Yes, it’s WEDNESDAY…again

On this day in 1708, Queen Anne withheld royal assent from the Scottish Militia Bill – the last time a a monarch vetoed British legislation.

Anne was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 8 March 1702, and Queen of Great Britain and Ireland following the ratification of the Acts of Union 1707 merging the kingdoms of England and Scotland, until her death in 1714. Anne was born during the reign of her uncle King Charles II. Her father was Charles’s younger brother and heir presumptive, James, whose suspected Roman Catholicism was unpopular in England. On Charles’s instructions, Anne and her elder sister Mary were raised as Anglicans. Mary married her Dutch Protestant cousin, William III of Orange, in 1677, and Anne married Prince George of Denmark, a Lutheran, in 1683.

On Charles’s death in 1685, James succeeded to the throne, but three years later he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Mary and William became joint monarchs. After Mary’s death in 1694, William reigned alone until his own death in 1702, when Anne succeeded him.

Anne was plagued by poor health throughout her life. Despite 17 pregnancies, she died without surviving issue and was the last monarch of the House of Stuart. The loss of her young son, Prince William, precipitated a potential succession crisis. Under the Act of Settlement 1701, which excluded all Catholics, Anne was succeeded by her second cousin George I of the House of Hanover.

The Scottish Militia Bill was intended to arm the Scottish militia, which had not been recreated at the Restoration. On the day the bill was meant to be signed, news came that the French were sailing toward Scotland for the planned invasion of 1708 and there was suspicion that a significant portion of the Scottish population might be disloyal. Therefore, support for a veto was strong and the Queen refused her royal assent to the bill.