The years following the death of Prince George of Denmark were marked by increased political polarisation and conflict. Three general elections were fought between 1708 and 1714, and in each case a clear majority ensured Parliament was dominated by one political party. In 1708 the Whigs secured a clear victory and the government capitalised on their majority by passing a great deal of controversial legislation and ministers drew up a set of impractical terms for a peace treaty. The terms were unacceptable to Louis XIV, the recall of his grandson – Philip V– from Spain proving a particular sticking point. The Whigs inability to move forward with a peace treaty, coupled with the political maelstrom unleashed by the public trial of Henry Sacheverell, led to another general election in 1710. This time the Tories triumphed, securing a large majority on the promise of peace, and they increased their majority in the 1713 election. But the Tories did not speak with one voice, and Robert Harley constantly struggled to control what had always been a diverse political grouping. In fact the Tories argued with each other almost as much as the Whigs and they soon fragmented into smaller, often more extreme groups, each seeking to further their own politico-religious objectives. As Queen Anne's health declined and the question of the succession came increasingly to the foreground, secret overtures were made to the exiled Jacobite court in an effort to circumnavigate the Act of Settlement. Meanwhile battles between Whigs and Tories over religion, the conduct of the war, then the peace negotiations dogged political debate. In this fraught political atmosphere, when merely a change in the female household could result in accusations of royal conspiracy, Anne's room for political manoeuvre was seemingly limited. Matters were not helped by the fact that from 1710 she became, according to Edward Gregg, ‘a captive of her invalidism’ and rarely walked unaided. Gregg maintains that Anne's physical decline was so marked it affected her ability to interact socially, which had a detrimental impact on how she performed ceremonially.