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Anne became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, two of her realms, the kingdoms of England and Scotland, united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain. She continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death.
The title King of Gibraltar continues to be used by Spanish monarchs even though the territory was ceded to the Crown of Great Britain in perpetuity under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713. The continued use of the title thus emphasizes a Spanish viewpoint that the British monarch merely has possession of Gibraltar, rather than sovereignty over it. The United Kingdom, by contrast, takes the position that the treaty transferred sovereignty as well as possession. It was customary for titles and arms of conquered territories to be omitted from British regnal claims. The title and arms were thus never claimed by the British monarchy. |
