth had an
almost legendary status.
319
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,040
Referencing back to
Elizabeth was a useful way
320
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,800
of solidifying and normalising
321
00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:12,600
the fact that there
was a female monarch
322
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:14,040
that would be ruling on her own.
323
00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,400
This had happened before,
this would be fine.
324
00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,760
But the comparison
doesn't seem to have worked.
325
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:27,480
After seeing the Queen,
one politician would later remark,
326
00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,760
In the 18th century,
people felt that your appearance
327
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:41,640
reflected your capabilities.
328
00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,640
So because she was larger and
she was also physically disabled,
329
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:49,560
there was this idea that she
wasn't capable as queen.
330
00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,200
Historians have looked back
331
00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,840
at all of the
different symptoms that she had.
332
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,840
And the belief now is that she
was actually suffering from lupus.
333
00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:01,600
Lupus, is an autoimmune disorder,
334
00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,960
which is much more serious and
much more debilitating than gout.
335
00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,360
She likely would've
had fatigue, headaches,
336
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:12,080
intense muscle and joint pain,
swelling in her body.
337
00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:14,520
It was the 18th century,
338
00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,960
they wouldn't have had
great painkillers for her.
339
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:19,840
It makes me admire her, definitely,
340
00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:21,600
that she was able to even function.
341
00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,840
From the very start of her reign,
342
00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:30,040
Anne shows she is more than
confident in her ability to rule.
343
00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,400
Anne goes into her queenship knowing
344
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,440
that the house of
Stewart dies with her.
345
00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,880
This is not about dynasty.
346
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:47,560
She knows that the
sum total of her legacy
347
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,880
is going to be the state
she leaves her nation in.
348
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:56,640
And her approach will
change the monarchy forever.
349
00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,160
Anne is in a very
unusual situation of being
350
00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,720
a regnant queen who
comes to the throne married.
351
00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:03,960
So if you think about
the two who preceded her,
352
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,280
Mary and Elizabeth Tudor,
353
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,360
neither were married
when they came to the throne.
354
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,400
William and Mary had come to
the throne as a married couple,
355
00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:12,800
but in a very different situation
356
00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:15,880
because they were the dual monarchy.
357
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,640
Anne does something different.
358
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,480
Anne has been married
to Prince George of Denmark
359
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,160
for almost 19 years.
360
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,840
This rare portrait of them together
361
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,960
reveals clues about
their relationship.
362
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,600
Now on the surface it may seem,
363
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,200
because Anne is seated next
to her standing husband,
364
00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:37,840
that she is in some
way subservient to him,
365
00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:39,760
that she's lesser than him.
366
00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:41,160
But if you look carefully,
367
00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:43,320
you'll find that she
is actually taking up
368
00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:46,200
more of the portrait than he is.
369
00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,960
We're told in no uncertain
terms in this painting
370
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,160
that Anne is a solo act.
371
00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:56,320
She is the queen,
and George is there to support her.
372
00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,760
What's really remarkable about
this painting is that it shows
373
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,120
Anne as being in
charge not only as Queen,
374
00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:05,640
but in her own marriage.
375
00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,280
George is turning to face his wife,
376
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,840
his body is twisting
in deference to her.
377
00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,200
She may be sitting down,
378
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,640
but she's the anchor
around which he's moving.
379
00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:20,320
Her entire upbringing has
taught her that as a woman,
380
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:24,120
she has a place in the world,
and it's not the same as a mans.
381
00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:26,160
Interesting then that she chooses to
382
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,720
have a loving
relationship with her husband,
383
00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,280
but give him no political role,
384
00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,840
not turn to him
for political advice.
385
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,920
She sets herself up
almost as if she was single.
386
00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,840
She's not on the coinage
with George as William
387
00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,960
and Mary or Philip and Mary were,
he's not on the seals.
388
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,600
She acts as if she has no husband.
389
00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:55,120
Anne's husband George will
only be her Prince Consort.
390
00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:59,320
That clarification that the husband
is not in control of his wife,
391
00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:01,800
in this case and not in
control of the sovereign,
392
00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:07,440
is really important for asserting
female power and authority.
393
00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:11,160
Anne's actions would have
an impact for centuries.
394
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,840
The monarchy runs on precedent.
395
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,680
When Victoria comes to the
throne and she marries Albert,
396
00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:19,120
that precedent has been set,
397
00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:23,080
and it's expected that
Albert will frame his role
398
00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:25,000
in the same way as George.
399
00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,120
The consort, not a king.
400
00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,200
And eventually obviously
Elizabeth II
401
00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:31,800
and the Duke of Edinburgh,
402
00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:37,360
there's no suggestion that he
might have the crown matrimonial.
403
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:41,400
It's not only within her marriage
that Anne puts women on top.
404
00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:47,360
She surrounds herself
with female advisers.
405
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:52,960
If we compare Anne's reign
to other Regnant Queens,
406
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:57,760
women who we hold up as being these
bastions of female power,
407
00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,920
let's take Elizabeth the first.
408
00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:03,040
When we think about
her leading advisers,
409
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:04,360
they're all male.
410
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,800
Victoria, who were her advisers?
411
00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:08,400
Albert.
412
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,400
Where are the ladies?
413
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,760
And Anne's relationships with women
414
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,240
would cause scandal
for centuries to come.
415
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:27,280
Hampton Court Palace.
416
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:33,600
Queen Anne's royal residence 12
miles south west of central London.
417
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,040
During her reign, the baroque
makeover of this Tudor Palace
418
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:38,760
is completed.
419
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:44,280
Making it ready to receive
early 18th century society.
420
00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:48,440
When you come to big palaces,
you often find this long corridor.
421
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,760
This is called an enfilade.
422
00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:55,200
And what it does is it links
up all of these state rooms,
423
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,520
and every time we go
through one of these doorways,
424
00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:01,360
you're always going
up a level of status.
425
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:03,920
The further down
the enfilade you got,
426
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:08,440
the closer you got to the queen
and the greater your position.
427
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,720
Controlling all this is
Anne's childhood friend,
428
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:13,400
Sarah Churchill,
429
00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:17,760
who the Queen met when she
was just eight years old.
430
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:22,120
Anne, as a young
eight-year-old girl had experienced
431
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,960
a series of losses from
432
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,640
key maternal figures in her life.
433
00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,320
When she was three, she was
taken to another country
434
00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:32,200
to live with her grandmother.
435
00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,920
A year later,
the grandmother sadly died.
436
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,080
She was then put in
the care of her aunt.
437
00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:39,840
A year later, she sadly died.
438
00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,840
She was then brought back to
England to live with her mother,
439
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,080
and only two years later,
her own mother died.
440
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,040
There's a good likelihood
441
00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:54,200
that that led to her
almost lifelong drive
442
00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:58,240
to seek connection
with female figures.
443
00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:03,960
And Sarah enters Anne's life when
she's at an impressionable age.
444
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,040
When they were eight and 13,
445
00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,000
Anne would've been like this
older girl that seemed really cool
446
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,080
and all the things that
447
00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:14,760
Anne maybe felt at the
time that she wasn't.
448
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,440
Sarah Churchill is brilliant,
449
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,600
she is educated, cultured.
450
00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:23,480
She's the person at a
party who is the life and soul.
451
00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:24,680
When she's in a good mood,
452
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,200
you are bathing in the
sunlight of her personality.
453
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:29,520
Anne, is the opposite.
454
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:30,920
She was shy and awkward,
455
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:32,800
so she really looks up to Sarah.
456
00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:37,360
When Anne becomes Queen,
457
00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:42,120
she gives Sarah a
number of key roles.
458
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,080
Mistress of the Robes.
459
00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:48,560
Sarah had control
over Anne's wardrobe.
460
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,080
Groom of the Stole,
in charge of Anne's bedchamber
461
00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:54,840
and her most senior
lady-in-waiting.
462
00:27:54,880 --> 00:28:00,760
Groom of the Stole an
important role in terms of access.
463
00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,280
Keeper of the Privy Purse.
464
00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,760
That's significant because that's
having control of, literally,
465
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:08,640
Anne's purse strings.
466
00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:12,000
And Ranger of Windsor Park.
467
00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:17,840
For one person to hold all
of those jobs is very unusual.
468
00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:24,120
For it to be a woman is
to my knowledge, unprecedented.
469
00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:29,040
Even though Anne's now queen
she wants to stay close to Sarah.
470
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,560
She says, we must have it
that you can always talk to me.
471
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:33,800
I value your advice so much, Sarah,
472
00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,600
and I would not have it
that you treat me differently
473
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,320
because I am a queen.
474
00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:41,000
How little you know
your friend, Anne.
475
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,960
So what we're going to do is
we're gonna have these pen names,
476
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:49,720
and I will be Mrs Morley
and you will be Mrs Freeman.
477
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:51,720
When you read their correspondence,
478
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,080
it does seem very intimate.
479
00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,200
Anne once says to Sarah,
480
00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:01,520
"I cannot live without you."
481
00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,560
Queen Anne says, "I'd rather...
482
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:17,080
It was normal at the time to have
quite emotive language in letters,
483
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:18,840
especially between women,
484
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:25,200
more normal than it would be
considered now, but even so.
485
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:26,920
There are definite
lesbian overtones
486
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,240
when it comes to their relationship.
487
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,000
But it's quite well
documented that Anne
488
00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:37,760
had a very affectionate
relationship with her own husband.
489
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,920
We know that there was an
awful lot of bedroom activity.
490
00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:46,720
She got pregnant 17 times.
491
00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:51,160
Historians that look at Queen
Anne's life are either in two camps.
492
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,800
She was heterosexual.
She was devoted to her husband.
493
00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,960
Or people are
convinced that she was lesbian
494
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,480
and that she was this Sapphic icon.
495
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,480
It could potentially be
somewhere in the middle.
496
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:09,320
You know, we can't rule out
that she was maybe bisexual.
497
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,320
It's significant she
could have been bisexual
498
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:16,480
because it shows that bisexual
people have always existed.
499
00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,520
And challenges some of
the outdated ideas that
500
00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,400
the royal family are quite
conservative and patriarchal
501
00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,480
and heteronormative.
502
00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:40,120
Today, Anne's meeting the
cabinet at Hampton Court Palace.
503
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:43,200
I don't even know where
to start with this room.
504
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:45,000
Every inch of the
wall is just covered in,
505
00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,400
in the most elaborate,
ridiculous, some might say,
506
00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:50,480
decoration.
507
00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:55,320
We've got swirls and
flowers and swags and foliage,
508
00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,000
and right in the centre, of course,
509
00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:00,760
is Anne looking pretty glorious.
510
00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,640
And actually now I'm
standing in the room,
511
00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,560
I can realise that we are
right in the centre of the gardens.
512
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,840
We're in the centre of the facade.
513
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,040
This is the central point
of Hampton Court Palace,
514
00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:17,320
and Anne has placed
herself bang in the centre.
515
00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,000
This is no accident.
516
00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,760
Anne's palace at Hampton Court
is the perfect halfway point
517
00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,080
to meet politicians
coming from London
518
00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:28,840
whenever the queen
is at Windsor Castle.
519
00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,720
And Anne's using
the space to portray
520
00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:33,800
a more regal image than the reality.
521
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:41,320
We have all these classical
gods that are all imbuing Anne
522
00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,040
with historic validity.
523
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:49,120
She is someone who is imbued
with the power of the past.
524
00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,480
What I think is
really touching about this
525
00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:55,600
and perhaps gives an insight into
526
00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,440
the more intimate
workings of Anne's mind
527
00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:02,040
is that the figure of Anne
herself is almost a direct copy
528
00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,680
of an earlier portrait
of her that was painted
529
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,640
with her young son, William.
530
00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:11,320
And I think this is
a lovely call-back by Anne
531
00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,320
to the earliest stages in her life
532
00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:18,160
and a moment where she felt
proud of her achievements.
533
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,320
She's also depicted with a dagger.
534
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,200
She's often thought of as a
monarch who is easily manipulated.
535
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,280
And instead, what we get here is
536
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:33,680
a woman who is literally
wielding her own weapons,
537
00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:34,800
her own power.
538
00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:37,040
She is someone who is in charge.
539
00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,600
Anne needs her image
to project authority.
540
00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,560
She's the head of state
in a new political system,
541
00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,040
a constitutional monarchy.
542
00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:57,320
And it's Queen Anne that will
set the standard for centuries.
543
00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:00,080
Anne's reign was in
a very challenging time.
544
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,080
It was not long after
the glorious revolution.
545
00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:04,640
We've got the advent of kind
of constitutional monarchy.
546
00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:09,720
This is kind of a new framework
for how the rulers should act.
547
00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:12,600
After the so-called
Glorious Revolution,
548
00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:15,320
the monarch is no
longer all powerful.
549
00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:19,480
Parliament is now in charge.
550
00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,480
However, the
relationship between the two
551
00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:26,280
is by no means fully defined yet.
552
00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:29,600
Anne is really in many ways
the test drive for kind of
553
00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:35,040
what will become the system
of monarchy that we have today.
554
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:36,320
The constitutional monarchy
555
00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,440
is something that we
take for granted now.
556
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,280
We have to remember
that Anne was navigating
557
00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:47,280
this brand-new system in its very,
very early days.
558
00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,280
Anne is important because
she created the example
559
00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:52,640
of what a constitutional
monarch can be.
560
00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,000
How it was possible to be a ruler
561
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,400
and be bound by the
authority of parliament.
562
00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:05,440
She didn't conform to
what people expected of her.
563
00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:09,240
Most people were surprised
at how well she could speak,
564
00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,560
how she could command a room,
how eloquent she was,
565
00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:17,560
how determined and
dedicated she seemed.
566
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:22,640
Anne was probably one of the hardest
working monarchs we've ever had.
567
00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:25,520
Anne attended more cabinet meetings
568
00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:28,360
than any other
monarch before or since.
569
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:34,040
And that's absolutely typical of
her approach to her queenly duties.
570
00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,680
She wasn't always the most
glamorous show stopping queen,
571
00:34:38,720 --> 00:34:44,360
but she dedicated
herself to her royal duty.
572
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,720
Anne's character means
she is perfectly positioned
573
00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,600
to create the template for
constitutional monarchs to come.
574
00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:56,400
The infirmities that
she had meant that she had
575
00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,680
to develop a different
methodology of ruling,
576
00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:03,000
it forced her to take up
a position of leadership
577
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,320
that was not usual for monarchs.
578
00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:09,320
She couldn't be the leader
that leads from the front.
579
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,280
She was an observer.
580
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:17,760
It's a kind of leadership
that works well in this new era.
581
00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,040
She's still going to rule,
she's still going to reign.
582
00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,240
She becomes the centre of power,
583
00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,280
not by being the
largest person there,
584
00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,000
or the one with the loudest voice,
585
00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:30,200
uh, or even being the most dogmatic.
586
00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:33,160
She appears to be
the objective observer.
587
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,120
She's not objective, of course,
588
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:36,680
but she has the appearance of it,
589
00:35:36,720 --> 00:35:39,560
and this is a very
clever and important role
590
00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:44,520
because it is the precursor by
which later monarchs develop
591
00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,880
their style of leadership.
592
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,680
It creates an idea
where a monarch can rule
593
00:35:49,720 --> 00:35:51,640
as a symbol of authority,
594
00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:56,160
and in many ways this symbol of
authority is harder to challenge.
595
00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:06,960
23rd of July 1706.
596
00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:11,520
Queen Anne has called
a meeting to discuss
597
00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:16,440
the union of her two kingdoms,
Scotland and England.
598
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,800
If she was able to get the
union to actually happen,
599
00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:22,560
she would finally be
able to realise that
600
00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:29,440
almost century old Stewart
dream of having a United Britain.
601
00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,720
But creating this legacy
seems almost impossible.
602
00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:35,560
This is no small thing.
603
00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:37,800
This wasn't an easy union.
604
00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:39,800
It's a political quagmire.
605
00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:53,480
July, 1706.
606
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:58,320
Queen Anne is at the most
important meeting of her reign.
607
00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:02,200
One that would have
reverberations down the centuries.
608
00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:05,480
Ever since she came to the throne,
609
00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:08,280
Anne's ambition has been
to create a political union
610
00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:11,320
between England and Scotland.
611
00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:16,440
Today she will find out if
her dream will become reality.
612
00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:20,080
Anne realised that
this union between England
613
00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,800
and Scotland was
something that she absolutely
614
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:25,440
had to achieve,
615
00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:31,520
because she has no child,
she has no direct heir.
616
00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:35,800
Ever since Scottish King James VI
took to the English throne
617
00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:39,560
as James I over 100 years earlier,
618
00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:44,160
the two nations have
shared the same monarch.
619
00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:48,360
When Anne's great-grandfather
became king of England in 1603,
620
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:50,920
he had this grand
ambition that he would unite
621
00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:52,200
the two countries of Scotland
622
00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:54,440
and England into this one Britain.
623
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:59,160
But it was a big ambition that
kind of fell flat on its face.
624
00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,200
They were joined in the sense
because of the monarch,
625
00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:04,320
but they were never
joined politically.
626
00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:08,480
These were two entirely
separate countries.
627
00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,480
This is a problem for Anne.
628
00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:12,720
She has no children.
629
00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,600
And England and
Scotland have different ideas
630
00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:17,520
about who should succeed her.
631
00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:19,720
She is devoutly Protestant.
632
00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:24,600
She's determined that the
throne will pass to a Protestant.
633
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:29,000
But the fact is that Protestants
don't have the strongest claim.
634
00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:35,160
Not when James Francis Edward Stuart
635
00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:38,120
is alive and well
and living in France.
636
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,760
He's the son of Anne's
father King James II,
637
00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:48,360
her half-brother, the baby she'd
spread rumours about 19 years ago.
638
00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:53,280
Scotland maybe will invite
James Stewart to be our king.
639
00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:55,920
That would be a Roman Catholic
in Scotland
640
00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,760
and a Protestant in England.
641
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:00,640
That would've been war
between those two nations,
642
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:02,960
and I can't see how it
plays out any other way.
643
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:07,360
It would've been
century of violence.
644
00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:11,000
To prevent this,
Anne wants to unify Scotland
645
00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:13,520
and England into one kingdom.
646
00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:15,280
It's no easy task, though.
647
00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,560
England was unsure of
its neighbour to the North.
648
00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,840
And there were certainly
moments where Scotland was unsure
649
00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:29,000
of its neighbour to the South.
650
00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:34,040
Even deciding who would debate
the issues was a sore spot.
651
00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,600
One of the issues from
the Scottish point of view
652
00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,880
was who would select the people
that would be part of this committee
653
00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:42,960
that would determine the
fate of the two countries.
654
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,480
And there was lots of
discussion about this until one
655
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:50,280
prominent figure said,
"Let the queen choose."
656
00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,160
Anne supports those who she
thinks are good for the job.
657
00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,800
And part of being good for
the job is being prepared
658
00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:59,840
to compromise, engage diplomatically
with their opponents.
659
00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,320
She allows there to be
concessions about there being
660
00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:05,320
a Presbyterian faith of Scotland
661
00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:07,040
while there is a church of England.
662
00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:12,440
And as we know, it's not
the Church of Great Britain.
663
00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:16,840
Anne's leadership style was
influenced by what we might consider
664
00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,120
to be typically feminine traits,
665
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:24,080
connection, relationship,
collaboration.
666
00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:26,200
It's possible that those feminine
667
00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:29,120
qualities that she exhibited
668
00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:31,720
actually directly helped
669
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:36,440
to bring about the unification.
670
00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:41,040
Now, the men Anne appointed have
agreed that England and Scotland
671
00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:46,680
should unite with the same monarch,
and the same parliament.
672
00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:49,760
The union between England and
Scotland is something
673
00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:53,960
that had escaped every single
government minister and Monarch
674
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,360
for 100 years.
675
00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:59,880
Yet Anne managed to bring it about.
676
00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:02,440
So why doesn't history
celebrate Queen Anne
677
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:04,120
and her successes more?
678
00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:16,720
19th of August, 1708.
679
00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:23,040
Queen Anne is in a carriage on
her way to St Paul's cathedral
680
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,760
with her favourite Sarah Churchill.
681
00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,760
What happens today will shape
how we have viewed Anne's reign
682
00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:31,480
for centuries.
683
00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:33,920
Anne and Sarah are great friends,
684
00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:35,480
but Sarah begins to push harder
685
00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:37,080
and harder for the positions
686
00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:39,840
and appointments that
she wants for herself,
687
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,720
for her husband, for her son-in-law.
688
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:50,240
Sarah is constantly haranguing Anne.
689
00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:54,360
There's no peace. There is no peace.
690
00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:59,160
Today Sarah's berating the Queen
about the jewels she's wearing.
691
00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:03,320
She thinks the queen has ignored
her advice as to what to wear.
692
00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:06,920
And jumps to the conclusion
Anne's wearing jewellery chosen
693
00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:11,600
by one of her women of the
bedchamber, Abigail Masham.
694
00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:15,960
Abigail Masham starts to gain an
increasing amount of Anne's time
695
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:17,600
and attention.
696
00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:18,840
And Sarah hates that.
697
00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:23,560
They become very,
very fierce rivals.
698
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:28,120
Now, things between Anne
and Sarah start getting heated.
699
00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:33,120
Anne tires of
Sarah's constant rebukes
700
00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:37,000
and tires of being belittled
701
00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:40,280
and made out to be a fool.
702
00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:44,560
Sarah who'd been overstepping
the mark for a number of years,
703
00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:49,800
she went too far and she
told the queen to be quiet.
704
00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:54,400
Shouting at her in public
is just beyond the pale
705
00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:56,800
in terms of protocol.
706
00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:59,840
That was it for Anne.
707
00:42:59,880 --> 00:43:05,880
Sarah is stripped of all her
positions and banished from court.
708
00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:09,480
Anne made it clear that
it had been her all along,
709
00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:15,840
who was in charge, not Sarah.
710
00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:20,040
But Sarah doesn't
go without a fight.
711
00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:22,440
With women,
particularly with Queens,
712
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:26,800
sexual slander is what's
used to bring them down.
713
00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:30,560
Sarah Churchill starts to kind of
threaten that her relationship
714
00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:34,120
with Abigail if it became public,
might cause scandal,
715
00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:37,000
completely ignoring
the fact that she's also had
716
00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,080
a letter writing
relationship with the Queen
717
00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:41,360
that breaks the bonds of protocol.
718
00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:45,480
She is somebody who will
set her own self on fire
719
00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:47,080
to burn you down.
720
00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:49,880
She a liability.
721
00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:53,280
Sarah starts this smear campaign
against Abigail
722
00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:58,280
hinting at a sexual relationship
between the Queen and Abigail.
723
00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,080
Within months of their public spat,
724
00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:11,320
a ballad written by Sarah's
close friend is published.
725
00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:33,400
Sarah would never be
Anne's favourite again.
726
00:44:33,440 --> 00:44:37,280
But it's Sarah who
has the last laugh.
727
00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:41,680
Sarah ended up quite bitter
and jealous and spurned.
728
00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:45,320
After Queen Anne died,
she published a memoir.
729
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:48,880
In the memoir, she paints
Queen Anne as this dull,
730
00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:51,680
stupid woman that
had a big influence
731
00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:55,440
on how we view Queen Anne now.
732
00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:57,560
It's why, for centuries,
733
00:44:57,600 --> 00:45:02,480
Anne and her achievements
have often been underestimated.
734
00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:04,960
We need to change the
narrative about Queen Anne,
735
00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:08,000
stop being obsessed with her
numerous pregnancies
736
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:11,040
or her relationships
with Sarah Churchill
737
00:45:11,080 --> 00:45:13,640
or the other women of her household.
738
00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:16,120
That's only part of the story.
739
00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:19,920
What we should
really be focusing on
740
00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:22,800
are Anne's achievements as Queen.
741
00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,320
The fact that she got things done,
742
00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:31,480
she was one of the most effective
rulers that Britain has ever seen.
743
00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:35,080
We're really starting
to see Anne in a new way.
744
00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,600
She was actually the kind
of glue at the centre
745
00:45:37,640 --> 00:45:39,840
that was holding
everything together.
746
00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:41,800
Someone who overcame adversity,
747
00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:45,200
overcame illness to actually become
a really important ruler
748
00:45:45,240 --> 00:45:49,880
at a pivotal time
in England's history.
749
00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:51,960
This is Anne's motto,
750
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"Semper Eadem",
which means ever the same.
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Anne was in many ways ever the
same in terms of being even handed,
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staying above political faction
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and steadying the course of
a potentially turbulent time.
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In Anne's short reign,
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she managed to achieve what
no Stuart had achieved before her,
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the Union of Scotland and England.
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This was an incredible feat,
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and I think if she'd
been a male monarch,
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she might have been remembered more.
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In so many ways,
she's England's forgotten queen.
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We ferocious.
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Subtitles by Red Bee Media
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We ferocious.
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