#Anne of Denmark

[moonbreezes]

ANOTHER HAT OH LORD

Save me Tony Curran as James VI&I SAVE ME

those looks look scrumptious 🙏

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, December 12th:

Albert II, Duke of Austria, 1298

Anne of Denmark, Queen of England/Ireland/Scotland, 1574

Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, 1712

Marie Louise of Austria, Empress of the French/Duchess of Parma, 1791

[james-vi-stan-blog]

Hi I was wondering if you could share what you and historians make of Anne’s take on James’ homosexuality and his relationship (romantic, platonic or otherwise) with his queen, at the start of their marriage (i.e the sailing to Denmark and obsession etc) and the end (i.e letting her corpse rot) Thank you!! - thelastplantagenet 💚

Please excuse incoherent and loopiness I'm so sleepy while writing this alkdgf;ldgdk

The impression that I get of James is that he was very proud of his self-image as "a good king", "a good Christian", and "a good husband", based on his ever-so-clever reading of Scripture and philosophy. Picture the most horrible Arrogant Smart Kid Syndrome, formed by being the smartest person in the (very small) room for many years, which was never properly challenged by reality, because he's the king. The True Law of Free Monarchies and Basilokon Doron just drip with this attitude. Therefore, his self-image as magnanimous, benevolent, and faithful to his queen was important to him, even if in reality he was not these things.

cn for miscarriages, cruelty to pets, creepy kinda incestuous vibes, child marriage, etc.

There are two rather different images of the courtship of James and Anna (who was very young, just 14-15 to James's 22-23). On the one hand, James is said to have instantly fallen in love with her portrait almost as soon as marriage negotiations opened, to have written to her ardently, written poetry for her, and then of course have boldly sailed to "rescue" her in 1589. There is a story that when they first met in the flesh, James rushed over and kissed her "in the Scottish style", which repelled her (she thought it was very forward), but they later came to an understanding about this when the cultural difference was explained.

Yet also, James himself wrote of his reasons for sailing to his bride in October 1589:

As to the causes, I doubt not it is manifestly known to all how far I was generally found fault with by all men for the delaying so long of my marriage. The reasons were that I was alone, without father or mother, brother or sister, king of [Scotland] and heir apparent of England. This my nakedness made me to be weak and my enemies stark. One man was as no man, and the want of hope of succession bred disdain. Yea, my long delay bred in the breasts of many a great [suspicion] of my inability, as if I were a barren stock. These reasons and innumerable others, hourly objected, moved me to hasten the treaty of my marriage; for, as to my own nature, God is my witness I could have abstained longer nor the weal of my patrie could have permitted.

Basically, "I could have remained unmarried forever, but I have to get heirs for political stability". He was also noted for being coldly hard-assed in the dowry negotations.

Apparently their very early marriage was warm, but Anna was criticized for not immediately producing a child. When she was pregnant with Henry Frederick, IIRC rumors flew that he was not James's but that of Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox (Esmé Stewart's son, therefore James's second cousin, who was also rumored to be a favorite of James's. Yes. This family is tangled and fucked up.) James was said to be jealous over this -- but was he jealous, or was he sensitive about the renewed rumors that Anna did not conceive by him because he was busy with his male favorites? (In reality, Anna had conceived immediately after their marriage, but then suffered a miscarriage.)

The marital relationship was then absolutely torpedoed by James's insistence on Henry Frederick being fostered at Stirling Castle by the Earl of Mar (the same Earl of Mar with whom he had huge childhood drama). This was traditional for Scottish heirs, and it was also sensible, as James and Anna were put in regular physical danger by rebellious lords, who you must remember repeatedly kidnapped young James and absolutely would pull all sorts of power shenanigans if they could lay hands on the heir. However, Anna was understandably furious and devastated by her separation from Henry. This became a huge battleground of their marriage, and James did not give way until the 1603 accession to the English throne, and it really ruined any affection Anna had for James. After that, Anna was often embroiled in schemes with factions that have grievances with James, like Bothwell and the Ruthvens. When the Ruthvens supposedly tried to assassinate James, Anna accused James of fabricating the whole thing. And as their children (Henry Frederick, Elizabeth, and Charles) grew up, Anna was often subtly working on them and turning them against their father (which wasn't hard because James was an awful, totally uninvolved father).

It is said that Anna once """"accidentally"""" killed one of James's favorite hunting dogs named Jewel.

Despite this, I would say that James always respected Anna… as much as he was capable of respecting any woman. Because James was really a misogynist, even more than the typical man of his time. His thoughts about marriage, and about the respect one should give one's wife, are clearly articulated in Basilokon Doron, and it's not pretty. (Full text is online here) Essentially, he gave Anna what he thought a wife should have from her husband: condescension, indulgence, honor before other ladies, sexual attention and fidelity (men don't count, ofc). James, one must remember, had a strong sense of himself as a divine right king, God's representative on Earth. The position of queen therefore also had an aura of the divine, and deserved respect for that - but not for her personhood, personality, or ideas. This is the man who is wearing a bejeweled "A" on his hat to celebrate his love for his wife at the same time he denies her access to her child and basically opposing her in court schemes.

Treat her as your own flesh, command her as her Lord, cherish her as your helper, rule her as your pupill, and please her in all things reasonable; but teach her not to be curious in things that belong to her not.

Something interesting is that when James learned of Anna's secret conversion to Catholicism, he told her he had no issue with her following her conscience as long as she kept it under wraps for the sake of political stability. For this time that's remarkably tolerant, both of Anna and of Catholicism.

Both Goodman and Weldon (remember them? writing from totally opposite English Civil War factions, one pro-Stuart and one anti-Stuart) described James as "not very uxorious". Maybe because he was too gay to really love his wife; maybe, as Goodman accused, Anna did not give him much cause to love her (can you blame her!?). But certainly there was not the sort of effusive affection for Anne he would show to his male favorites.

Over time the king and queen lived more and more separately. Until a miscarriage in 1606, after which Anna decided she was done with pregnancies, they continued to sleep together, but emotionally their lives were rather divorced. Especially after 1606 but IIRC even before, a separate "king's court" (dominated by James's male favorites) and "queen's court" developed. Real political power was located in the king's court, of course, but Anna used her influence to create a much more culturally sophisticated and artistically influential court. The Jacobean flourishing of the arts is more attributable to Anna's patronage than to James's (he fell asleep during plays and much more enjoyed watching a good debate).

But, I feel that their relationship somewhat recovered with time. In the more peaceful environment of England, they negotiated a sort of understanding, and had a cool but amicable relationship, sometimes working as partners and sometimes at cross purposes.

Anna's attitude to James's favorites seems to have been ambivalent. On the one hand, she was said to have understood "the king could not exist without his favorites" (I tried to find the source for this quote and failed but I'll look again later), and for his part he allowed her some degree of veto over his favorites, if only so that if she complained later, he could tell her "But you recommended him to me!" But it doesn't seem like she was happily indulgent - rather, pragmatic.

Also, as regards the Gowrie Conspiracy, Michael B. Young, author of King James and the History of Homosexuality, relates a conspiracy theory (not Young's own invention) that the Ruthvens might have lured James in not with a pot of gold (what a ridiculous story) but with sex appeal, and that Anna's reaction to the plot subtly accused him of this. And I believe it because I blindly believe everything that Michael B. Young says.

Even though James barely interacted with her by the point of her death in 1619, he was reportedly pretty upset about it, writing her a commemorative poem and going into a depression. You could say that his failure to appear at her funeral (it was Charles who was chief mourner) was evidence of his not caring very much, but some historians, like IIRC Rictor Norton, say that Anna's death actually triggered a minor breakdown for James, who was now facing his own mortality as well, due to his worsening illnesses. James may have also avoided the funeral because he had a longstanding fear of death, disease, and funerals (he also did not attend Henry Frederick's, and likewise that can be read as absence of love, depression, and/or neuroticism.)

IMO, the M&G monologue that I reblogged is not a bad take on the overall tone. I actually don't think James would have been so self-aware or ever considered that God was against any of his ideas, but it captures the ambivalence.

I hope that's a fair picture and of interest, @thelastplantagenet!

[lulu-cat-princess]

Spouses of British monarchs who were on the throne when a ghost died

[scotlandsladies]

Anne of Denmark (c. 1610) by Isaac Oliver

This miniature of Anne of Denmark, was previously misidentified as Elizabeth I until the late nineteenth century. That the subject is, in fact, Anne of Denmark, is made clear firstly by the motto inscribed in gold on the right: 'Servo per regnare' which is a reflection of the queen's belief in the doctrine of the divine right of kings propounded by James VI and I, and, secondly, by the clear association of the costume with the Jacobean masque, of which Anne was the leading patron. The elaborate costume in which the Queen is depicted in the miniature may be that which she wore for any of the five court masques in which she participated, but is most likely to show her dressed for the Masque of Beauty (1608) or Love Freed from Ignorance and Folly (1611). On this basis, the miniature has been dated to c. 1610.

[digitalfashionmuseum]

Oil Painting, ca. 1617-1618, British.

By Paul Von Somer.

Portraying Anne of Denmark, Queen Consort of Britain.

Royal Collection Trust.

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Anne of Denmark in mourning attire by Marcus Gheeraerts II, 1612.

[world-of-wales]

CONSORTS OF ENGLAND SINCE THE NORMAN INVASION (4/5) ♚

Anne of Denmark (March 1603 - March 1619)

Henrietta Maria of France (June 1625 - January 1649)

Catherine of Braganza (May 1662 - February 1685)

Mary of Modena (February 1685 - December 1688)

Prince George of Denmark (March 1702 - October 1708)

Princess Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (June 1727 - November 1737)

Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (September 1761 - November 1818)

Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (January 1820 - August 1821)

Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (June 1830 - June 1837)

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (February 1840 - December 1861)

[venicepearl]

Nicholas Hilliard - Anne of Denmark

[just-history-things]

Consorts of England and Britain

House of Stuart

[last-capy-hupping]

A serious example of how male historians were writing about women in 1956

From D.H. Wilson’s biography of James VI of Scotland/I of England

For the record, the “stupid” things that she did early on were object to having some of dower lands taken by one of her husband’s nobles, who was her political enemy, and having her firstborn son fostered by another noble who was her political enemy.

[tenth-sentence]

She refused to give James control of their first son, Henry, and defied his specific order by travelling with Henry from Scotland to their new kingdom of England.

"Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History" - Philippa Gregory

[tiny-librarian]

Portrait of Anne of Denmark, Queen of England, Irleand, and Scotland as wife of James I.

[tiaramania]

TIARA ALERT: Anne-Cathrine Riebnitzsky wore a pearl tiara for the banquet during the state visit from Spain at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on 6 November 2023.

[krasivaa]

ᴀ ᴄᴜᴛᴇ ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏ sʜᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴄʜʀɪsᴛɪᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇss ɪɴɢʀɪᴅ ᴏғ sᴡᴇᴅᴇɴ, 𝟻ᴛʜ ᴍᴀʏ 𝟷𝟿𝟷𝟶. ʜᴇʀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇss ᴍᴀʀɢᴀʀᴇᴛ ᴏғ ᴄᴏɴɴᴀᴜɢʜᴛ, ʜᴏʟᴅs ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ɪɴɢʀɪᴅ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀs, ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ɢᴜsᴛᴀғ ᴀᴅᴏʟғ, ᴅᴜᴋᴇ ᴏғ ᴠäsᴛᴇʀʙᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ sɪɢᴠᴀʀᴅ ᴀʀᴇ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sɪᴅᴇ.

𝙶𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚏 𝙰𝚍𝚘𝚕𝚏 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚕 𝚇𝚅𝙸 𝙶𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚏, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝙸𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗 (𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝟷𝟺𝚝𝚑 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢) 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝙸 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚎-𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚎, 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚌𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚂𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝟷𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚜!

~~~˚ʚ♡ɞ˚~~~

~~~𓆩♡𓆪~~~

[cesareeborgia]

↳ the wives of  frederick iv of denmark (requested by anonymous)