LONDON — The tragic saga of Queen Anne’s 17 pregnancies, resulting in no surviving heir to the Stuart throne, has been laid bare in a new historical documentary, casting a stark light on the monarch’s relentless quest for a successor and the devastating toll it took on her body and spirit. The documentary, produced by History Calling, details a heartbreaking cycle of miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths that defined Anne’s private life, even as she ascended to the British throne in 1702. From her first recorded pregnancy loss in 1684 to the death of her only surviving child, Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, in 1700, Anne endured an almost unbroken litany of sorrow, making her one of the most tragic figures in royal history.
Anne, born on February 6, 1665, to James, Duke of York, later King James II, and his first wife, Anne Hyde, was the second of two surviving daughters. Her older sister, Mary, would become Queen Mary II after marrying their cousin, William III. The Duchess of York died in 1671, leaving the young princesses in a precarious position within the turbulent Stuart court.
Anne married Prince George of Denmark on July 28, 1683, at age 18, setting the stage for what would become a 17-year struggle to produce an heir. Her first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage of a girl on May 12, 1684, a pattern that would repeat with brutal regularity over the next two decades.
The documentary reports that Anne’s early hopes were briefly raised by the births of two daughters, Mary on June 1, 1685, and Anne Sophia on May 12, 1686. Both girls died of smallpox within a week of each other in February 1687, a double blow that occurred within a fortnight of Anne’s third miscarriage, this time of a boy, on January 21. The rapid succession of losses continued with a stillborn son at seven months on October 22, 1687, and another lost child on April 16, 1688.
These tragedies marked the beginning of a decade-long ordeal that saw Anne pregnant almost constantly, yet unable to carry a child to term.
The birth of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, on July 24, 1689, offered a glimmer of hope. He was the only child to survive beyond infancy, living for 11 years. But even his arrival was followed by more loss: a daughter, Mary, born on October 14, 1690, lived only two hours.
The documentary notes that this Mary was named after Anne’s sister, Queen Mary II, a common practice in an era where child mortality rates were staggering. A brother, George, born on April 17, 1692, survived only a few minutes, marking the last living child Anne would ever deliver. The documentary lists subsequent stillbirths and miscarriages in 1693, 1694, 1696, 1697, 1698, and finally in January 1700.
Prince William’s health was fragile from birth, plagued by hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. He died on July 30, 1700, possibly from smallpox or pneumonia, though no definitive cause was ever agreed upon. The documentary emphasizes that William’s death was the final blow to Anne’s hopes of a Stuart succession.
“It is an absolutely heartbreaking list of loss,” the documentary states. Anne’s ability to conceive multiple times, even immediately after miscarriages, underscores the physical and emotional toll she endured. The documentary counts at least 14 pregnancies ending in tragedy beyond the deaths of Mary, Anne Sophia, and William from external causes.
Historians and medical experts have long debated the cause of Anne’s reproductive failures. The documentary acknowledges that miscarriages and infant deaths were common in the 17th century, even within her own family. Anne’s mother, Anne Hyde, gave birth eight times but only two children—Mary and Anne—survived to adulthood.
Her aunt, Frances Hyde, recorded seven pregnancies resulting in nine children, including two sets of twins, but only one daughter survived. Mary of Modena, Anne’s stepmother, had 12 pregnancies with only two surviving infants. Anne’s sister, Queen Mary II, suffered several miscarriages as a teenager and died childless in 1694.
The sheer number of Anne’s lost pregnancies—17 recorded, with potential twins in at least two cases—sets her apart. The documentary explores several theories, though it cautions against definitive conclusions given the 300-year gap in medical evidence. Early unsubstantiated theories included syphilis or porphyria, but Anne’s medical history does not support these.
The Rhesus D phenomenon, where blood type incompatibility causes miscarriages after the first pregnancy, was considered but ruled out because Anne had a miscarriage followed by two successful births and later a healthy pregnancy with Prince William, a pattern inconsistent with this diagnosis.
A more plausible theory, advanced by biographer Anne Somerset, suggests Anne suffered from Hughes Syndrome, also known as antiphospholipid syndrome or “sticky blood.” This condition causes excessive blood clotting, which could block the tiny vessels of the placenta, leading to recurrent miscarriages and stillbirths. The documentary reports that Hughes Syndrome can also cause arthritis and skin breakouts, both of which plagued Anne later in life.
While unprovable, this theory fits Anne’s pattern of late-term losses and the presence of health issues that worsened over time.
The documentary questions whether the problem was hereditary, noting the reproductive struggles of Anne’s mother, aunt, sister, and stepmother. However, it concludes that the pattern of many children dying after birth from external causes, such as smallpox, suggests the recurrent miscarriages were Anne’s unique burden. “There doesn’t seem to have been a problem in the genes of either the Stewarts or the Hydes,” the documentary states.
“The loss of so many of her children was ultimately bad luck caused by the time period in which they lived and the lack of proper medical care.”
After 1700, Anne had no recorded pregnancies, though her husband, Prince George, lived until 1708. The documentary suggests this was not due to menopause—Anne was only 35 in 1700—but perhaps to her declining health or her separation from George after she became queen. By her coronation in 1702, Anne was severely overweight and had to be carried to Westminster Abbey, though she managed to walk inside.
She suffered from gout and arthritis, causing immense pain. The physical toll of 17 pregnancies may have damaged her body, rendering her unable to conceive again. “Perhaps this was a blessing,” the documentary reflects.
“Even if she had become pregnant again, given her track record, the chances that she would have had a healthy living child seem incredibly low.”
The film “The Favourite” famously depicts Anne owning a group of white rabbits, each symbolizing one of her lost children. While historically inaccurate, the documentary notes it captures the queen’s emotional devastation. Anne’s death on August 1, 1714, at age 49, marked the end of the Stuart dynasty’s rule over Britain and Ireland.
She was buried in Westminster Abbey alongside her husband and some of their children. The throne passed to her distant cousin, George I, Elector of Hanover, ushering in the Georgian era.
The documentary concludes by reflecting on Anne’s legacy: “No English queen ever injured as much in the quest for an heir as Anne, and she’s deserving of our deepest sympathy for what she went through.” It invites viewers to consider the physical and psychological weight she carried, a monarch who presided over a nation but could not secure its future through her own bloodline. As historians continue to piece together the puzzle of Anne’s health, the documentary serves as a poignant reminder of the intersection between personal tragedy and royal duty.
The full story of Queen Anne’s children remains a somber chapter in British history, one that underscores the fragility of life and the relentless pressure on royal women to produce heirs. The documentary is available on YouTube, and its revelations are sparking renewed interest in Anne’s reign, a period often overshadowed by the more dramatic narratives of her predecessors and successors.
