Baroque
Prior to the mid 1600s, furniture was built to serve a fundamental purpose. It was not intended to be decorative or beautiful in any way. The Baroque style changed all that. While still heavily built in order to be sturdy, pieces began to have ornate carvings in the wood and embellishments upon the fabrics. While Queen Anne designs were far lighter and simpler, the influence of the carving style that began with Baroque is evident.
Rococo
Rococo was the popular French style that played upon the flourish of the Baroque style furnishings that came before it. It became popular in the early 1700s, and certain aspects of Rococo designs had a strong impact on what was to become Queen Anne style furniture. Rococo designs were recognizable by their curved lines, and those curves went on to greatly influence Queen Anne style, which was sometimes called "restrained Rococo."
William and Mary
Mary, queen before Anne, was married to a Dutch man by the name of William. As furniture morphed from Baroque style, the new form was named for this king and queen. For this reason, many elements of what became known as the Queen Anne style had their roots in Dutch design. Wood carving was an honored skill of the Dutch, and the spiral and scroll designs in many Queen Anne pieces come directly from the William and Mary style.