Mary II

Mary II was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland together with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until she passed away in 1694. She was also known as Princess of Orange after marrying William of Orange in 1677. Her time as queen, shared with William, is often called the rule of William and Mary.

Mary was born in 1662 while her uncle, King Charles II, was ruling. She was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, who later became James II, and his first wife, Anne Hyde. Even though her parents became Roman Catholics, Mary and her sister Anne were raised as Anglicans. Because Charles II did not have any children, Mary was next in line to become queen.

When Charles II died in 1685, James became king, making Mary the likely next ruler. However, James’s actions and the birth of a son from his new marriage caused many people to oppose him. This led to what is called the Glorious Revolution in 1688, when James was removed from power. William and Mary then became rulers of England. Mary showed she could lead well, especially when William was away fighting battles. Sadly, Mary died from smallpox in 1694 at just 32 years old. After her death, William ruled alone until he died in 1702, and then Mary’s sister, Anne, became queen.

Early life

Mary was born on 30 April 1662 at St James's Palace in London. She was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, who later became King James II & VII, and his first wife, Anne Hyde. Her uncle was Charles II, the ruler of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Mary grew up being raised in the Anglican faith, even though her parents later became Roman Catholic. She learned music, dancing, drawing, French, and about her faith from private teachers. When she was 15, she became promised in marriage to William III of Orange, the ruler of Holland. This marriage was important for the future of the kingdom.

Marriage

William and Mary were married on 4 November 1677 at St James's Palace by Bishop Henry Compton. After their wedding, they traveled to the Netherlands, facing rough seas and icy roads.

Mary was well-liked by the Dutch people because she was friendly and lively. Even though she loved her husband very much, he was often away fighting in battles. This sometimes made her family think he wasn’t very caring. Sadly, Mary faced health problems and lost a baby early in her pregnancy. These difficulties brought some sadness to her life. Over time, William and Mary grew closer and trusted each other more, especially because they both strongly believed in protecting their Protestant faith.

James's reign

When King Charles II died without children, Mary's father became King James II. Mary was playing cards when her husband told her the news, knowing she was next in line to be queen.

James made some unpopular decisions. He tried to allow more religious freedom by ignoring some laws, which upset many people, including Mary. She felt this was not right and shared her concerns with religious leaders. Mary was also unhappy when James did not help during a difficult time in a nearby country.

James tried to create problems between Mary and her husband, William, by suggesting that William was involved in a false situation with another woman. Mary checked on this and found William leaving the woman's room late one night. William denied any wrongdoing, and Mary chose to believe and forgive him. The people who shared the false information were sent away.

Glorious Revolution

Main article: Glorious Revolution

In 1688, King James II of England made many people unhappy by supporting Catholics and forcing religious rules on others. When his wife had a son, some people thought the baby was not really hers. This made many Protestants very worried.

Some important leaders asked Mary's husband, William, to help. In November 1688, William brought an army to England. Many soldiers and sailors joined him, and King James had to leave the country.

Mary felt sad about her father's situation but believed William's actions were needed to protect the country. In 1689, Parliament decided that William and Mary would rule together as king and queen. They were crowned on April 11, 1689. Though Mary didn't want to be queen, she agreed because she believed it was best for England.

Reign

In December 1689, important rules called the Bill of Rights were made. These rules limited what the king or queen could do without asking permission from Parliament, the group of people who help make laws. They also decided what would happen if the king or queen died.

From 1690, King William often went away to fight in battles. While he was gone, Queen Mary took care of the country. She didn’t like being in charge alone and missed her husband. Sometimes she had to make big decisions, like arresting people who were trying to bring back the old king.

Mary loved the arts. She collected beautiful things and helped artists create new works. She also enjoyed music and worked with famous composers.

In late 1694, Mary got very sick with a disease called smallpox. Even though she seemed to get better at first, her health got worse quickly. She passed away at the age of 32 in December 1694. Her husband was very sad, and many people in Britain mourned her loss. She was buried in Westminster Abbey with a special funeral service.

Legacy

See also: Cultural depictions of Mary II of England

Mary helped start the College of William and Mary in Virginia in 1693. She supported Thomas Bray, who created the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. She also played a role in building the Royal Hospital for Seamen, Greenwich after a big battle called the Battle of La Hougue.

People remembered her in different ways. Some thought she was too controlled by her husband at first, but later she showed she could lead well when he was away. She was known for being modest and careful with her power.

Title, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

Mary had different titles during her life. From April 30, 1662, to November 4, 1677, she was called Her Highness The Lady Mary. After she married on November 4, 1677, until February 13, 1689, she was known as Her Highness or Her Royal Highness The Princess of Orange. From February 13, 1689, until she passed away on December 28, 1694, she was called Her Majesty The Queen.

When Mary and her husband William came to rule together, their official title was "William and Mary, by the Grace of God, King and Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defenders of the Faith, etc." After Scotland recognized them as rulers on April 11, 1689, their title changed to include Scotland as well.

Arms

William and Mary used a special coat of arms that combined symbols from different countries they ruled.

Coat of arms on expeditionary banner of William and Mary, 1688, showing their arms impaled	Coat of arms of William and Mary as joint sovereigns of England	Coat of arms of William and Mary used in Scotland from 1691

Genealogical table