Anne was the second daughter of James, duke of York (King James II, 1685-88), and Anne Hyde. In 1683 Anne was married to Prince George of Denmark (1653-1708). She acquiesced to the Act of Settlement of 1701, which designated as her successors the Hanoverian descendants of King James I of England, and became queen upon William's death in March 1702.

In her first message to Parliament, Anne repeated William?s invitation to consider the union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland. After much negotiation, in 1707 the Act of Union brought England and Scotland together. Both English and Scottish Parliaments were dissolved and a new united Parliament was established.

Until their dismissal in 1710, the political scene was dominated by Marlborough and the Lord Treasurer Godolphin. However, in 1711, as a result of a Tory ministry?s disagreement with the Whig majority in the House of Lords over the future peace settlement in Europe, Anne was persuaded to create peers for party purposes. Her last act was to secure the Protestant succession by placing the Lord Treasurer's staff in the hands of a capable moderate, Charles Talbot, Duke of Shrewsbury, who presided over the peaceful accession of the Hanoverian prince George Louis (King George I).

Anne died in 1714 leaving no direct heir to the throne.