Anne Hyde (1637–1671) was the daughter of Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, King Charles II’s most powerful minister at the time of his restoration to the throne in 1660. She and James (1633–1701), King Charles’ younger brother, had begun a relationship while the court was in exile on the Continent; Anne became pregnant and James promised to marry her. After the Restoration, however, James’ marriage prospects improved, and a number of attempts were made, first to prevent this marriage to a ‘commoner’, and then, after it had taken place in secret, to deny that it had happened. Eventually, with the king’s support, the marriage was acknowledged publicly.
It was probably around this time or shortly afterwards that this elegant double portrait was painted by Peter Lely. It is a celebration not just of married love but also of the Stuart family’s wealth and military might. Anne was to die young, shortly after the birth of her last child. James was king for only three years from 1685, after which he was sent to live in exile for a second time until his death.
National Portrait Gallery, London
Purchased, 1976
© National Portrait Gallery, London
