queen of Great Britain, second daughter of King James II. by his first wife, Anne Hyde, was born in 1664. In 1683, she married George, prince of Denmark, by whom she had several children, but none of them arrived at the age of maturity. On the death of King William, she ascended the throne, A.D. 1702, and her reign comprehends one of the most illustrious periods of English history. Possessed, however, of a very feeble character, which did not permit her to act for herself, this period is the reign of her counsellors, and favourites; and she exhibited no decided inclination which could influence state affairs, except a strong desire for Tory principles, both in church and state. In the commencement of her reign, being entirely governed by the duchess of Marlborough, she was induced to follow out the premeditated designs of her predecessors with respect to Louis XIV. king of France, and for many years, repeated successes attended her armies with glory. These were at length after a fruitless protraction of hostilities, terminated by the peace of Utrecht, in 1713. This peace was chiefly owing to the acquired influence of a female favourite of the opposite party. By an act of the legislature in the year 1706, the union of the English and Scottish nations was formed, which event contributed more than the former towards the prosperity of the kingdom. Yet these successful events prevented not the contention of parties which prevailed during the greatest part of her reign. And about the close of it, when this spirit was just on the eve of breaking into a flame, the queen manifested an ardent desire, that the exiled part of her family should succeed to the throne, and so conducted towards the superiority of the tories, as that they were inclined to push to the utmost extremity their plans, with respect to the government both of the church and state. The death of Queen Anne in August 1714, of a dropsy, in the fiftieth year of her age, and thirteenth of her reign, was therefore, equally to the disappointment of the one, and to the triumph of the other. In her private station she supported the character of an amiable woman, and not devoid of understanding, although her indolence and yielding temper prevented her from exerting it. She was generally well beloved by her subjects, whose prejudices coincided with her own, and the title of the Good Queen Anne best expresses their sentiments. Although her own dispositions, and accomplishments had no share in the honour, yet this age was rendered a sort of Augustan age of British literature, on account of the several eminent writers who flourished under her reign (Gen. Biog.)

Anne Boleyn, queen of Henry VIII. king of England, daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, a nobleman of a powerful family, and numerous alliances. The daughter of the duke of Norfolk was her mother, and during the reign of the former king her father had been honoured with several embassies. Mary the king's sister, who married Lewis XII. king of France, carried over this lady with her at an early age, where she imbibed the freedom, the vivacity, and the openness of manners of that nation. After the death of Lewis, that queen returned to England, and Anne continued to attend her royal mistress. Having some time after left her service, she was introduced into the family of the duchess of Alençon. In addition to all her acquired accomplishments, she possessed the greatest personal elegance, and was highly famed in that age.

History does not explicitly mention whether or not, it was on her account, but upon her return to England the king expressed his scruples concerning his union with Catharine of Arragon. Enamoured, however, of Anne, he expressed his attachment to her; but she was possessed of too much virtue and policy, to confer any improper favours. This prudent and virtuous restraint only increased the passion of Henry; and placing her at court, he distinguished her by many marks of royal favour. The impetuous king at length came to the resolution to divorce his queen, to make way for his favourite Anne. In this instance, the injury done to that queen proved the cause of the final separation of England from the dominion of the pope. Various delays and difficulties occurring to the divorce, Henry privately married Anne during the month of November 1532, and in April following he publicly declared her queen of England. The famous queen Elizabeth was the first fruits of this marriage, who was born the September following. For some time she enjoyed a considerable share of the royal favour, and she made use of that influence in subduing the haughty prelate Wolsey, and widening the breach between the king and the pope. But this favour was not of long continuance; for the king, ever varying in his temper, and disappointed at her being brought to bed of a dead male child, imbibed a new passion for Jane Seymour; and troubled at the evil inclinations of the catholics, he allowed the jealousy of conjugal affection to enter his bosom, which her thoughtless demeanour tended in St Anne's a great measure to realize. The king's jealousy still increasing, she was accused of adultery with several of the household officers, and even with her own brother, Lord Rochfort. She was accordingly tried on a charge of high treason, and although proof was very scanty, yet she was condemned to be beheaded; which sentence was executed in May 1536. Her behaviour on that occasion was a singular mixture of firmness and unusual levity. She avowed being guilty of many excesses, yet to the last resolutely denied any serious guilt. Although her character has been greatly depreciated by several authors, yet a letter written by her to the king after condemnation, gives a much higher idea of her character than these partial accounts would endeavour to convey.

The important part which she and her daughter acted in the Reformation has drawn upon her memory many malignant and vicious stories, by those of the catholic party, who were likewise induced to this by the expectation of being conducive to the injury of Protestantism, by stigmatizing the various characters and motives of its promoters. These various accounts are however, for the most part refuted by facts universally known, or have no evidence or probability by which they may be supported. Respecting her innocence of the charge on which she lost her life, it is a matter of uncertainty, yet it appears to be less certain that she was guilty than that her husband was a bloody and capricious tyrant. (Gen. Biog.)

St Anne's Day, a festival of the Christian church, celebrated by the Latins on the 26th of July, but by the Greeks on the 9th of December. It is kept in honour of Anne or Anna, mother of the Virgin Mary.