The Queen's Children

The start of the Stuart reign in England

England, 1605

Anne of Denmark, Queen of England, gives birth to her daughter, her first child since coming to England in 1603 when her husband James succeeded to the English throne. Although they would have preferred a son, both parents are pleased, and their courtiers are thrilled with the birth of the first royal child on English soil in nearly seventy years.

The Scottish family has been welcomed by the English and the reign has started out well, despite tension between the Catholics and the Protestants.

Although Anne has enjoyed the opportunities in England for promoting her artistic interests, she feels inferior to James, and finds satisfaction in rearing her children, in particular her eldest son Henry.

Anne is determined to bring about an engagement for him with the Spanish infanta. But with anti-Catholic sentiment on the rise, it is not the wisest match.

Anne becomes pregnant again, but the news is clouded by the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, aimed at the destruction of the royal family. The impact on James is enormous, and Anne worries for their family.

Can she secure a suitable match for Henry? Will her children survive? Or could the Stuart reign already be doomed to fail?

©2025 Raymond Wemmlinger