Which monarch had a square coffin

A. Cynthia Dyke asked the question and Janetx correctly answered: Anne Stuart, Queen of England.

Q. But why square

Q. Aah! I see! Was her reign a successful one

A. Not particularly. She seemed to spend most of her adult life trying, without success, to produce an heir. Tragically, she failed - and that's why our present royal family is effectively German.

Q. So she had no children

A. Wrong. She had 12. All died. At least another six were miscarried.

Q. So who was she

A. Ann was born in London on 6 February 1665, the second daughter of King James II and Anne Hyde, his first wife. In 1683 she married to Prince George of Denmark. Her father converted to Roman Catholicism in 1672, but Anne remained Protestant and did not oppose his overthrow by the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

Q. Who became ruler then

A. James's daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange. Anne became queen on William's death in 1702.

Q. And for what was her reign notable

A. Anne restored John Churchill to favour, making him making him Duke of Marlborough and captain-general of the army. Marlborough (who had been disgraced by James II) won a series of victories over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14) - known in America as Queen Anne's War.

Q. So he was a favourite

A. Very much so... and so was his wife, Sarah, who had great influence over Anne early in her reign.

Q. Anything else

A. The Act of Union of 1707 united the Kingdoms of England and Scotland. Anne was kindly and warm-hearted but not the brightest star in the sky; she tended to fall under friends' influence. After the Marlboroughs fell out of favour, she took much advice from her attendant, Mrs Masham.

Q. And her health

A. The rigours of at least 18 unsuccessful pregnancies left her obese and in poor health. She also became addicted to brandy. Jacobites believed the heirless Anne might look favourably upon her brother Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender (click here for a feature upon him). But she did not. She died in London on 1 August 1714, and her protestant German cousin, the elector of Hanover, succeeded as King George I.

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by Steve Cunningham