Question about Queen Anne of England's many lost babies?

Several possible causes - from listeriosis to Hughes syndrome - have been suggested, but without an autopsy, no-one knows for sure. Since her condition was so extreme, however, it is likely that she suffered from two or more ailments simultaneously.

Anne even from the time of her accession to the throne was visibly an unwell person , she suffered from rheumatism , weight and gout so much so that she was only able to walk for a short distance with the aid of a stick. She came to the throne in 1702 aged 37 and by 1707 ( five short years ) she was virtually incapacitated by her poor health . I believe this combination of age ( late for child bearing for some of the later births also the time period between pregnancies and the general state of her health were the predominant reasons for her six miscarriages and eleven stillbirths .

Anne was born February 1665 and married - 28 July 1683 .

Her children - as follows

A daughter - stillborn , 12 May 1684.

Mary born 2 June 1685 - died 8, February 1687

Anne Sophia b - 12 May 1686- d 2 February 1687

A son - stillborn 22 October 1687

William , Duke of Gloucester ,b 24 July 1689 d 30 July 1700.

Mary , born and died 14 October 1690

George , born and died 17 April 1692 .

A daughter stillborn 18 February 1696 .

A son stillborn 15 September 1698

A daughter stillborn 25 January 1700

Plus at least six other stillbirths or miscarriages of unknown or unrecorded sex

If she did, then it certainly would not be the first time a stepmother would have fallen prey to such a tendency. Any woman wants the best for her own child - and if you put yourself in Anne's shoes and imagine what she must have been feeling, you can understand that she would probably have regarded Mary as a threat to her daughter Elizabeth's advancement. Coupled with the fact that Mary also represented the Catholic faction going forward - i.e. she would likely become a force of opposition to be reckoned with over the coming years, and the anxiety that Anne would have felt regarding Mary's existence would have been amplified. Anne would,of course, not have known that within a couple of years of her marriage to Henry that it would all end so tragically. She would have probably entertained a genuine affection for her new husband during the early days, and would have been proud to have given him a healthy daughter - with every hope, therefore, of providing the all-important and much longed-for male heir eventually. With such prospects, Mary would have been seen as a serious complication. Anne would have wanted to keep her repressed, both in her own thoughts and in the real world. So Mary was made to wait upon her little half-sister Elizabeth, subservient and menial when at court, and provided with sub-standard arrangements, living quarters etc. That way the threat was neutralized. As Anne's own position at court became ever-more precarious, moreover, her own insecurities and fears might have led to a gradual increase in any ill-treatment towards Mary that did exist. Nobody is perfect, and Anne would have been just as vulnerable to all these quite primal emotions as the rest of us in our weakest moments. SR

Queen Anne is thought to have suffered from something called Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), also known by some as Hughes syndrome - a disorder of the immune system that causes an increased risk of blood clots. (We can only deduce this from circumstantial evidence and account - and these are far from comprehensive - although she was attended by John Radcliffe, a leading phsician of his age).

People with APS are at risk of developing conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot that usually develops in the leg) and arterial thrombosis (a clot in an artery), which can cause a stroke or heart attack. Queen Anne was aflicted with lower limb problems and was unable to walk in later life.

Pregnant women with APS also have an increased risk of having a miscarriage, although the exact reasons for this are uncertain - but this would explain the problems she had. Despite all this she produced an heir (Prince William, Duke of Gloucester) but he died befor reaching majority, probably as a result of hydrocephalus. Had he lived the dynasty would have been the House of Oldenberg, rather than Hanover, so his passing was significant.

You have to realise they had no real recourse to the kind of medical resources we have now and the kind of neo-natal care that is taken for granted.

Queen Anne was of a very sickly constitution. She simply did not have the strength to produce a healthy child.

I doubt she had any abortions.