William and Mary
William of Orange was a master propagandist
- William (and Mary) claimed that there was something irregular about the
birth of James’ heir in the summer of 1688. William spread the rumour
that James Francis Stuart had been brought into Mary of Modena’s
bedroom in a warming pan.
- He sowed suspicion with this damaging rumour that the child was not the
actual heir to the throne. This massively undermined the rule of James II.
James was also undermining himself
- Initial support for the King ebbed away as it became clear that he wished
to secure not only freedom of worship for Catholics, but also the removal
of the Test and Corporation Acts so that they could occupy public office.
- In April 1687 and April 1688 James issued Declarations of Indulgence
that suspended penal laws against Catholics and granting toleration to
Presbyterians and some Protestant dissenters.
- James attempted to secure his religious objectives through his prerogative
powers. The test case of Godden vs Hales (1686) established James’ right
to suspend the provisions of the Test Acts, thereby allowing the king
to appoint several Catholic peers to his Privy Council.
- In the summer of 1687, James formally dissolved his parliament and
began canvassing officials across the country regarding their support for
the formal repeal of the Test Acts.
- In June 1688 the case of the Seven Bishops and the birth of James Francis
Edward, Prince of Wales led to the Invitation to William from the Immortal
Seven.
The international context was also against him
- People were also particularly worried about Catholic Absolutism at this
time because of Louis XIV’s foreign expansionism in the 1670s and again
in the 1680s.
- In 1685, Louis repealed the Edict of Nantes, a royal decree that gave
tolerance to France’s Protestant minority (the Huguenots).
- Protestants were being persecuted and some fled as refugees (as many as
200,000) to England (and to the Dutch Republic, Switzerland and
Germany) with stories of their persecution.
- This confirmed to people in England that a Catholic government would
bring persecution to Protestants.
- Louis' seemingly endless bid to wipe out the Dutch Republic, coupled with
his persecution of Protestants, enabled William of Orange and his party to
gain the ascendancy in the Republic and finally lay the groundwork for a
long-sought alliance against France.
- Louis then declared war against the Dutch in the summer of 1688.
- The Nine Years’ War (1689-97) – which is considered by many to be the
first global war - was fought in North-western Europe and the surrounding
seas, North America and in India.
William of Orange: 1650-1702
,- William had participated in several wars against Louis XIV, in coalition with
Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe and was an experienced soldier.
- 1677: Married to Mary, he had a keen interest in English affairs and closely
followed developments in England.
- His relationship with James II had steadily deteriorated from 1685.
- He was clever, flexible, pragmatic, knowledgeable concerning English
affairs and a staunch Protestant (very important in the context of 1688).
- William was regarded by many as the de facto defender of Protestantism
in this period.
5th November 1688: The Dutch invasion
- The Dutch invasion – in Nov 1688 - was an actual invasion.
- The flotilla comprised a force four times larger than that launched by the
Spanish in 1588 (and included 43 men-of-war, four light frigates and 10
fireships capable of carrying 21,000 soldiers).
- 40,000 Dutch soldiers matched by James’ army of 40,000 meant that this
could have gone either way.
- Aided by the so-called ‘Protestant wind’ which prevented James’ navy
from intercepting the Dutch fleet, William landed at Torbay, Devon.
James made preparations
- James had made military preparations for the defence of England over the
summer and autumn of 1688 and his army encamped on Hounslow Heath
was, at about 25,000 men, numerically larger than the force brought over
by William. For the first time since the 1640s, England was faced with the
prospect of civil war.
- News of the prince’s arrival had sparked off waves of anti-Catholic rioting
in towns and cities across England. The civil unrest convinced James to
leave London and bring out his forces to meet the invading army in a
pitched battle.
- But the Orangist conspiracy against James had been maturing for years
and had infiltrated James’ own army, with the king’s nephew, Edward
Hyde, Lord Cornbury, one of the first to defect to William.
- At this point, James’ health also deserted him. He was frequently
debilitated by heavy nosebleeds.
James’ considerations
Dynastic concerns:
- Perhaps the recent birth of his heir and son made James anxious and
protective.
- Perhaps James was worried what might happen to his wife and son if he
stayed to fight William’s army.
Military concerns:
- Having reached Salisbury on 19th November with the intention of resisting
William’s advance, James had by the 23rd November resolved to retreat
back to London.
- Some of his top commanders switched sides, including John Churchill
(later the Duke of Marlborough).
Further betrayal:
, - 26th Nov: it was discovered that James’ daughter, Princess Anne, had also
absconded to join the Orangist side.
December 1688: James ran away and fled to France
- James announced that he was willing to agree to William’s main demand -
to call a ‘free’ parliament. However, the King was now convinced that his
own life was in danger and was preparing to flee the country.
- William’s advance upon the capital had met with some resistance - a
bloody skirmish at Reading occurred on 7th Dec with over 50 killed.
- On 11th Dec, in the wake of renewed anti-Catholic rioting in London, James
made his first attempt to escape but was captured by Kent fishermen near
Sheerness.
- The king’s capture was an inconvenience for William, who was now looked
upon as the only individual capable of restoring order to the country.
- On 23rd Dec, with William’s connivance, James successfully fled the
country to France.
James’ ‘defeat’ or ‘abdication’?
- On the way, James destroyed his Great Seal, apparently by throwing it into
the River Thames, in the hope that the machinery of government would
cease to function.
- The ‘convention parliament’, made up of members from Charles II’s last
parliament, convened on 22nd January 1689.
- After considerable pressure from William himself, parliament agreed that
he would rule as joint monarch with Mary, rather than act merely as her
consort, and on 13th February 1689 William and Mary formally accepted
the throne.
What were William’s aims?
- William landed with assurances that his only purpose was to secure
England's religion and liberties by calling a free Parliament. Like
Monmouth, however, circumstances led him to claim the Crown –
although under the far more favourable condition of James II's flight from
the country.
Why had William agreed to the invasion?
- It was very risky, but William was under pressure as his primary concerns
were strategic and financial.
- When William invaded in November 1688, he was prepared to fight James
if he had to but he had no plan to claim the throne.
- William’s priority was all about fighting Louis XIV and the French.
- He planned to challenge James II’s Catholic policies and in the process, he
hoped to persuade the English parliament to end their neutrality towards
the French and support his ongoing war against Louis XIV.
- He hoped that the English Parliament would perhaps give him money to
continue a war that was very expensive.
- The fact that William needed money and military support would hand
parliament a trump card to use as a bargaining tool against William.
William of Orange was a master propagandist
- William (and Mary) claimed that there was something irregular about the
birth of James’ heir in the summer of 1688. William spread the rumour
that James Francis Stuart had been brought into Mary of Modena’s
bedroom in a warming pan.
- He sowed suspicion with this damaging rumour that the child was not the
actual heir to the throne. This massively undermined the rule of James II.
James was also undermining himself
- Initial support for the King ebbed away as it became clear that he wished
to secure not only freedom of worship for Catholics, but also the removal
of the Test and Corporation Acts so that they could occupy public office.
- In April 1687 and April 1688 James issued Declarations of Indulgence
that suspended penal laws against Catholics and granting toleration to
Presbyterians and some Protestant dissenters.
- James attempted to secure his religious objectives through his prerogative
powers. The test case of Godden vs Hales (1686) established James’ right
to suspend the provisions of the Test Acts, thereby allowing the king
to appoint several Catholic peers to his Privy Council.
- In the summer of 1687, James formally dissolved his parliament and
began canvassing officials across the country regarding their support for
the formal repeal of the Test Acts.
- In June 1688 the case of the Seven Bishops and the birth of James Francis
Edward, Prince of Wales led to the Invitation to William from the Immortal
Seven.
The international context was also against him
- People were also particularly worried about Catholic Absolutism at this
time because of Louis XIV’s foreign expansionism in the 1670s and again
in the 1680s.
- In 1685, Louis repealed the Edict of Nantes, a royal decree that gave
tolerance to France’s Protestant minority (the Huguenots).
- Protestants were being persecuted and some fled as refugees (as many as
200,000) to England (and to the Dutch Republic, Switzerland and
Germany) with stories of their persecution.
- This confirmed to people in England that a Catholic government would
bring persecution to Protestants.
- Louis' seemingly endless bid to wipe out the Dutch Republic, coupled with
his persecution of Protestants, enabled William of Orange and his party to
gain the ascendancy in the Republic and finally lay the groundwork for a
long-sought alliance against France.
- Louis then declared war against the Dutch in the summer of 1688.
- The Nine Years’ War (1689-97) – which is considered by many to be the
first global war - was fought in North-western Europe and the surrounding
seas, North America and in India.
William of Orange: 1650-1702
,- William had participated in several wars against Louis XIV, in coalition with
Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe and was an experienced soldier.
- 1677: Married to Mary, he had a keen interest in English affairs and closely
followed developments in England.
- His relationship with James II had steadily deteriorated from 1685.
- He was clever, flexible, pragmatic, knowledgeable concerning English
affairs and a staunch Protestant (very important in the context of 1688).
- William was regarded by many as the de facto defender of Protestantism
in this period.
5th November 1688: The Dutch invasion
- The Dutch invasion – in Nov 1688 - was an actual invasion.
- The flotilla comprised a force four times larger than that launched by the
Spanish in 1588 (and included 43 men-of-war, four light frigates and 10
fireships capable of carrying 21,000 soldiers).
- 40,000 Dutch soldiers matched by James’ army of 40,000 meant that this
could have gone either way.
- Aided by the so-called ‘Protestant wind’ which prevented James’ navy
from intercepting the Dutch fleet, William landed at Torbay, Devon.
James made preparations
- James had made military preparations for the defence of England over the
summer and autumn of 1688 and his army encamped on Hounslow Heath
was, at about 25,000 men, numerically larger than the force brought over
by William. For the first time since the 1640s, England was faced with the
prospect of civil war.
- News of the prince’s arrival had sparked off waves of anti-Catholic rioting
in towns and cities across England. The civil unrest convinced James to
leave London and bring out his forces to meet the invading army in a
pitched battle.
- But the Orangist conspiracy against James had been maturing for years
and had infiltrated James’ own army, with the king’s nephew, Edward
Hyde, Lord Cornbury, one of the first to defect to William.
- At this point, James’ health also deserted him. He was frequently
debilitated by heavy nosebleeds.
James’ considerations
Dynastic concerns:
- Perhaps the recent birth of his heir and son made James anxious and
protective.
- Perhaps James was worried what might happen to his wife and son if he
stayed to fight William’s army.
Military concerns:
- Having reached Salisbury on 19th November with the intention of resisting
William’s advance, James had by the 23rd November resolved to retreat
back to London.
- Some of his top commanders switched sides, including John Churchill
(later the Duke of Marlborough).
Further betrayal:
, - 26th Nov: it was discovered that James’ daughter, Princess Anne, had also
absconded to join the Orangist side.
December 1688: James ran away and fled to France
- James announced that he was willing to agree to William’s main demand -
to call a ‘free’ parliament. However, the King was now convinced that his
own life was in danger and was preparing to flee the country.
- William’s advance upon the capital had met with some resistance - a
bloody skirmish at Reading occurred on 7th Dec with over 50 killed.
- On 11th Dec, in the wake of renewed anti-Catholic rioting in London, James
made his first attempt to escape but was captured by Kent fishermen near
Sheerness.
- The king’s capture was an inconvenience for William, who was now looked
upon as the only individual capable of restoring order to the country.
- On 23rd Dec, with William’s connivance, James successfully fled the
country to France.
James’ ‘defeat’ or ‘abdication’?
- On the way, James destroyed his Great Seal, apparently by throwing it into
the River Thames, in the hope that the machinery of government would
cease to function.
- The ‘convention parliament’, made up of members from Charles II’s last
parliament, convened on 22nd January 1689.
- After considerable pressure from William himself, parliament agreed that
he would rule as joint monarch with Mary, rather than act merely as her
consort, and on 13th February 1689 William and Mary formally accepted
the throne.
What were William’s aims?
- William landed with assurances that his only purpose was to secure
England's religion and liberties by calling a free Parliament. Like
Monmouth, however, circumstances led him to claim the Crown –
although under the far more favourable condition of James II's flight from
the country.
Why had William agreed to the invasion?
- It was very risky, but William was under pressure as his primary concerns
were strategic and financial.
- When William invaded in November 1688, he was prepared to fight James
if he had to but he had no plan to claim the throne.
- William’s priority was all about fighting Louis XIV and the French.
- He planned to challenge James II’s Catholic policies and in the process, he
hoped to persuade the English parliament to end their neutrality towards
the French and support his ongoing war against Louis XIV.
- He hoped that the English Parliament would perhaps give him money to
continue a war that was very expensive.
- The fact that William needed money and military support would hand
parliament a trump card to use as a bargaining tool against William.
