English royal succession Another royal inheritance, apart from that of Spain, also concerned William. His marriage with Mary had not produced any children, and he did not seem likely to remarry. Mary's sister, Anne, had borne numerous children, all of whom died during childhood. The death of her last surviving child (Prince William, Duke of Gloucester) in 1700 left her as the only individual in the line of succession established by the Bill of Rights.Troost, p. 234 As the complete exhaustion of the defined line of succession would have encouraged a restoration of James II's line, the English Parliament passed the Act of Settlement 1701, which provided that if Anne died without surviving issue and William failed to have surviving issue by any subsequent marriage, the Crown would pass to a distant relative, Sophia, Electress of Hanover (a granddaughter of James I), and to her Protestant heirs.Troost, p. 235 The Act debarred Roman Catholics from the throne, thereby excluding the candidacy of several dozen people more closely related to Mary and Anne than Sophia. The Act extended to England and Ireland, but not to Scotland, whose Estates had not been consulted before the selection of Sophia.
english royal succession another royal inheritance apart from that of spain also concerned william his marriage with mary had not produced any children and he did not seem likely to remarry mary's sister anne had borne numerous children all of whom died during childhood the death of her last surviving child (prince william duke of gloucester) in 1700 left her as the only individual in the line of succession established by the bill of rightstroost p 234 as the complete exhaustion of the defined line of succession would have encouraged a restoration of james ii's line the english parliament passed the act of settlement 1701 which provided that if anne died without surviving issue and william failed to have surviving issue by any subsequent marriage the crown would pass to a distant relative sophia electress of hanover (a granddaughter of james i) and to her protestant heirstroost p 235 the act debarred roman catholics from the throne thereby excluding the candidacy of several dozen people more closely related to mary and anne than sophia the act extended to england and ireland but not to scotland whose estates had not been consulted before the selection of sophia