Moments in History When Royals Didn’t Get Their “Happily Ever After”

Childbearing was a challenging and sometimes heartbreaking ordeal in past centuries. Miscarriages and infant mortality were common occurrences, and royals were not above experiencing such painful events. Queen Anne of Great Britain took Prince George of Denmark as her husband, and they struggled to produce an heir to the throne.

Anne was pregnant seventeen times during her life. Only five of her pregnancies carried to full term, and out of those five only one child made it past infancy. This would be incredibly challenging for any mother to go through, and we can’t imagine the pain Anne must have felt. What’s more, her only surviving child passed away from small pox at the age of eleven.