Today in Celtic History - May 17, 1590 - Scotland: During a seven-hour ceremony, Anne was crowned Queen in the Abbey Church at Holyrood. This was the first Protestant coronation in Scotland.
At just 14, Anne married King James VI and I. James had two titles: He was King of Scotland beginning on July 24, 1567, and was the King of England and Ireland beginning on March 24, 1603. He was identified as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns.
Anne was born on December 12, 1574, the second daughter to King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. She had three children who survived infancy: Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales who died prior to his parents, Princess Elizabeth, who ultimately became the Queen of Bohemia and lastly Charles I, who succeeded James to the crown.
It's said that her marriage was often contentious at times. A source of conflict regarded the custody of Prince Henry and James' treatment of her friend, Beatrix Ruthven. The custody issue surrounded Henry Frederick, with Anne learning that she would have no say regarding the care of her child. In accordance with Scottish royal tradition, James placed Prince Henry in the custody of John Erskine, Earl of Mar, at Stirling Castle. Apprehensive of Anne's reactions, James ordered the Earl to never surrender the child to anyone unless James stated it to him directly.
Beatrix was a maid of honor at Anne's wedding, and she is said to have plotted against King James. James did not want Beatrix in his presence, but she was protected by Queen Anne. This continued to separate the King and Queen in their marriage. By 1603, they fought over the proposed composition of the English household and James began to drink heavily. Over time, they drifted apart and ultimately ended up living apart.
Throughout Anne's life, she was known as a patron of the arts and was known for being intelligent and prudent, and by some, self-indulgent. Queen Anne died on March 2, 1619.
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