Posts

Room 2 - Images of Anna of Denmark, Series B: The English and Irish Accession

  A Brief Biography of Anna of Denmark’s Early Years in England:   Early in the morning of 24 March 1603, Elizabeth I of England and Ireland died. A few hours later, the English Privy Council proclaimed that James VI, King of Scots, had succeeded to the English and Irish thrones as James I. Anna of Denmark was now Queen of England and Ireland, as well as Scotland. Although James’s accession to the English throne had gone more smoothly than he might have expected, Anna’s own journey to England began with much more drama. James departed for England on 5 April, while Anna remained in Scotland. She was determined to secure custody of her eldest son, the nine-year-old Prince Henry, who was in the care of the Earl of Mar at Stirling Castle on James’s orders. Mar, however, was away, so his family asked Anna to wait for Mar’s return or get a warrant discharging Mar from his responsibility. The Earl of Montrose reported to James: ‘The Queen’s Majesty is not of mind to depart, unless the pri
Read more

Room 1 - Images of Anna of Denmark: 1574-1603

Image
A Brief Biography of Anna of Denmark’s life up to 1603: Anna of Denmark was born on 12 December 1574 in the palace of Skanderborg, Denmark (d. 1619). She was the second daughter of Frederick II of Denmark-Norway (1534-1588) and his wife, Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1557-1631). Anna and her sister, Elizabeth (1573-1625), were initially brought up at the court of their maternal grandparents in Güstrow, before returning to the Danish court. Anna enjoyed a close relationship with her parents and siblings and a stable, comfortable childhood.   Güstrow Palace, in the duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (now Germany), where Anna spent her earliest years at the court of her maternal grandparents before returning to Denmark. Image from Wikimedia Commons.   Anna’s future husband, James VI of Scotland and I of England and Ireland, was born on 19 June 1566 (d. 1625) in Edinburgh, Scotland, the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587). James succeeded to the Scottish throne when he
Read more