From her time growing up in India and the Royal Court of Siam, Anna (made famous as the "I" in the movie The King and I) developed a fiercely independent nature that she brought with her to North America. As a well-known author, Anna toured America landing in Halifax where she single-handedly created an art school for girls - later to become the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She devoted most of her life to the fight for women's rights.