Queen Anne Lyrics
One child is the queen. The others hide a ball among themselves and send her three letters. Can she guess who has it?
Queen Anne
Queen Anne, Queen Anne, who sits on her throne,
As fair as a lily, as white as a swan;
The king sends you three letters,
And begs you'll read one.
I cannot read one unless I read all,
So pray, (name), deliver the ball.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/queen-anne/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does Queen Anne Mean?
Queen Anne is a guessing game. The rhyme is the "message" the players send the queen: she is as fair as a lily and white as a swan, and the king has sent her three letters. The queen answers that she cannot read one unless she reads all, and names the child she thinks is hiding the ball.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell described the game in his Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales (1849). One child plays the queen, and the others secretly hide a ball on one of their number while saying the rhyme. If the queen guesses right, the child with the ball becomes the next queen. If not, the players tease her and she has to guess again. Queen Anne ruled Britain from 1702 to 1714, but there is no record showing the game was named after her.
Learning Activities
- Play it: you need a small ball and at least four children. The queen turns her back while the ball is hidden behind someone.
- Three letters: let the queen ask three yes-or-no questions before she guesses.
- Crown making: make a paper crown for whoever is queen.