On 11 March 1702, only ten weeks after William had addressed parliament for the last time, Queen Anne delivered her first speech to the legislature. As a royal propagandist, the new ruler enjoyed substantial advantages over her predecessor. She was a direct heir of James II, had been brought up in England, and had been a lifelong member of the anglican church. She therefore possessed all the traditional qualifications for English monarchy which her brother-in-law had lacked. At Westminster she made the most of her assets. In one passage of her speech, Anne tacitly alluded to the difference between her own nationality and that of William, and so hinted that court polemic might now be organised around new themes. She stated

Yet, although some of the old king's closest supporters were shocked by these words, it soon became clear that Anne would not introduce a novel court ideology. The very address which appeared to reflect upon William's foreignness also expressed deep regret at his demise, and promised no change in his policy of opposition to France. In the years which followed, the incoming regime adopted the central tenets of Williamite rhetoric and put them to similar purposes.