Royal Pain - Queen Anne

1665–1714

People mocked her for being fat. She was pregnant seventeen times, but bore only five living children, with just one surviving infancy. Anne suffered an eye condition as a child, contracted smallpox as a young woman, and was lamed by gout in later years. Though she was a princess, she watched as others came to power—including her sister and brother-in-law. Anne’s own husband was a weak leader and probably an alcoholic. She had a painful public falling-out with her best friend. When Anne finally ascended to the throne of England, her reign was marred by a lengthy and costly war.

Did you ever dream of being a princess, of marrying a prince, of ruling as queen? Well, be careful what you wish for, because Anne Stuart had all of that, and yet she had more than her share of suffering.

England was still smarting from a century of Anglican-Catholic struggle. When Anne became queen in 1702, she strengthened the Anglican identity of the country, favoring the “high church” party—and making life difficult for the “dissenters,” those Baptists, Congregationalists, and others who rejected both Catholic and Anglican ways.

But there was one rather amazing thing that Anne did early in her reign. For more than a century, British royalty had been receiving “first fruits and tithes” from churches, a sort of tax that then amounted to about sixteen thousand pounds a year. Anne decided to give these back to the church—expressly for the purpose of helping underpaid clergymen in poor areas. Perhaps her sufferings had nourished some compassion. Well into modern times, this annual allocation was called “Queen Anne’s Bounty”—not a bad thing to be known for.

Each of us has an assortment of challenges and accomplishments in our lives. We’ve all done good and bad things. Who knows how history will remember us? But maybe there’s one thing you can do, even now, to help out someone else who’s facing more challenges than you are. A gift, a word of encouragement, an opportunity, or maybe just time spent together—this could be your “bounty,” something to redeem the past and be remembered for in the future.

There is still one thing you haven’t done. . . . Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.

Mark 10:21