FROM THE SOMME MEMORIAL LOYAL ORANGE LODGE 842

King William's Early Years 1650-88

The House of Orange

In the Seventeenth Century, the Princes of Orange traditionally held the greatest offices in the Dutch Republic, which after an eighty-year struggle, had won its independence from Spain, to become a leading maratime and trading nation. The Republic was a federation of seven of the seventeen provinces of the Low Countries under Habsburg rule, the remaining ten still being under Spanish Government. Each province had its own law, customs and representative assembly and sent a delegation to the States-General of the United Provinces.



Coat of Arms of the House of Orange
from the period of William I

The Princes of Orange were the Republic's richest citizens, owning large estates in the Netherlands and Germany. As sovereign princes in their own right, they took their title from the small principality of Orange on the Rhone. Though exercising semi-royal power, these princes did not hold the title of king. The offices of Stadholder and Captain General were not strictly hereditary, but had always been conferred on the head of the House of Orange. In the seventeenth century some suspected that the Princes of Orange planned to proclaim themselves kings.





William Henry and Mary Stuart c. 1641


In 1641 when current Stadholder, Frederick Henry arranged for his son William Henry to marry Mary Stuart, (daughter of King Charles I of England), his hope was that the bride's father would help him to establish an Orange Monarchy. These plans were thwarted by Charles' troubles, culminating in the English Civil War, Charles' execution and the declaration of a commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England.


The Birth of a Prince

On 31st October 1650, William II returned, unwell from a hunting expedition, to his home at Binnenhof Palace, The Hague. His young wife, Mary was expecting their first child, within a few days. William's condition deterioriated and within a week, he was dead. The heavily pregnant Mary was distraught, for less than two years earlier, she had lost her father, King Charles I, who had been executed in London.

Binnenhof Palace - William's birthplace

The shock caused her to go into labour early and on the evening of her birthday, the 14th of November (4th November in modern calendar), a baby boy was born. The bells in The Hague were rung in celebration, as was the custom in the Republic.

On 21st January 1651 the young prince was christened at the Grote Kerk, The Hague. Mary had wanted to call him Charles, after her father, but at the insistence of her mother-in-law, he was given the traditional Orange names of William Henry.

William's early years were overshadowed by ill-health and by the older generation who regarded him almost as a trophy and a pawn in their political manoeuvrings. His mother secured the appointment of an Englishwoman, Lady Stanhope, as the governess of his first household. When the young prince was six, Pastor Trigland began to instruct him in the Reformed faith and therefore laid the basis of his committed Calvinism.

The young Prince William

With Oliver Cromwell's death in September 1658, Monarchy was re-established in England and Charles II returned from exile to be ordained as King of England. In the autumn of 1660, it was decided that Mary should travel to England to visit her brother and the extended Royal Family. The young William and his mother said farewell on 29th September - it was the last time they saw each other, for whilst Mary was in London, she fell ill of the dreaded contagion, took to her bed and died at Whitehall on Christmas Eve 1660. She left a letter to the States-General, begging them to take care of "the being who is dearest to us in the world".

The young Prince, now barely ten years of age, was an orphan.

William's Early Years

Early in 1661 William became seriously ill. A combination of asthma,violent headaches and recurring fainting fits confined him to bed for some time. Physicians feared he would grow up deformed and for a period he had to wear a supporting harness in order to straighten his back. Although he made a good recovery, he would have recurring spells of ill health throughout his lifetime, however his frail physique did not prevent him from revelling in sports and outdoor activities.

His education commenced in September 1659 at Lieden. He was taught to run his household with order and efficiency and behave with the utmost decorum at all times. He was to study his Bible regularly, attend church twice on Sundays and afterwards he had to answer questions in front of the servants! He was given a broad education and spoke English, French, Dutch, German, Latin and Spanish. By the mid-1660's he was playing a greater part in general society life, attending evening parties and ceremonial functions at various great houses in Holland.



An engraving of Prince William in his thirteenth year

He first visited England in 1670, at the invitation of King Charles II, arriving at Margate on the 6th November - the Prince was accompanied by friends, advisors and a large royal suite. During his time, he was feasted royally by the City of London and received honorary degrees from the universities at Oxford and Cambridge. He stayed for four months and probably had little idea how large a role the country would play in his later life.

There is no evidence to suggest he met his future wife, Mary (King James' daughter), however, there were many at the Royal Court who were suggesting that a marrige of state between England and Holland would be a prudent move.

William soon grew tired of English Court life, the King's endless eating and drinking, even the visits to Newmarket for horse racing, soon bored the young Prince.

Many at the Royal Court found him staid and withdrawn, but the ambassador, Sir William Temple had nothing but praise for him:
"a most extreme hopeful Prince and much better than I expected, in plain good sense with show of application if he had business that deserved it"

 

 

The young Prince William in the late 1660's

In 1667, Louis XIV of France had attacked the Spanish Netherlands and by 1672 occupied large areas of the Lowlands. Louis had an alliance with Charles I of England and as such the Dutch Republic were at war both with France and with England.

In the summer of 1672, there was a popular uprising in the Dutch Republic, the outcome of which was, that William effectively seized power. He was made Stadholder (Lieutenant Governor) of the United Provinces of Holland and immediately started to take the offensive against France. By the end of the following year, he had driven most of the occupying French troops from Dutch soil.

Now Stadholder of the Provinces and Captain General of the Republic's armies, William stood alone. It was up to him to save his country from the enemy and for the remainder of his life, his main concern was the containment of France and her interests.

William was a shrewd politican and was certainly behind some of the Dutch propaganda and political agitation which occurred in England in early 1674. In England there was much opposition to the alliance with France, the war, the Declaration of Indulgence of 1672 (which extended toleration to all religious dissenters, including Catholics) and James the Duke of York's conversion to Roman Catholicism. Dutch propaganda suggested that it was all part of a great plot to impose "Popery and arbitrary government" in England and to extermine Protestantism in Europe. Most 17th Century Englishmen, deeply distrusted and feared Catholicism and absolutism - Charles' new ally Louis XIV, personified both!

This public opposition was largely responsible for Charles making peace with the Dutch in 1674. The formation of the anti-French coalition which included the Habsburg rulers and the Holy Roman Emperor, largely restricted Louis' advancement through Europe and changed the pattern of the war.


William and Mary Stuart

In March 1675 William contracted an illness which was diagnosed as smallpox.There as much concern for his wellbeing as this was the illness which had killed his father. The Stadholder had no heir and any internal struggle for power within the Republic could have a disasterous impact on European politics. Not for the first or last time, William made a full recovery to the gratitude and astonishment of those around him. The time had come for him to think about marriage and a dynastic alliance to England had to be considered. In England, Charles also realised there would be no better way to soothe general Protestant disquiet than by a marriage between his neice Mary and such an illustrious champion as the Prince of Orange.




Mary Stuart

Mary Stuart had been born on 30th April 1662, the second child and first daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York. She was to have six more siblings but only Anne would survive past infancy. Although their father James, heir to the throne, was a devout Roman Catholic, their uncle King Charles ensured both girls were brought up in the teachings of the Church of England. Strict religious observance was enforced and the importance of saying prayers regularly was impressed on them. The conscientious Mary showed considerable aptitude in each subject, whilst Anne was lazy and difficult to interest in anything.

Some time after the death of his wife on 30th March 1671, James began a search for a new wife who could provide him with a son who would be in line for the throne. He married Mary Beatrice d'Este of Modena, a young Italian Princess whose family had strong links with the Vatican.

In April 1677, Mary was fifteen and her future had to be considered. It was clear that King Charles II's consort Queen Catherine would never bear a child and after four years of marriage, the second Duchess of York had suffered two miscarriages and borne two daughters, but no son. The Duke's strong Catholicism had already begun to raise doubts about his succession to the throne and that of his family after him. The marriage of his elder daughter was therefore a matter of no little dynastic concern. Her cousin William, was regarded by King Charles and his ministers as a likely candidate for her hand and it was considered a matter of major importance that the Prince of Orange should be in no doubt about her religious allegiance.

When William next visited London, a meeting was arranged between himself and his cousin Mary. The young Princess may initially have been unimpressed by William who was a good 4 inches shorter than her, had a hunched back and pockmarked face showing the tell-tale signs of smallpox. A marriage was arranged and although the Duke of York was bitterly disappointed by his daughter marrying a Protestant, he begrudgingly gave his consent.




William and Mary

The couple were married at 9 p.m. on 4th November 1677, William's twenty-seventh birthday. It was a small private ceremony held in Mary's bedchamber with only their closest relatives, friends and Bishops present. The bride was in tears throughout, unhappy at being forced into a marriage of state rather than love.

On 28th of November the couple set sail from Margate and arrived in Holland 24 hours later, where they took up residence at the palace in Honselaardijk.

Although they were forced together as a matter of state, it is true to say that in the years to come, the young couple did indeed fall in love and Mary suffered much lonliness when William was away from home as he pursued the war with France. Despite their differences in character, William and Mary shared a firm religious faith and high standards of personal conduct and in addition to religious duties she was involved in many charitable works and the supervision of several households. Mary spent much of her free time walking, enjoying boat trips, sewing, playing cards and entertaining with her lady-friends.

William and Mary leaving Margate on 28th November

  

James II and The English Succession

On 2nd February 1685, Charles II died. With no legitimate son and heir, his brother James II was proclaimed King of England. James II became obsessed with the idea of a Roman Catholic England, having at first gained the Parliament, he brought it to heel and greatly increased the powers of the Monarchy. James built up a large standing army and invoked the Royal Prerogative to appoint Catholics amongst its officers: important posts at Court were handed to Catholics, whilst critics of his pro-Catholic policies were dismissed from office. Catholics were also appointed to the Privy Council and Father Petre - a notorious Jesuit - was now James' most trusted advisor.

His naiveté of the true feelings of the English people against Catholicism were to bring him down just as quickly as he had risen to power. Even Catholics in England lived in fear of a violent backlash, as a result of James' blatantly pro-Catholic policies.

King James II


The Monmouth Rebellion
(Pitchfork Rebellion)

King Charles had a illegitimate son, James Scott the 1st Duke of Monmouth, who being brought up a Protestant, believed he was the heir to the throne. He landed in England at Lyme Regis on 11th June 1685, with an army intent on seizing the throne from James. Monmouth proclaimed himself King James III at Taunton on 20th June. After several skirmishes in the Somerset area, Monmouth's poorly equipped troops were pushed back to the Somerset levels near Bridgwater.

In the early hours of the 6th July 1685, Monmouth's troops launched a surprise attack on the Royalists at the Battle of Sedgemoor. The Duke's men were poorly equipped and poorly trained with many of them being simple Westcountry farmers. The Duke's plan was to silently move through the lanes and cornfields, covering the 4 miles from Bridgewater to Westonzoyland, under the over of darkness and launch an attack on the King's troops as they slept.




1St Duke of Monmouth


They were being guided by a young lad called Richard Godfrey, who knew the area well. The land was marshy with many wide ditches or rhines, the widest of which was the Bussex Rhine, which was between the opposing armies. As they searched for a crossing point or 'plungeon' they were intercepted by a King's Trooper who fired a warning shot to alert his own comrades. Although the Royalists did not hear the shot, the Trooper did escape and was able to sound the alarm - in Westonzoyland, the King's troops sounded their drums as a warning of the imminent attack. As a result Monmouth's surprise attack, which was his main hope had been thwarted. In the ensuing battle, although Monmouth's men fought bravely, they were heavily outnumbered by cavalry, infantry and firepower. By the time the infantry realised the Bussex Rhine was neither deep nor difficult to cross, the battle had been lost as the King's superior firepower was slaughtering Monmouth's men.

 

Battlefield Memorial

By morning the battlefield was strewn with the dead and dying of Monmouth's army. Approximately 400 died in battle but up to another 1000 were slaughtered by the King's army as they fled the battlefield. Many were taken to the local Parish church at Westonzoyland where up to 500 were kept prisoner in terrible conditions. The local people were forced to bury the dead in the fields around Westonzoyland and as many as 1400 were buried on the battlefield close to the village.


Monmouth himself had fled the battlefield and tried to make his way to the south coast dressed as a peasant. He was captured lying in a ditch near Horton, and was immediately taken to the Tower of London. He was sentenced to death and was beheaded on July 15th - the executioner Jack Ketch, taking five attempts before severing the Duke's head.

The Autumn Assizes of 1685 (Bloody Assizes)

King James appointed five judges to oversee the trials of the rebels - the most senior of these was Lord Chief Justice George Jeffreys. The King wanted an example made of the rebels so that any threat of a similar uprising would be diminished.
The rebels were rounded up and brought to justice at a series of trials throughout the West Country. At Salisbury, Dorcester, Somerton, Wells and Wincester, close to 200 were sentenced to death. At the Taunton Assize, nearly 500 men were tried, of which 144 were hung, drawn and quartered - their limbs were sealed in tar, sent around the West Country and put on display mounted on spikes, as a gruesome warning to the people against further rebellion.

In total 331 were executed, with another 849 suffering transportation to the West Indies, where they endured terrible conditions as they were used as slave labour.

Judge Jeffreys reported back to King James after the Assizes were completed and as a reward, the King made him Lord Chancellor. Jeffreys became known as 'The Hanging Judge'.




Judge Jeffreys

In 1687, James suspended the Penal Laws and Test Act pending their repeal by Parliament. This was intended to encourage conversions to the Catholic faith and to win over dissenters, without whom the repeal could not be achieved. His main ambition was, by hook or by crook, to secure a Parliament that would do as he wished. He now used the powers that the Crown had over Parliament to get rid of the Tories who had been installed from 1681-1685 and to replace them with dissenters. James mounted an intensive campaign to achieve his aim and when this failed, he resorted to trickery and intimidation. He was far more reckless and radical than Charles I in his attempts to secure Absolutism and Catholicism. This obsession with Catholicism could only mean one thing - he was about to alter the Succession in favour of a Catholic. Since all else was aimed at putting Catholics into privileged positions, why not achieve the ultimate?


Recent history had taught the English people of the impieties and superstitions of Catholicism and of the persecution of Protestants during the reign of 'Bloody' Mary and the 'Bloody Assizes of 1685.' Charles I's link with Catholicism precipitated the English Civil War and Louis XIV's intensive persecution of his Huguenot Protestant subjects reminded English people of the dangers of allowing Catholicism its head. So by his own stupidity, James rendered unusable the most compliant Parliament of the century. He could not repeal the Penal Laws of the Test Act without them and they were not prepared to do so.


The Warming Pan Baby

Late in 1687, Mary of Modena - James's wife - announced that she was pregnant. Catholic courtiers were jubilant but Protestants were extremely alarmed because if a son were born, he would be raised a Catholic and a Catholic dynasty would ensue. The Catholic confidence that a son was to be born led Protestants to believe that even if no son were born the priests would produce a baby boy and pass him off as James's son.

On 10 June 1688 Mary of Modena gave birth to a boy. This child was felt to be spurious by both Mary and Anne - the boy's stepsisters and will always be known as the Pretender. Rumours were rife of a baby girl or even a still-born infant being replaced by a "warming pan" baby. This would be compounded in years to come by the fact this child lived to the grand age of seventy-seven, whilst the eldest of his surviving siblings died at the age of nineteen. King James had foolishly given further suspicion by inviting only Roman Catholics to the the birth and they could hardly be considered unbiased.




The warming pan baby
James Francis Edward Stuart - "The Old Pretender"


In May 1688, James issued the Second Declaration of Indulgence, which suspended the Penal Laws against Roman Catholics and Protestant Dissenters and ordered the clergy to read the Declaration in their churches. Seven Anglican Bishops including the Archbishop of Canterbury petitioned the King to be excused. On 29th June, James had the seven Bishops put into jail - their charge, "seditious libel". At their trial on June 30th they were faced with the despised Lord Chancellor Jeffreys (Judge Jeffreys of the Bloody Assizes). However Jeffreys could do nothing to prevent the defenders of the Bishops making a brilliant attack on the legality of the King's dispensing power - the jury declared them innocent. There was widespread rejoicing throughout the land with hundreds of bonfires being lit in celebration. It was clear that the Bishop's imprisonment and trial had been a foolish blunder and that the King was completely responsible.

On the very same evening, Rear Admiral Arthur Herbert, dressed as a common seaman, set sail for The Hague with a formal invitation, signed with code numbers by The Immortal Seven. The Earls of Devonshire, Danby and Shrewsbury, Richard Lumley, Edward Russell, Henry Sidney and Dr Compton, Bishop of London, requested William of Orange to come over and save England for the Protestant religion, parliamentary government and Whig party and to deliver England from the tyranny of James II . All signatories committed themselves to giving William full support upon his arrival.

In Holland, trusted reports reached William and Mary which enforced the suggestion of the warming pan child and the desire of James to convert England to Catholicism. It was dreadful for Mary to contemplate the thought of her husband having to turn her father off his throne forcibly in order to save the English Church and state.

At the end of April 1688 William decided to invade, precipitated by his concern for James' campaign to fill Parliament with Papists, an action which William believed might have caused Civil War in England.

These were the events which led to The Glorious Revolution

William was an accomplished military commander

 




William had always been unsure of the parentage of the King's new infant, however whatever his views, he'd wisely kept them a private matter. Although he respected family ties, he was deeply concerned that England would stumble into another civil war or become a satellite of Catholic France, with James as Louis XIV's subordinate. James might try to distract his subjects from the foolishness of his deeds, by joining Louis in another attack on the United Provinces. It would be possible that this in turn, could lead to another Anglo-Dutch war, in which William's country would be the underdog. At the same time, James was bringing regiments of Irish Roman Catholics soldiers into England. His subjects saw this as an attempt by the King to subdue the country with the possible objective of forcing the Catholic religion onto the people.




Louis XIV of France

Louis was very aware of William's plans to invade England, however he was convinced William would not undertake the hazardous venture across the North Sea so late in the year. Although Louis informed James of William's invasion plans, the English King refused to believe Louis and rejected his offer of naval help. Louis then had the French Ambassador to the United Provinces, the Comte d'Avaux, present an address to the States General in which Louis declared that the bonds of friendship and alliance between him and King James would force him to come to the aid of England, if an invasion was attempted by William. The threat has the opposite desired effect - it united the States General and made them much more willing to support William in his planned invasion.

On 30th September 1688, William issued a declaration to the English people. It consisted of a catalogue of grievances blamed on the King's evil advisers, rather than the King himself, referring to the "pretended" Prince of Wales and stating that the expedition was intended with the single purpose of establishing a free and lawful Parliament in England.

 

The fleet of William of Orange near Torbay

William had little choice, but to invade, as he feared that otherwise he would have no chance of bringing England's wealth and power into his lifelong struggle against France. He knew this would probably mean he was forced to dethrone his father-in-law, and this act of dis-loyality played heavily on his and Mary's minds as the extensive preparations were made for the invasion fleet.


The Invasion Fleet

The invasion fleet was made ready. In addition to the ordinary force of 25 men-of-war and 10 fire-ships, 24 other men-of-war were fitted out. For the transport of the troops, the horses and their equipment the Prince had at first calculated he would need just under 200 vessels. By the time they had provided space for a portable bridge, a mobile smithy, a printing press, moulds for striking money, the baggage of senior officers, extra provisions such as 4 tons of tobacco, 1600 hogsheads of beer and 50 of brandy, 10,000 pairs of boots and the Prince's personal coach and horses, the number of transports had risen to 225. The impressive fleet was divided into 3 squadrons, one under Admiral Herbert, one under Lt. Admiral Van Almonde and one under Admiral Evertsen.

On 9th November (new style calendar) William and Mary parted for the final time (they had parted on 26th October, but poor weather had delayed the invasion fleet). The next morning William sailed from Helvoetsluys with over two hundred transport ships and an escort of fifty warships. The total number of men on board was 15,500 and 4,000 horses. At first the weather was fine but the next day the fleet was driven back by high winds, although there was little damage to the fleet - the biggest loss being the death of around 1,300 horses who suffocated when the hatches were battened down .

On the 11th November the fleet put to sea again with the two proposed arrival points being either the West Country, or the North of England - this very much depended on the wind.




Satue of William in Brixham

Good fortune was on William's side and helped by what became known as the "Protestant East Wind", the invasion fleet sailed towards the English Channel, with the West Country being the selected landing point. The English naval Commander, Lord Dartmouth had his fleet moored off the Essex coast, but bad weather on the coast prevented him from putting to sea and finally once they got going, calm weather kept them at Beachy head for two days.

As the huge Dutch Armada passed the Isle of Wight, crowds gathered on the beaches and headlands to see the fleet sail down the channel, nearly 300 strong! From the mast of the Prince's flagship Den Briel, streamed a huge banner with the Orange family motto "Je Maintiendrai". Other ships carried great streamers with slogans in Latin such as "Pro libertate et religione" and "Pro religione protestante", or in English announcing "The Liberty of England and the Protestant religion"

Once Dartmouth's English fleet got moving again, bad weather forced them to seek shelter in Portsmouth, by which time William's fleet were well ahead and making for the West Country.


The Landing at Brixham

On the 15th November (5th Nov old style calendar), the fleet landed at Brixham, near Torbay. Significantly, this date was also the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, an earlier deliverance from Popish perils. The Prince's Chaplain, William Carstares suggested a short service of thanksgiving. The men were drawn up in their ranks, prayers were said and they sang Psalm 118.

One of William's commanders, Count von Solms-Braunfels, was rowed ashore with ten grenadiers and when villagers of Brixham offered no resistance, the Prince followed almost immediately. In light armour with the insignia of the Garter gleaming on his left shoulder, he was at once recognised and some local women ran into the sea to kiss his hands saying "God bless you!" By nightfall, nearly all the men were ashore and the invasion fleet made their camp in Brixham village, with William sleeping on a mattress in a fisherman's hut in the nearby village of Brixcumlay.




The Landing at Brixham

Four days later William and his army arrived with full pomp and ceremony in Exeter, where he was given a warm welcome by the townspeople, if not by the local clergy. To show the people an example of his discipline, he had two of his soldiers hanged for stealing a chicken. On the 17th November Edward Seymour (the richest, most influencial man in the West Country), came and joined his standard and two days later the Marquis of Bath, commander of the Plymouth Garrison, offered to place his troops at William's disposal. In the following days, Williams force grew even larger as various garrisons were enroled into his force, but the core of his force remained, English and Scots Regiments from Holland, soldiers from Sweden and Brandenburg, Dutch Guards, Wurttemberg cavalrymen, Swiss mercenaries and French Huguenots - a total of 11,000 on foot and 4,000 on horseback.




Arriving in Exeter

Although James had increased the English army's numbers to 34,000, he was blind to the fact that most men in his armies were loyal Protestants, who resented the King's pro-Catholic stance. Before James could meet up with his army, his nephew Lord Cornbury had declared for William and Lord Delamere had led a rising in Cheshire.
On 21st November, William left Exeter and headed east for London. Two days later whilst the opposing armies were more than 60 miles apart, James decided to withdraw without battle. Several of his leading Colonels including John Churchill and his son-in-law Prince George of Denmark, had declared for William. By the end of November James had accepted the Tories' recommendation that he should negotiate.

On 7th December William received James' commissioners at The Bear Inn at Hungerford, where William stated his terms. Among these were the dismissal of all Catholic officers and the revocation of all proclamations against William and his adherents; James was to pay William's army; William agreed to halt his army at a position 40 mles west of London if James placed his own 40 miles to the east; both William and James were to attend the next session of Parliament; James was to guarantee that he would not try to bring a French force into England.
William was ready to leave the way open for reconciliation and compromise - he was prepared to leave James on the throne, though with greatly reduced powers.

James received the letter stating William's terms the following evening and informed his commissioners that he would give an answer the next morning. He had already decided that he could not compromise and so having already sent his wife and son to France for safety, he made the decision to follow them. During the night of 11th December, he slipped quietly into a waiting boat, accompanied by two Catholic friends. As they crossed the Thames to Vauxhall, he threw the Great Seal of England into the dark waters.

However, the fleeing King was back in Whitehall four days later, having been apprehended by two Kentish fishermen and he cut a sad and humiliated sight as he entered the capital.
William was extremely unsympathetic towards his father-in-law as he knew he'd fled from his responsibility and left his nation in a state of near anarchy.

For a few days, James stayed in Rochester under armed guard, but on the 23rd December, he was allowed to sail for France. It would be the last time he would set foot in England.

William was very careful to avoid giving an impression of triumphalism and would only proceed to the crown once invited to do so by Parliament. He had previously stated, it was not his intention to conquer England and wisely decided to leave all disputed matters for Parliament to resolve.

 

William and Mary formally offered the Crown

 

On 6th Feburary 1689, the Lords agreed that James had abdicated and seven days later William and Mary were formally offered the crown. The conditions would be that if William and Mary were to remain childless (Mary had already had two miscarriages),
Anne and her children would take precedence in the succession, over any children William may have by a second marriage, in the event of Mary dying before her husband. Parliament insisted that Mary be made joint ruler, however it was clear to all that William would have the power. The Lords were to have control of civil administration whilst William would control the armed forces. On 29th December William was invited to take over the provisional government and to send out writs to hold elections early the next year.

In Holland, Mary received word of her husband's successes in early Feburary, although she was deeply saddened by her father's plight. Towards the end of the month, she left for England, sorry to leave the country she had come to love, but eager to be reunited with her husband. William met her in Greenwich and both fell into each other's arms, weeping tears of joy, although Mary was disturbed to find him thinner and coughing blood.

 

The Coronation

William and Mary received the Lords and Commons at the Banqueting House at Whitehall and The Declaration of Rights was read to them. They were both asked to accept the crown, William replying that they both thankfully accepted what had been offered to them, promised to rule according to law and to be guided by Parliament. They were then proclaimed King and Queen.




William and Mary receive The Bill of Rights 1689


The Declaration, later included in the Bill of Rights, dealt with James' abdication, William and Mary's elevation to the throne and succession after their deaths. Their heirs would be Mary's children, if any, followed by Anne and her heirs and then by any children William may have by a second marriage. It declared that no Catholic, or spouse of a Catholic could be King or Queen of England. The Bill also provided for the rights and liberties of both Parliament and subjects. It pronounced that subjects had the right to petition the King, that parliamentary debates and elections should be free and that Parliament should meet regularly.

The Bill of Rights, 1689

The Coronation was set for 11th April in what is Britain's only coronation ceremony for two joint sovereigns.

For Mary, the day started poorly, for as she was dressing, she received a letter from her Father, bringing news of his landing in Ireland, with an army commanded by French officers. James wrote "the curses of an angry father will fall on you, as well as those of a God who commands obedience to parents". It was timed to have the worst possible effect and certainly unsettled Mary at the beginning of what was to be a long and stressful day.

William and Mary left the Palace of Whitehall to travel a few hundred yards to Westminster, where the nobility had assembled in the House of Lords. Three hours later, they emerged from the Palace of Westminster to walk to the West Door of Westminster Abbey, the King wearing a crown topped with a pleated velvet bonnett, to match his robes and the Queen a golden diadem. They were accompanied by the Earl of Grafton, the Duke of Somerset and the Bishops of Winchester and Bristol.




Rt. Rev. Dr. Burnet preached
the Coronation Sermon


William and Mary promised to rule according to "the statutes in Parliament agreed upon and the laws and customs of the same" and promised to uphold the Protestant Reformed religion.
The Rt. Reverend Dr. Burnet preached the Coronation Sermon, bidding them "reign long in your persons and much longer in a glorious posterity".
Proceedings ended with a banquet in Westminster Hall lasting until 10p.m.


The Glorious Revolution was complete, without a single shot being fired.




William and Mary - the only joint rulers in British history

Painted Hall Ceiling of Royal Naval College, Greenwich