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Queen Anne and the question of succession

Study note

The successor to William and Mary was Queen Anne. The key fact about her reign is that she had no surviving children, so it was unclear who would inherit the throne after her. This is the reason her reign created uncertainty over the succession, not because she was Catholic or refused to be crowned.

Because there was no obvious heir, questions arose about who would rule England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland next. This worry about the succession, and the need to make sure a Protestant kept the throne, was one of the reasons that pushed England and Scotland towards joining together in the Act of Union of 1707.

Memory tip: Queen Anne had no surviving heir, raising the succession question that led to union with Scotland.

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Question 1 of 2

Why did the reign of Queen Anne create uncertainty over the succession?

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Show all questions and answers for Queen Anne and the question of succession(2 questions with explanations)

Queen Anne and the question of succession: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. Why did the reign of Queen Anne create uncertainty over the succession?

    • She was Catholic
    • She lived abroad
    • She had no surviving children
    • She refused to be crowned

    Correct answer: She had no surviving children

    Queen Anne had no surviving children, so there was uncertainty over who would rule next.

  2. 2. Queen Anne was the successor to William and Mary.

    • True
    • False

    Correct answer: True

    True. Queen Anne came to the throne after William and Mary.

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