Queen Anne in front of St. Paul's Cathedral (London, UK)
N 51° 30.817 W 000° 05.996
30U E 701222 N 5710931
Beautiful Baroque statue of Queen Anne, work of sculptor Francis Bird, you can find in the front of St. Paul's Cathedral in London...
Waymark Code: WMMT3Y
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/01/2014
Views: 12
Beautiful Baroque statue of Queen Anne, work of sculptor Francis Bird, you can find in the front of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Queen Anne was the ruling monarch when magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral was finished in 1710. The original sculpted by leading artist of English Baroque Francis Bird in 1712, damaged by weather, was replaced with this replica in 1886. The figures on the pedestal represent England, Scotland, France, Ireland and North America – all of which she laid claim to.
Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, two of her realms, the kingdoms of England and Scotland, united as a single sovereign state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death. As queen, Anne favoured moderate Tory politicians, who were more likely to share her Anglican religious views than their opponents, the Whigs. The Whigs grew more powerful during the course of the War of the Spanish Succession, until in 1710 Anne dismissed many of them from office. Her close friendship with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, turned sour as the result of political differences. Anne was plagued by ill-health throughout her life. From her 30s onwards, she grew increasingly lame and obese. Despite seventeen pregnancies by her husband, Prince George of Denmark, she died without any surviving children and was the last monarch of the House of Stuart. Under the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, she was succeeded by her second cousin George I of the House of Hanover, who was a descendant of the Stuarts through his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth, daughter of James VI and I.