On This Day In Royal History . 3 September 1660 . James, Duke of York (later King James II) married Anne Hyde. . . ◼ In 1660 James had prompted controversy by announcing his engagement to Anne Hyde, the daughter of King Charles II’s’ chief minister, Edward Hyde. . ◼ In 1659, while trying to seduce her, James promised he would marry Anne. Anne became pregnant in 1660, but following the Restoration & James’s return to power, no one at the royal court expected a prince to marry a commoner, no matter what he had pledged beforehand. . ◼ Although nearly everyone, including Anne’s father, urged the two not to marry, the couple married secretly, then went through an official marriage ceremony on 3 September 1660 in London. . ◼ Their first child, Charles, was born less than two months later, but died in infancy, as did five further sons & daughters. Only two daughters survived: Mary (born 30 April 1662) & Anne (born 6 February 1665), both future Queen’s. . ◼ Samuel Pepys wrote that James was fond of his children & his role as a father, & played with them “like an ordinary private father of a child”, a contrast to the distant parenting common to royals at the time. James’s wife was devoted to him & influenced many of his decisions. Even so, he kept a variety of mistresses, including Arabella Churchill & Catherine Sedley, & was reputed to be “the most unguarded ogler of his time.” Anne Hyde died in 1671. . . . #OnThisDayInHistory #ThisDayInHistory #TheYear1660 #RoyalWedding #JamesII #KingJamesII #JamesIIofEngland #KingofEngland #DukeofYork #AnneHyde #Royalty #History #RoyaltyinArt #EnglishMonarchy #HouseofStuart #otd #OnThisDay #RoyalHistory #Stuarts #BritishMonarchy #D3Sep (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEr2FtRDji4/?igshid=f1x3kgb9gtyj
