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| Portrait by Godfrey Kneller (1690) |
Birth name: Willem Hendrik van Oranje-Nassau
Born: 04 November 1650, The Hague, Holland, Dutch Republic
Father: William II, Prince of Orange
Mother: Princess Mary of Britain
House: Orange-Nassau
Nationality: Dutch
Religion: Protestantism
Claim: Grandchild of Charles I and Chosen by Parliament
Co-monarch: Mary II
Reign: 13 February 1689 - 08 March 1702 (13 years)
Coronation: 11 April 1689
Predecessor: James II
Successor: Anne
Died: 08 March 1702 (aged 51), Kensington, Middlesex, Kingdom of England
Cause: Pneumonia
Burial: Westminster Abbey
Motto: I will maintain
Spouse(s):
- Queen Mary II of England, Scotland and Ireland (m. 1677 - 1694)
Children:
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1678 - 1678)
- *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1678 - 1678)
Appearance:
Throughout his life, William's physical appearance was rather delicate, and he was short in stature, standing at a height of 167cm (5'6''). His skin was pale and sallow, and his voice was raspy, accompanied often by laboured breathing as a result of his lifelong battle with asthma.
William also possessed a large Roman nose, and his eyes were described as striking. As was the fashion at the time, he wore long, curly wigs. People also noted that he appeared older than he actually was.
Character:
William was an incredibly hard worker, though often quite shy and reserved. His main talents lay within military tactics, and he won many battles and wars throughout his career, ultimately leading one of the most powerful militaries within Europe. He brought a lot of power and prestige to the Dutch Republic, and was very much sought after as a leader for his talents, particularly in the English Glorious Revolution. His greatest enemy throughout his life was the King of France, and the two of them were frequently at war with each other.
For the majority of his life, William suffered from ill health, including asthma. He was resilient, though, and was still able to take part in military campaigns and battles despite this slight setback.
William was also quite cold and distant due to his shyness, though he did possess a very close inner circle. He was also very close with his wife throughout his marriage, though he did not remain completely faithful to her. He was devastated when the two of them were unable to have any children together, and he would deeply mourn his wife when she predeceased him. However, he could be quite controlling in the relationship, taking the typical male role of power, and hated the idea of his wife potentially outranking him as the monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland.
He also hated pomp and ceremony, and possessed more modest and humble tastes. William was also generous to charities, and took great care of those who lived within his households.
Biography:
William was born in The Hague in the Dutch Republic in the year 1650. His father was William II, the Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of various powerful provinces within the Low Countries, and his mother was Princess Mary, the eldest surviving daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. This meant he possessed a strong claim to the thrones of these kingdoms, and was the nephew of the future reigning monarchs of Britain, Charles II and James II. He would be an only child.
Just a few days before he was born, his father would tragically die of smallpox, meaning that William became the Prince of Orange immediately upon his birth. The death of his father would spark a conflict between his mother and paternal grandmother, as both of them fought for custody of him, before it was ultimately agreed that the two of them would share custody alongside one of his uncles, the Elector of Brandenburg. Growing up, despite fighting for custody of him, William would not be close with his mother, and in fact would hardly ever see her. He would receive an excellent education and was brought up within the Protestant faith, being told from an early age that he possessed a divine destiny.
When he was just 10 years old in 1660, his mother would also die of smallpox while on her way to visit her brother, King Charles II, after he had been restored to the British throne after a period of republicanism. One of her final wishes was for Charles to watch over his nephew. Charles would then often advocate for William's promotion to the position of Stadtholder, but many people within the Dutch Republic were against giving the House of Orange too much power, and he would frequently quarrel with the republican movement.
Unfortunately for William, he would also become embroiled in the Franco-Dutch and Anglo-Dutch Wars, being attacked by both England and France in 1672. But William would refuse to surrender, even when Charles II offered him the position of the Prince of Holland in exchange. The states of Holland and Zeeland finally offered William the position of Stadtholder due to his respected strength, and the people of the Dutch Republic began to turn against the leading statesman, Johan de Witt, especially after William purposefully published a letter sent to him by his uncle, blaming de Witt for England's invasion. As a result of this, Witt would be brutally murdered and cannibalised by the Dutch people.
The Dutch Republic continued to remain at war with its neighbours, and would ultimately become one of the most powerful armies in the world during this period. But William also needed to marry in order to further strengthen his position of power within Europe.
His first choice was his first-cousin, Princess Mary of England, the daughter of Prince James, Duke of York and Albany, and the niece of the current King of England, Scotland and Ireland, Charles II. Through this marriage alliance, William hoped that Charles II would be less inclined to support France in the ongoing Franco-Dutch Wars, as well as present him with the possibility of one day inheriting the British thrones. However, Prince James was not enthusiastic about the idea; Mary even less so. Eventually, Charles II pressured all parties into agreeing.
In 1677, at the age of 27, William married the 16 year old Mary, with his new bride being in tears for the entire ceremony. Nonetheless, despite her initial dislike of the marriage alliance, both William and Mary would grow quite close as a couple, and Mary would quickly become pregnant, only to suffer a miscarriage. It's possible that she may have suffered another miscarriage some time later, and the trauma this likely placed on Mary's body rendered her infertile. Both William and Mary would be devastated by their inability to have children, but their love for each other would continue to grow. However, William likely was not fully loyal to Mary, as he possible had a mistress named Elizabeth Villiers.
Through his marriage to Mary, William increasingly hoped that he would one day inherit the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. King Charles II had not produced any legitimate children, and it was looking likely that his father-in-law, Prince James, would be excluded from the line of succession on the grounds of his conversion to Catholicism. Thus, the crown would pass to James' eldest surviving legitimate daughter, William's wife, Mary. William begged Charles to exclude Catholics from the line of succession, but Charles would always refuse.
In 1685, Charles II finally passed away, never having banned his brother or Catholics from the succession. William's father-in-law became King James II & VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, much to the horror of many Protestants within the kingdoms. At first, William attempted peaceful negotiations with the new king, and hoped that James would ally with him against France. However, James had always been sympathetic to the French, having grown up there, and refused to enter an alliance against them. Any positive relationship between William and James then began to break down.
Things further worsened in Britain when James' wife gave birth to a son, Prince James, which meant that the new Catholic baby would place ahead of Mary in the line of succession, making the monarchy's return to Catholicism much more likely. This idea horrified many people within Britain, especially when James began to increasingly grant more rights to Catholics and build up his own personal army, creating fears of a dictatorship.
Through this, William saw his chance to win the support of Protestants within Britain, and he wrote an open letter to James to express his concerns regarding his unpopular policies. The English government also began secret communications with William, urging him to invade England and depose of James, hoping to give the crown instead to his wife, Mary. Originally, however, William was not overly enthusiastic to invade, especially since he did not desire to be a mere consort to his wife. Mary reassured him that she did not wish to outrank him, and that if Britain wanted her as a monarch, then they would have to accept William as their monarch too.
James also attempted to cause a rift between William and Mary when he attempted to warn Mary about William's affairs with Elizabeth Villiers. Mary was distraught by this and confronted her husband, but William reassured her that nothing was doing between them (which was likely untrue), and she believed him. Instead, this then created a rift between Mary and her father, and she would never forgive him for trying to turn her against her husband.
Meanwhile, King James also continued to grow more and more unpopular, and William was finally sent a formal invitation to invade. In 1688, William set sail from the Dutch Republic to the south of England with a large army, while James originally remained confident that he could stand against them, refusing any aid that was offered to him. However, it soon became clear to James that his eldest Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne, had sided with William in the invasion, completely devastating him. Instead, James chose to flee, especially after many members of the English army defected onto William's side. The events that followed would become known as the Glorious Revolution.
In his attempt to escape, James was captured and imprisoned before making another escape attempt not long afterwards. Not wanting to create a Catholic martyr out of him, William allowed James to escape to France, where he would remain in exile for the rest of his life. This action also made it appear that James had completely abandoned his position and his kingdoms, further paving the way for William and Mary to take the crown instead.
After this, William summoned Parliament in order to discuss what should happen next. It was decided that James' decision to flee the kingdom was a declaration of his abdication, and therefore the position of the monarchy was now vacant. The crown was once again offered to Princess Mary, but once again, William argued that he desired to rule in his own right. William did technically have a strong claim to the throne, despite his marriage to Mary, as he too as a grandchild of King Charles I. William also demanded that should his wife die before him, he would remain king, unlike what had previously occurred when Queen Mary I of England had jointly ruled with Philip of Spain. When the government hesitated, William threatened to leave the country, and Mary loyally stood by her husband and refused to reign without him.
Finally, in 1689, Parliament officially agreed to these demands, and both William and Mary were declared as joint monarchs, with William being allowed to continue ruling should Mary pre-decease him. The two of them were crowned as King William III & II and Queen Mary II of England, Scotland and Ireland in a lavish ceremony that the two of them detested. Scotland took further persuasion to recognised their rule, but eventually did so on the day of their coronation.
It was finally officially agreed after their coronation that Catholics would no longer be eligible for the throne, nor was a member of the royal family permitted to marry a Catholic. Mary's sister, Princess Anne, was recognised as their heir, especially since it appeared that William and Mary would not produce any children together. As a result, the two of them tried to keep a tight control over Anne, much to her resentment.
Unfortunately, there were still those within the British Isles that still supported James II, especially in Ireland. The Jacobite resistance began against William and Mary's reign. However, William and his forces were able to easily defeat any rebellions, with the final defeat of James occurring at the Battle of Boyne in 1690, which caused him to once again flee to France.
After this, William largely remained away from Britain on military campaigns in Europe, leaving Mary to rule alone, though she often wrote to him for advice. In particular, William continued to fight in wars against the French, and even managed to capture the French controlled fortress of Namur. This once again demonstrated William to be one of the most powerful men in Europe, with control over the strongest armies. Though he was militarily successful, these wars were expensive and led to rapid inflation back in Britain, leading to the creation of the Bank of England in 1694.
Tragedy would also strike William in 1694 when his wife, Queen Mary, passed away from smallpox. William would deeply mourn her death for the rest of his life, and would always keep a lock of her hair on his person during his years without her. Around this time, William's popularity also dramatically decreased, as Mary's charisma was now absent from the monarchy. Rumours regarding his sexuality also began to circulate, mainly spread by Jacobite supporters, but there may be some truth to them. It's possible that William was bisexual and had secret affairs with both men and women, possessing many close male favourites after his wife passed away.
In 1696, there was a failed plot of the Jacobites to assassinate William, and the failure of this was viewed as God being on his side, therefore his popularity once again increased.
Finally, in 1701, the former King James II died while still in exile, no longer posing a threat to William's position. However, the French king would recognise his son, Prince James, as the new de facto monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland. This further antagonised William, and their wars within Europe would continue, particularly in the Spanish War of Succession.
There were also concerns surrounding William's own succession. Both he and Mary had produced no surviving children, and he showed little interest in re-marrying. Therefore, it was looking incredibly likely that upon his death, the crown would pass to Mary's sister, Princess Anne. While Anne had produced many legitimate children, her final surviving child, Prince William, died in 1700, with an older, ill, and exhausted Anne appearing to be unable to have more children. This made Anne the last available Stuart heir who was not a Catholic. Therefore, the decision was made that upon Anne's death with no surviving children, the crown would pass to her and William's distant Protestant cousin, Princess Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and her legitimate issue. Though William and Anne's relationship was strained for the majority of his reign, they did become quite close and friendly during the latter years of his solo reign.
Unfortunately, William's demise would quickly follow this decision. In 1702, while riding, his horse tripped on a mole hill, resulting in William falling off. He broke his collarbone, and having always suffered from bad asthma, developed pneumonia as a complication. He died not long afterwards.
Rule:
For the majority of his reign, William's popularity was rather mixed, though he was highly respected as a military commander. Originally, England did not want him to be king, and he only came to role due to his wife, Queen Mary, insisting that he possessed the same status as her. Thus, William owes his reign to his wife, for if it were not for her, he never would have become king. Furthermore, Mary remained the most popular of their duel reign, and his popularity decreased when his solo reign began.
One of William's greatest successes was defeating any Jacobite uprisings against him. Some members of the population continued to view the former King James II as the true reigning monarch, including James himself, and there were many wars because of this. It was primarily the Catholic population, particularly in Ireland, that refused to acknowledge him as the new monarch. Luckily, William was cleverly able to pacify the Irish by offering them freedom of religion, and allowing Jacobite supporters to escape to France, thus ending the conflict there.
However, the same could not quite be said for Scotland. While William was able to defeat Jacobite uprisings there, his soldiers' massacre of Scottish clans would forever cause him to be deeply unpopular there. Although William dismissed the soldiers responsible for the murders, he never fully brought them to justice, further decreasing his popularity.
In the beginning of his reign, William was primarily away on military campaigns, leaving his wife, Queen Mary II to govern alone, though she did seek his advice.
His reign also oversaw the creation of the Bank of England. William's frequent wars within Europe caused dramatic inflation, which of course was not popular. The creation of the bank was predominantly to handle all of the debts that William and the English government had incurred. Nonetheless, it became a fundamental institution within England, and still exists until this very day.
William also possessed a strong sense of justice as a ruler and commander. He could be ruthless towards those who had betrayed him, including executing soldiers who fled during battle. As a commander, he was heavily respected, especially because he would always personally join the fighting and place himself in just as much danger as his soldiers were in.
Overall, although William was not well liked as a person, he was respected as a leader.
Trivia:
- So far, William was the last person in history to successfully invade England.
- After his death, Jacobite supporters would make a toast to 'the little gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat', a reference to the mole who had built the burrow his horse had tripped on.
Quotes:
"People in Parliament occupy themselves with private animosities and petty quarrels, and think little of the national interest. It is impossible to credit the serene indifference with which they consider events outside their own country."
Comment regarding English politicians.
"Every bullet has its billet."
Famous phrase he used to calm his soldiers before battle.
"There is one certain means by which I can be sure never to see my country's ruin: I will die in the last ditch."
Regarding France potentially conquering his lands.
Timeline of Reign:
| 1689: Williamite War begins - Ireland refuses to acknowledge William and Mary as monarchs.
| 1689: Siege of Derry - Protestants in Derry, Ireland, refuse to surrender to former King James II.
| 1689: Battle of Killiecrankie - Scottish Jacobite rebellion is victorious.
| 1689: Battle of Dunkeld - Scottish supporters of William defeat Jacobite rebels.
| 1689: Bill of Rights - Monarch must now be approved by Parliament.
| 1690: Battle of Boyne - William is victorious against Jacobite forces.
| 1691: Treaty of Limerick - Catholics granted religious freedom in Ireland and Jacobites surrender.
| 1691: Williamite War ends - William is victorious against Irish Jacobite supporters.
| 1692: Massacre of Glencoe - Scottish clans who took part in Jacobite rebellions are murdered.
| 1692: Battle of Barfleur - Anglo-Dutch victory against France.
| 1692: Battle of La Hougue - Anglo-Dutch victory against France.
| 1692: Battle of Steenkerque - Anglo-Dutch battle against France ends in a stalemate.
| 1693: Battle of Landen - French victory against the Britain and its allies.
| 1693: College of William and Mary founded - Established in colony of Virginia.
| 1694: Bank of England founded - Centralised bank for the English government is created.
| 1694: Queen Mary II dies - William's wife dies from smallpox, leaving him to reign alone.
| 1695: Currency Crisis - William's wars cause large scale inflation.
| 1696: Great Recoinage - English government attempts to replace damaged silver coinage.
| 1696: Jacobite Assassination Plot - Assassination plot against William ends in failure.
| 1697: Treaty of Rijswijk - King of France agrees to recognise William as the rightful king.
| 1697: Nine Years' War ends - William's war against France finally ends.
| 1697: First cricket match - First official cricket match occurs in Sussex.
| 1698: First Partition Treaty - Division of the Spanish empire between other European powers.
| 1699: Invention of the steam engine - Invented by Thomas Savery.
| 1700: Second Partition Treaty - Britain now left out of Spanish Empire division.
| 1701: King James II dies - Former King James II passes away.
| 1701: Act of Settlement - Sophia, Electress of Hanover, recognised as the Stuart Dynasty heir.
Sources & Further Reading:
Brain, J. (2019). William Of Orange. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/William-Of-Orange/
Cartwright, M. (2022). William III of England. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/William_III_of_England/
King William III of England, (1650-1702).jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2020). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_William_III_of_England,_(1650-1702).jpg
Morrill, J. S. (2020). William III | Biography, Mary II, & Prince of Orange. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-III-king-of-England-Scotland-and-Ireland
Morrill, J. S. (2020) William III - King of England. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-III-king-of-England-Scotland-and-Ireland/King-of-England
William III and Mary II. (n.d.). Historic Royal Palaces. https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/history-and-stories/william-iii-and-mary-ii/
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