The Princess Anne was weak and far from being interesting.  But she was inordinately attached to Lady Churchill, who held a high post of honor and emolument in her household.  It does not appear that the attachment was mutual between these two ladies, but the forms of it were kept up by Lady Churchill, who had ambitious ends to gain.  She gradually acquired an absolute ascendency over the mind of the Princess, who could not live happily without her companionship and services.  Lady Churchill was at this time remarkably striking in her appearance, with a clear complexion, regular features, majestic figure, and beautiful hair, which was dressed without powder.  She also had great power of conversation, was frank, outspoken, and amusing, but without much tact.  The Princess wrote to her sometimes four times a day, always in the strain of humility, and seemed utterly dependent upon her.  Anne was averse to reading, spending her time at cards and frivolous pleasures.  She was fond of etiquette, and exacting in trifles.  She was praised for her piety, which would appear however to have been formal and technical.  She was placid, phlegmatic, and had no conversational gifts.  She played tolerably on the guitar, loved the chase, and rode with the hounds until disabled by the gout, which was brought about by the pleasures of the table.  In 1683 she married Prince George of Denmark, and by him had thirteen children, not one of whom survived her; most of them died in infancy.  As the daughter of James II., she was of course a Tory in her political opinions.

Lady Churchill was also at that time a moderate Tory, and fanned the prejudices of her mistress.  But in order to secure a still greater intimacy and freedom than was consistent with their difference in rank, the two ladies assumed the names of Mrs. Morley and Mrs. Freeman.  In the correspondence between them the character of the Princess appears to the greater advantage, since she was at least sincere in her admiration and friendship.  She assumes no superiority in any respect; in her intellectual dependence she is even humble.

Anne was seemingly disinterested in her friendship with Lady Churchill, having nothing to gain but services, for which she liberally compensated her.  But the society of a weak woman could not have had much fascination for so independent and self-sustained a person as was the proud peeress.  It eventually became irksome to her.  But there was no outward flaw in the friendship until Anne ascended the throne in 1702,—­not even for several years after.

The accession of William and Mary in 1689 changed the position of Anne, to whom the nation now looked as a probable future queen.  She was at that time severely censured for her desertion of her father James, and her conduct seemed both heartless and frivolous.  But she was virtually in the hands of an unscrupulous woman and the great ministers of State.  On the flight of the King, James II., the Princess Anne retired to Chatsworth,—­the magnificent seat of the Earl of Devonshire,—­accompanied by Lady Churchill, her inseparable companion.