Anne is one of the most popular names for queens in English
history but after the 18th century, it all but disappeared from
royal use. Until 1950, when the then heir to the throne chose it
for her second child. Why did the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth
II end up with a name that, at the time, wasn’t a usual one for
members of the Royal Family?
The answer can perhaps best be found in the summer of 1930 and
the arrival of another princess. In August that year, the future
George VI and his Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) welcomed
their second daughter. The baby girl was born at Glamis Castle on
August 21st 1930, a baby sister for Princess Elizabeth. Her
parents, then Duke and Duchess of York, wanted to call their new
addition ”Ann”.
William Shawcross, in the official biography of Queen Elizabeth,
the Queen Mother, quotes a letter from her to Queen Mary in which
she writes ”I think Ann of York sounds so pretty and Elizabeth and
Ann go so well together. I wonder what you think?”
Queen Mary, along with the baby’s grandfather King George V,
didn’t think much of the idea at all. They pressed for the princess
to be named Margaret, in honour of Margaret of Scotland. In the
end, they got their way. Princess Margaret Rose was christened on
October 30th 1930 at Buckingham Palace.
Two decades later, George VI and Queen Elizabeth finally got
their way when a baby princess called Anne was welcomed to the
Royal Family. it seems likely that their elder daughter, Elizabeth,
chose the name for her baby girl, born on August 15th 1950, in
their honour. Queen Mary, who had objected to the name first time
round, was all smiles as she sat alongside Princess Anne of
Edinburgh at her christening on October 21st 1950.
At the time, Anne has been one of the most used names for baby
girls in the UK for decades but it had fallen somewhat from royal
favour. Queen Victoria hadn’t used it for any of her five daughters
while none of Edward VII’s three girls bore the name. George V’s
only daughter was also Anne free.
Anne, of course, has a pretty impressive royal pedigree before
that. The reign of Queen Anne (1702 – 1714) saw the Acts of Union
which turned England and Scotland into Great Britain. It’s also
been the name of five queens consort of England including perhaps
the most famous of them all, Anne Boleyn. Several other monarchs,
including Edward IV, Charles I and George II had daughters called
Anne.
Princess Anne also has three middle names. Elizabeth is clearly
in honour of her mother, the Queen, and her maternal grandmother,
the Queen Mother, who also stood as one of her godparents. Alice is
after her paternal grandmother, Princess Alice, who was another of
her godmothers. Finally, she has the name Louise
Since 1950, Anne has been far better used in the Royal Family
with the Princess Royal’s own daughter, Zara, receiving it as a
middle name. Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, also used it as a
middle name for his elder daughter, Savannah.
And so that decision in 1930, to skip the pick of the parents,
has been reversed and Anne has taken its place in modern royal
history.
