William III of England Biography

William III was born in November 1650, at Binnenhof, The Hague, in the Dutch Republic, which is now part of the Netherlands. His father, William II, the prince of Orange and the stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic, died of small pox at the age of 24, only eight days before William’s birth. Thus, William III became the sovereign prince of Orange soon after his birth.

His mother, Mary, Princess Royal, was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England (sister of King Charles II and King James II). William was the only child of his parents. His paternal grandmother insisted on baptizing him as “William” to help enhance his chances of becoming a stadtholder. His guardianship was shared among his mother, Mary; his paternal grandmother, Amalia of Solms-Braunfels; and Elector of Brandenburg, Frederick William, who was also the husband of William’s father’s eldest sister, Louise Henriette of Nassau. William had an impressive royal ancestry on both his paternal and his maternal sides.

On November 4, 1677, William married his first cousin, Mary, the eldest-surviving daughter of James, the duke of York, who later became King James II of England (and James VII of Scotland). It was a political marriage, as William wanted to form an Anglo–Dutch alliance against his nemesis, the French monarch Louis XIV. William wished that his uncle, King Charles II of England, should withdraw his support from the Catholic French king or change his pro-French policies.

Mary was 12 years younger, so the 27–year-old William married his 15-year-old reluctant bride at ‘St. James’s Palace,’ London. Mary became pregnant in 1678, but suffered a miscarriage. Reportedly, she miscarried two more times. She could not conceive again, and the couple remained childless. Other monarchs, such as his uncles Charles II and James II, had many mistresses, but William had only one mistress, Elizabeth Villiers.

King Charles II of England died in 1685. He had no legitimate children. James, Mary’s father and brother of Charles II, succeeded to the throne as King James II. He had converted to Roman Catholicism while marrying a princess from Italy, Maria Beatrice of Modena, also known as “Mary of Modena.” Since the majority of Britain was Protestant, they were concerned that James II would establish a Catholic dynasty.

The parliament of England announced that by fleeing to France, James II had renounced the throne. Thus, the throne was offered to Mary, the elder daughter of James, and William, the son of the eldest daughter of Charles I. Mary and William were to be the joint rulers of England. Mary and William were declared as Queen Mary II and King William III of England and Ireland and King William II of Scotland, respectively. This overthrow of James II is known as the ‘Glorious Revolution.’

In an attempt to regain his throne, James landed in Ireland in March 1689, along with the French army provided by Louis XIV. William reached Ireland with his huge forces, and in July 1690, he defeated James at the Battle of the Boyne. James escaped to France and lived in exile for the rest of his life. The ‘Orange Order’ of Northern Ireland celebrates this triumph every year, on July 12.

William III of England was an avid gardener and took a keen interest in landscaping the gardens at his royal residences, such as Hampton Court Palace.

He was known for his love of animals and kept a menagerie of exotic creatures at Kensington Palace, including monkeys, parrots, and a crocodile.

William III was a skilled equestrian and enjoyed riding and hunting in the countryside, often participating in horse races and steeplechases.

He had a passion for collecting rare and valuable artwork, amassing a significant art collection that included paintings by renowned artists such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.

William III was a patron of the sciences and supported the work of prominent scientists and inventors of his time, such as Sir Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke.