After the union of England and Scotland, in 1707 this woman became the first monarch of Great Britain and Ireland. Later in life, through overeating, she grew so fat she had to be carried. Who was she?

The 1707 Acts of Union were a landmark moment, formally uniting the kingdoms of England and Scotland into a single sovereign state: Great Britain. The monarch on the throne at this pivotal time was Queen Anne. While she had previously reigned over England, Scotland, and Ireland as separate kingdoms, the Acts of Union gave her the new and historic title of the first monarch of Great Britain and Ireland.

Anne’s reign was also marked by personal tragedy and chronic ill health. She endured at least seventeen pregnancies, yet none of her children survived to adulthood, leaving her without a direct heir. Plagued by severe gout and other ailments throughout her life, her mobility became severely limited.

In her later years, these health problems, combined with a large appetite, caused her to gain a significant amount of weight. She grew so large that she often had to be carried in a sedan chair. When she died in 1714, she was the last of the Stuart monarchs, and her massive, nearly square coffin required the efforts of many to be moved, paving the way for the Hanoverian succession.