Happy Pride! i hope this months chosen girlboss is enjoyable!
Life: 1665-1714
Reign: 1702-1714
This months chosen girlboss is Queen Anne, first monarch of Great Britain. She was not expected to become queen but due to the Glorious Revolution (1688) then the Bill of Rights (1689) she was made Queen. The reasons why she has been chosen as a girlboss are discussed below. She is a fascinating individual in her own right and her reassessment in recent years has helped to reinstate her image and legacy. She is often neglected at what she did as the final monarch of the Stuart dynasty and the fact that her legacy was overlooked for centuries is something that queenship, gender and sexuality studies is attempting to fix.
Queen Anne in recent years has been depicted in various shows and films, as a bisexual or lesbian queen. This is most prominently depicted in the 2018 film The Favourite, Olivia Colman played Queen Anne. Ultimately, the letters between her and her favourites indicate a close and intimate relationship but there needs to be the ability to recognise that this does not prove or deny the queerness of this monarch. While this indicates that she was lesbian or bi, it isn’t fair on Queen Anne to speculate. She was a girlboss due to the Act of Union in 1707 as well as being able to control parliament and stay true to her values and morals.
Her husband George of Denmark was important to her up until he died, he did not seem to mind the closely formed relations with her ladies. George and Anne did not spend a lot of time together, rather they looked for company in others. She had 17 children and pregnancies though only one survived until age of 11. She was truly heartbroken due to this quite rightly so but was still a devoted queen up until her death. It was expected of her but interpreting this from a modern lens it is hard to fully comprehend the pain that she must have felt but also the need to do Great Britain justice. Therefore, conveying how she was still devoted to making the right decisions for the country.
Recent reassessment and discussion around the health of Queen Anne has indicated that the condition she suffered with in her lifetime was lupus. Lupus is a chronic illness and explains the fact that she suffered from bouts of gout and other symptoms throughout her life. This is quite remarkable to be queen of England and struggle with chronic illness, as being chronically ill takes the energy that others have and put the individual at a disadvantage. The way her body and her conditions are documented has led to experts in pathology suggest that it is very likely that she suffered from lupus. Therefore, Queen Anne should be recognised as a girlboss due to her ability to run a country with being chronically ill.
There were growing tensions between Great Britain and the world stage especially in the colonies that were in the Americas. This led to criticism of Queen Anne due to the fact that she tended to only take advice and not often listen to some of the men that were around her. This has led to harsh criticism of Queen Anne by both her contemporaries but whig historians as well. There has been reassessment of her in the twenty first century but the life and reign of Queen Anne is one that is full of complexities. Many historians previously have had little to no sympathy for her but the reign she was given was eventful. The Act of Union 1707 shaped both the historical and political landscapes for centuries into the future as this has provided unity between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Without Queen Anne’s ability to ensure that this motion passed there would still be issues and contentions between the countries. Though this Act of Union has caused a plethora of issues it was still important for uniformity and control. Therefore, highlighting the importance of the act of union for Anne’s legacy.
The existence of double standards are evident in the reign and legacy of Queen Anne. As people argue that she went too far or not far enough. She did the best she could given the circumstances. She is often blamed for the increased colonies in America but that is arguably down to the Georges’ later in the eighteenth century. Furthermore, she wanted to be compared to Elizabeth I, which she had replicated in her coronation dress. This is the same for her attitudes towards the colonies, she wanted to prove herself as an effective and good queen. Therefore, conveying how many contemporaries argued that she was a puppet and did not stand up for herself. Yet in reality she held parliaments, had final say on the army and ensured that she did what she believed was correct for the country.
The speculation and attitudes to her sexuality during her life time has also provoked criticism, as homosexuality especially female homosexuality was viewed as un-lady like. The fact that she had such close relationships with women, would have been interpreted as a threat by the men around her. This has led her to get a bad reputation also trying to get two of those women to compete for her affection. This has led to her being criticised as the way the letters were shared and announced to her subjects caused upset amongst the nobility. The letters were vulnerable and exposed the queen for her affection to her ladies. In the eighteenth century there was no real terms to express different sexualities as it was not in the forefront of the early modern mind. People knew especially in the nobility that you had to marry a man to continue the family and dynasty. Though over the years especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there has been the erasure of Queen Anne’s sexuality. It does need to be recognised and understood for her reign and life. Though with the loss of her children this would have been more likely for company and to ensure that she did not feel isolated and lonely. Though it is an integral part of the life of Queen Anne.
In conclusion, May-June’s girlboss has been chosen as Queen Anne as a queer monarch. Her life and reign is important to share as there are multiple misconceptions surrounding her time as queen. There needs to be an element of sympathy for her life. As her reign is often overlooked and misunderstood. To be able to run a country despite her health is something that only a true girlboss could do. Therefore, the reign of Queen Anne and the 1707 Act of Union must not be neglected when discussing the success of her reign.
Comments