#gloriousrevolution

James II of England

James II of England (r. 1685-1688) reigned briefly as the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland until he was deposed by the Glorious Revolution of November 1688. James, also known as James VII of Scotland, was the fourth Stuart monarch. His pro-Catholic policies were not popular, and his short reign ended when he was forced into exile. James was succeeded by Protestant William of Orange as king, and he ruled equally with his queen, Mary II of England (r. 1689-1694), the daughter of the exiled James.

Glorious Revolution

The Glorious Revolution of November 1688 saw Protestant William of Orange (l. 1650-1702) invade England and take the throne of Catholic James II of England (r. 1685-1688). There were no battles, and William was invited by Parliament to become king and rule jointly with his wife Queen Mary II of England (r. 1689-1694), daughter of James II.

Monmouth Rebellion

The Monmouth Rebellion of June-July 1685 involved James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (1649-1685), illegitimate son of Charles II of England (r. 1660-1685), attempting to take the throne of his uncle James II of England (r. 1685-1688). Monmouth's ramshackle army was defeated by a professional Royalist army at Sedgemoor in Somerset on 6 July.

William III of England

William III of England (also William II of Scotland, r. 1689-1702) became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Protestant William, Prince of Orange, was invited to rule jointly with his wife Mary II of England (1689-1694), daughter of the deposed James II of England (1685-1688), who was Catholic. William spent much of his reign in an indecisive war with France and he was not popular in his adopted kingdom.

Mary II of England

Mary II of England (r. 1689-1694) ruled jointly with her husband William III of England (r. 1689-1702) until her death from smallpox. While William suffered a xenophobic reaction to his rule, Mary represented the continuity of the Royal House of Stuart and was much more popular with the people than her Dutch husband.

On July 4, 1688, King James II of England formally created his infant son, James Francis Edward Stuart, as Prince of Wales. The birth of the child just weeks earlier in June had already shaken the English court, confirming a Catholic male heir to a Protestant kingdom and intensifying fears among many English political elites and Protestant factions.

The timing could hardly have been more explosive. James II’s reign was already strained by accusations of Catholic favoritism and authoritarian rule, and the arrival of a male Catholic heir meant that his Protestant daughters from his first marriage were displaced in the succession. For many observers, this shift made a Catholic dynasty appear permanent rather than temporary.

In the later years of his reign, James II of England moved toward a style of government that greatly reduced the role of Parliament. By 1687, amid rising tensions over religion and royal authority, he had effectively sidelined the Parliament of England, governing increasingly through royal prerogative and suspending its regular activity. This was part of his broader attempt to promote religious tolerance for Catholics and dissenters, a policy that alarmed many in the political establishment.

Rather than working through parliamentary consent, James II relied on loyal advisors and royal decrees, deepening distrust among England’s Protestant elite. His decision to rule without Parliament for extended periods was seen as a direct challenge to constitutional tradition and the balance of power between crown and legislature.