Anne of Denmark, 1574 - 1619. Queen of James VI and I

Anne was the daughter of Frederick II, King of Denmark and Norway. It was arranged for her to marry James VI of Scotland and, in September 1589, she set sail to meet her new husband. With no sign of Anne’s arrival by October, James decided to try and find the party. He eventually found her in Upslo (now Oslo) where they officially wed. They returned to Scotland on 1 May 1590. With the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603 and the unification of the crowns, James and Anne became king and queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. This portrait of Anne was painted by the court painter, Adrian Vanson whilst the couple was in Scotland. It shows Anne as the blonde beauty she was known as. During her lifetime Anne contributed greatly to the advancement of music, art and architecture.