Anne Hyde

1637–1671. Daughter of Edward Hyde, first Earl of Clarendon, first wife of James, Duke of York (the later James II), mother of Mary II and Anne I.

Anne Hyde was born 12 March 1637 the eldest daughter of Edward Hyde and his wife Frances, née Aylesbury, at Cranbourne Lodge in Windsor. She had two brothers and one sister, Francis. Anne´s father was one of the best lawyers of that time. He was interested in politics and became close to Charles I. Later Edward Hyde served as chief adviser to Charles II during his exile on the European continent. And even later, after the Restoration, he became Lord Chancellor.

Anne started an affair with Charles's younger brother James. The couple got married secretly at Breda in the Netherlands in 1659. After the Restoration an official marriage ceremony took place in London (3 September 1660). Pepys records rumours about a shotgun wedding initiated by Charles II, while James tried to wiggle out of the engagement (Diary, 7 October 1660). Be that as it may, Anne and James's first child was born after two months after their marriage and died in infancy. Of the seven children, only two daughters survived, Mary and Anne.

Anne Hyde died 31 March 1671.

Sources:

Lundy, Darryl. "Lady Anne Hyde." The Peerage, last edited 20 Jan 2011, http://thepeerage.com/p10136.htm#i101352.

Mahon, Elizabeth Kerri. "From Commoner to Royalty: The Story of Anne Hyde, Duchess of York." Scandalous Women, 27 April 2011, http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.de/2011/04/from-commoner-to-royalty-story-of-anne.html.