Queen Anne of Great Britain, 1665-1714
Friends since childhood, Queen Anne was known for her close relationship and reported romance with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Famous for telling the Queen exactly what she thought with zero flattery, the Duchess had the Queen’s ear when it came to matters of politics, influencing her on behalf of her husband, the Duke. They even had pet names for each other: Mrs Morley (Anne) and Mrs Freeman (Sarah). The Duchess’s fall from favour, following the introduction of her cousin Abigail Hill to the Queen’s household, was depicted in Oscar-winning film, The Favourite, starring Olivia Colman as the Queen, Rachel Weisz as the Duchess and Emma Stone as Abigail.
