Anne Stuart, Queen of Great Britain

Cross’ miniature portrait of the English queen Anne (1665–1714) is based on the state portrait painted in several versions by Godfrey Kneller.¹ It shows Anne with long, dark brown hair parted in the middle. Two curls can be seen to the left and right of her rather broad, flat forehead; they lighten up the cool, detached facial expression. Cross may also have been familiar with the full-length portrait painted in 1705 by Michael Dahl, who, in contrast to Kneller, reproduced the queen’s features more softly.² Even though a piece of ermine can be seen over her shoulder, this portrait gives a private impression and seems to have been intended for personal use. 

Anne is depicted in a gold-coloured cloak with a strongly contrasting blue border. The background does not show any attributes of her estate or royal regalia. On the left there is a dark wall and on the right a cloudy sky. The whole portrait radiates warmth and softness, which Cross achieved especially in the face by using fine dots and delicate shadows.

Anne was the first monarch of the United Kingdom resulting from the union of England and Scotland in 1707. She was also the last monarch of the House of Stuart. During her marriage to Prince George, she had eighteen pregnancies, thirteen of which ended in miscarriage or stillbirth. All of her five live-born children died very young, which caused the English Parliament to pass the Act of Settlement in 1701 to ensure that only a Protestant heir could inherit the throne. In 1714 this resulted in the Hanoverian succession to the British throne. 

J. S. O.