Anne of Denmark, Queen of James I

Object Type
After the childless Elizabeth I (ruled 1558-1603), James I (ruled 1603-1625) offered the nation a hopeful dynastic future. He had a young family, Prince Henry (1594-1612), who was his heir, Prince Charles (1600-1649) and Princess Elizabeth (1596-1662). James embraced portraiture as a way to promote the new Stuart dynasty. During this reign, there was a massive proliferation of miniature portraits of members of the Royal Family.

People
Anne of Denmark (1574-1619) was Queen of James I and daughter of Frederick II of Denmark and Norway (ruled 1559-1588). She married James VI of Scotland in 1589. In 1603, when he became James I of England, she was crowned with him at Windsor, Berkshire. She took a great interest in court entertainments, and personally appeared in court masques created by the playwright Ben Jonson (1572-1637).

This miniature is a version of a standard portrait type of Anne of Denmark, which was repeated in other versions in miniature by either Nicholas Hilliard (possibly born in 1547, died 1619) or Isaac Oliver (born about 1558, died 1617). Oliver was appointed Anne's limner (an early term for a miniature painter) in 1604. It is not known, however, whether it was Hilliard or Oliver who had the sitting with Anne that led to this type. The Queen is portrayed in a low-cut dress, standing collar and high dressed hair set with jewels. In some versions, her right hand extends across her bosom. This portrait is is closer to Hilliard's type than to Oliver's.