Forceful Facts About William and Mary, The First Modern Power Couple

October 26, 2023 | Kyle Climans

Forceful Facts About William and Mary, The First Modern Power Couple


It’s rare when a country invites a foreigner to invade their country and supplant their leader. However, this happened to England in 1688, when James II’s unpopularity was such that an invasion by the Dutch leader William of Orange seemed preferable. The key figure in this “Glorious Revolution,” however, was William’s wife, Mary. The daughter of King James II, she played a crucial role in overthrowing him and seating herself and her husband on the throne of England. So how did this power couple work? Who were they on an individual level? Find out more about them below!


1. New Record

William remains to be the last English King who won his crown by force. This is likely a record which he will keep for the rest of history—unless Prince Harry mounts a coup against his brother William in ten or twelve years.

Williamandmary-Msn

2. Her Birthday

Mary was born on April 30, 1662 in London’s St. James’ Palace. At the time of her birth, her father was only the Duke of York, as his older brother Charles II was still King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. This was also before her father converted to Catholicism, so Mary was baptized as an Anglican.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

3. Interesting Namesake

Mary was named after her great-great-grandmother, Mary Queen of Scots. Thankfully, that was all she took from her ancestor, as opposed to the Queen of Scot’s tragic life and cruel execution.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

4. We Start Counting From Scratch Then?

Technically, William wasn’t the king of the Netherlands. His official title was Stadtholder and the area he governed was known as the Dutch Republic. His title has been compared to that of a steward or a head of state, rather than a traditional monarch. The Netherlands would not have a king until William I proclaimed himself as such in 1815.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

5. Isolated Existence

Despite her father and uncle’s embrace of Catholicism, Mary and her sister Anne were brought up as Anglicans in Richmond Palace. Mary was brought up by private tutors and a governess, rarely seeing her parents.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

6. Custody Wars

William’s father, William II of the Dutch Republic, had perished of smallpox just eight days before his son was born. According to William II’s will, he named his wife, Mary, the guardian of their son. However, the will hadn’t been signed before William II lost his life , and was thus declared void. William would spend his childhood between his mother, his paternal grandmother, Amalia, and his uncle, Frederick William of Brandenburg.

William and Mary factsPixabay

7. Forced To Grow Up Fast

The position of stadtholder in the Dutch Republic was not hereditary, and so William had to fight for the chance to inherit his father’s position. From when he first reached manhood, William entered into several years of political maneuvering, compromises, and a hard-fought campaign to become raised to the title of Captain-General of the Dutch Army.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

8. Escaped A Serious Situation There!

By the time that Mary was engaged to William of Orange, her father was a staunch Catholic and disliked the match. His brother King Charles II also took issue with the idea and much preferred the French Dauphin Louis, who was a Catholic. It was only the protests of Parliament and the anti-Catholic public opinion which made Charles II back down and approve the marriage to go forward. As for Louis, he would die before his father, Louis XIV, and would never sit on the throne of France.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

9. Take Notes, George R. R. Martin

You might be wondering how William ended up going from fighting the English to marrying one of their princesses. Given the tempestuous state that all these European powers were living in at the time, William thought he could bring England into the fold as an ally of the Dutch by marrying Mary. For his part, Charles II wanted to exploit a marriage like that in the conflict which was still going on between the Dutch, English, and French. William, however, insisted that the matter of conflict and the matter of his marriage be treated as separate issues.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

10. The Sad Bride

Reportedly, when Mary was told that she would be marrying William, “she wept all that afternoon and all the following day". Mary was reported to weep again during her wedding in St. James’ Palace.

This might be evidence for a certain theory which exists concerning Mary—more on that later—though it’s worth pointing out that she would later be described as being completely devoted to William, so it seems she managed to make things work.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

11. Sun King? I'm More Of A Night Owl

If William ever had a mortal enemy, it was King Louis XIV of France. In fact, Louis used that very term to describe William! Despite this animosity, the Dutch and the French tried to maintain a wary peace in 1678, but the French continued to persecute non-Catholics, specifically the Huguenots, which led to many of them fleeing to the Dutch Republic. William, meanwhile, joined an anti-French coalition known as the League of Augsburg. While the coalition included Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, William tried to have James II bring England into the League, but James’ Catholicism meant that plan never worked.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

12. Tough Trip?

The downside of William and Mary’s marriage in November 1677 was the fact that traveling back to the Netherlands proved an utter chore. The winter weather delayed their voyage for two weeks, and even after they made it across the English Channel, it was impossible to sail into the Rotterdam because the harbor was locked in ice.

The royal couple had to land the village of Ter Heijde instead, finally making it to the Dutch capital of the Hague in mid-December—just in time for Christmas, at least!

William and Mary factsWikipedia

13. We Are Not Amused

During James II’s reign, Mary and William protested against his inaction when Louis XIV accused the Huguenots because they weren’t Catholics. Both publicly expressed their disappointment with James’ policies, which included the kind of religious tolerance towards Catholics that meant overruling Parliamentary legislation.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

14. Making The Best Of It

Due to William’s frequent army campaigns, Mary was often left alone in the Netherlands. This led her family to accuse William of being a cruel and neglectful man, and considering the religious differences, it’s safe to say that family reunions were very awkward.

As for Mary, though, she was popular back in Britain for being married to such a prominent Protestant royal family as the Dutch one, and the Dutch population was won over by her “animated and personable nature".

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

15.  The Last Straw

Before 1685, it was understood that James II’s successor was to be his eldest child, Mary. However, in 1685, James’ wife (and Mary’s stepmother) gave birth to a son, James Francis Edward Stuart. This aroused serious concerns in England, who feared a Catholic dynasty taking charge of England once again. Nobles and politicians began suggesting that William and Mary invade England and usurp James II.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

16. Cruel Tragedy

Despite accusations of William neglecting Mary, the young princess was pregnant just months into the marriage. Tragically, Mary would lose the baby in a miscarriage. It’s been widely speculated that this miscarriage caused Mary to become unable to bear children. Mary herself would be haunted by her lack of children for the rest of her life.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

17. With Your Permission

For his part, William wanted to avoid a disastrous conflict which would not only leave him facing a hostile British population but would also leave the Dutch Republic open to attack. As a result, he insisted on an official invitation publicly made from the leading figures in English society before he actually committed to an invasion. Additionally, William waited until the French army forces were committed to conflict against the Germans and Italians.

William III Of England factsWikipedia

18. The Die Is Cast

William’s desired invitation came on June 30, 1688, from a group of high-ranking Englishmen later known as the “Immortal Seven". William’s preparations to invade England were known about as early as September of that year, but the planned invasion didn’t occur until November when storms delayed the October invasion for weeks.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

19. Correcting The Past’s Mistakes

In what can only be described as a massive coincidence, the Dutch Armada which invaded England in 1688 occurred a century to the year after the Spanish Armada had tried—and failed—to conquer England. It just goes to show that if you want to conquer England, you make sure they’re okay with it first!

William and Mary factsWikipedia

20. Move Over, Khaleesi

The army which William led to invade England consisted of “250 carrier ships and 60 fishing boats [carrying] 35,000 men, including 11,000 foot and 4,000 horse men". However, William’s wife Mary was not part of the Armada. She stayed behind in the Netherlands and did not come to England until the following year.

King William III of EnglandGodfrey Kneller, Wikimedia Commons

21. Successful Conquest

William’s invasion of England was largely less bloody than one would expect. James II saw the writing on the wall after an initial attempt at resistance. Many English nobles immediately declared their support for William, and even more officers in the army defected to his side. James II tried to flee but was brought back to London to face William when he arrived.

However, William had no intention of making James a martyr; he actually wanted James to voluntarily leave England, which would look a lot better from a PR perspective than if he executed or banished James himself. James took the opportunity to leave, living in France for the rest of his life. He and his family would continue to provoke trouble in Great Britain, particularly in Scotland, with the Jacobite risings which occurred in 1689, 1715, 1719, and 1745.

James II when Duke of York with long hair wearing brown and white outfit - 17th centurySir Peter Lely, Wikimedia Commons

22. Familial Disloyalty

In private, Mary maintained a conflicted view on the Glorious Revolution, and she was torn between loyalty to her father and her husband. However, she publicly kept up an unflinching support for William. This led to some criticism of her apathy towards her father’s fate.

For his part, the supplanted James II harshly condemned his daughter’s betrayal, conveniently forgetting that he’d sat back and done nothing when that same daughter was being threatened by French forces encroaching on Dutch territory.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

23. Girl Crush?

Starting when she was about nine up until her marriage, Mary maintained a very close correspondence with her maid of honor, Frances Apsley. Historians have often speculated that, based on the content of her letters, Mary may have had a romantic desire for Apsley. If such is the case, Apsley did not share those feelings, as her letters were far more formal in their content. The question of whether Mary was bi remains inconclusive.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

24. Boy Crush?

Additionally, there have been theories around the possibility that William may not necessarily have been heterosexual. These mostly stemmed from Jacobite sympathizers who wanted to ruin William’s reputation, but court rumors of the time also argued that William’s lack of mistresses and his close relationship with a few male courtiers—specifically Hans Willem Bentinck and Arnold Joost van Keppel—could very well be evidence that he was bi or gay. Historians remain divided on the matter and will likely never be able to prove it one way or the other.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

25. Who’s The Boss?

When William and Mary had secured their new position in England, there remained a serious issue as to whether both Mary and William should be crowned, or Mary should be the ruling queen with her husband as a consort. William, naturally, insisted on being crowned King, but Mary supported this action as well. She maintained that she, having sworn to be his faithful and devoted wife in a church, would like to maintain those vows even as a monarch.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

26. King Billy The Third

Conveniently, William wasn’t just William III of England, but also William III of the Netherlands as well! In Scotland, he was technically William II, however, but his Dutch and English monikers have taken precedence in the history books—no doubt Highlander fans are weeping right now.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

27. Working Wife

As before, William was often away on army campaigns, leading Mary to act as the ruling monarch in his stead. Assisted by a Cabinet Council, Mary proved a very able administrator. However, she personally disliked ruling, and when William was home, she completely retreated from power and allowed him to take charge.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

28. Hey Shorty!

According to sources, Mary was actually the taller of the two of them. She stood 5’11” tall, far above the average for women in those days, while William was less than 5’7” tall. We can only assume that he would beg her not to wear heels when they went out in public!

William and Mary factsGetty Images

29. Farewell To The Queen

In 1694, Mary contracted smallpox, and became bedridden. She insisted that anyone who had not had the disease to stay away as she feared spreading her sickness onto others. She lost her life on December 28, at the tragically young age of 32. Despite celebrations amongst the Jacobite supporters, she was mourned on a national level as a competent and beloved ruler.

William and Mary factsGetty Images

30. And Then There Was One

By all accounts, William was devastated by his wife’s passing , with one record describing him as “the miserablest [sic] creature on earth". He never married again, spending the rest of his life as the sole monarch of England. However, his popularity in England never recovered following Mary’s passing.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

31. Trouble Ahead

With William in charge of England, he had it join the League of Augsburg, which was renamed the Grand Alliance. William would spend years fighting France with mixed success. It wasn’t just direct conflict, however; the powers of Europe hotly disputed the throne of the Spanish Empire, which was set to be vacated when its childless ruler lost his life . The arguments over who would inherit that powerful throne would lead to the Conflict of Spanish Succession after William’s end.

William III Of England factsVersailles (2015-2018), Canal+

32. Farewell To The King

In 1702, William was thrown from his horse and suffered a broken collarbone. He developed pneumonia during his recovery process and lost his life on March 8 that year, at 51 years of age. He was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey beside his wife, Mary. Mary’s sister Anne became the Queen regent following his passing.

William and Mary factsFlickr

33. The Last Of His Name

Because William lost his life childless, he was the last ruler of the Dutch House of Orange. His title of stadtholder was suspended by the five Dutch provinces which he had ruled.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

34. And Starring…

William and Mary have been portrayed several times on screen and on stage. Mary has been played by such actresses as Rebecca Front, Victoria Wood, and Lisa Daniely, while William has been portrayed by Corin Redgrave, Bernard Hill, Thom Hoffman, and Laurence Olivier.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

35. Boyne Brawl

One region which hotly resisted the invasion of William and Mary was Ireland and its predominantly Catholic population. In 1690, James II traveled to Ireland with French support in an attempt to get his throne back. On July 1, James’ force of more than 21,000 French and Irish army faced 36,000 service men of various backgrounds, commanded by William.

The Battle of the Boyne was a defining moment, as both leaders were seasoned army commanders, and though William’s forces were better armed and more numerous, James still had a chance to reverse history and reconquer England.

Portrait of James II of England looking forward-1680sStudio of Godfrey Kneller, Wikimedia Commons

36. Well… That Was Anticlimactic

Surprisingly, the Battle of the Boyne was not the bloodbath which one would have expected it to be. This was partly because William, out of respect for Mary, did not want to harm her father, despite facing him in battle. The total casualties numbered around 2,000 men deceased, with the Jacobite forces defeated.

In the aftermath, William would offer pardons to any Jacobite soldier who surrendered, though he punished their leaders. James, meanwhile, went on the run again back to France, presumably snapping “Don’t ask!” whenever someone inquired how he’d done.

William III Of England factsVersailles (2015-2018), Canal+

37. Well, This Took A Turn…

Ironically, it was William’s conquering of England which would lead to the diminishing power of the Dutch, whose Bank of Amsterdam had been an important economic organization in the 17th century. During William’s reign, the Whig government in Parliament set up the Bank of England, in imitation of the Bank of Amsterdam. This Bank of England was granted a Royal Charter by William in 1694. This would lead to England rising in the 18th century and eventually defeating France as the primary European power.

William III Of England factsGetty Images

38. His Birthday

William was born in Den Haag (The Hague) on November 4, 1650. Mary and William were actually first cousins. William’s mother had been the sister to Charles II and James II. To make it extra Freudian, her name had also been Mary.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

39. Not Cool, Dad

In 1671, Mary’s mother, Anne Hyde, tragically lost her life. Mary was only nine years old at the time. Her father, meanwhile, would get remarried two years later to Mary of Modena, a devout Catholic woman who was just four years older than Mary herself!

William and Mary factsWikimedi.Commons

40. One Nation’s Disaster Is A Man’s Moment Of Glory

In Dutch history, 1672 is known as the Rampjaar, which loosely translated means “disaster year". At the time, the Dutch Republic was in a conflict with France and also England, which resulted in both nations, along with a few other allies on mainland Europe, to invade the Dutch Republic.

Despite being hopelessly outnumbered, the Dutch managed to inflict several victories on the invaders. Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter managed to defeat the combined English and French fleets at the Battle of Solebay in June of that year, while William had the dikes opened to flood a part of the Netherlands in final effort to hold the invading army at bay.

In this time of crisis, William became stadtholder on July 4 at the age of 22. Just a day later, William was confronted by Lord Arlington, who had a message from William’s uncle, Charles II. If William would capitulate the Dutch Republic to England and France, he would be made Prince of Holland. William bravely refused, prompting Arlington to threaten William with the destruction of the Dutch Republic.

In a reply that has become famous in history, William declared “There is one way to avoid this: to die defending it in the last ditch". He would go on to successfully defend the Netherlands across two more years of fighting, securing his position as stadtholder. You can’t say he didn’t earn it!

William III Of England factsVersailles (2015-2018), Canal+

41. Mr. White Vs Mr. Orange

One sinister side to William’s ascendance to power in the Dutch Republic was an incident involving his rivals, the De Witt family. One of its members, Johan, had been instrumental in preventing the rise of William to the position held by his father.

In August 1672, William released a letter from Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland to the general public. It stated that De Witt’s aggressive policies, as well as those shared by the rest of his family and followers, had prompted the English and French invasion of the Netherlands.

Days later, De Witt and his brother were lynched by a mob. It’s impossible to conclusively connect William with the actual lynching, but he actively opposed prosecuting those responsible.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

42. Snitches Get… Well, Sent Home

Early in her marriage, Mary was given information by her staff through her father, James II, that her husband was having an affair with Elizabeth Villiers, the daughter of Mary’s former governess who had come to the Netherlands with her. Mary acted on her own and confronted William after catching him leaving Villiers’ room.

According to the histories, however, William convinced her that he had not been committing adultery, and she forgave him. It has never been conclusively proven that Villiers and William were actually lovers, but it has been confirmed that James II was trying to undermine his daughter’s marriage for his own gains. Ironically, this would further drive a wedge between daughter and father, and the staff who had passed on the word were dismissed and sent back to Britain.

William and Mary factsWikimedia.Commons

43. Sad Ending For The Sisters

When Mary and William were crowned monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Mary’s sister Anne was made their heir should they have no children. However, Mary and Anne quarreled bitterly during Mary’s time as ruler.

One noble whose wife was close with Anne was revealed as conspiring to restore James II to his triple throne. Mary had him punished, which angered Anne in turn. The two sisters would rarely see each other and would not attempt a reconciliation until Mary’s illness.

Anne urgently wrote to Mary, wishing to see her one last time, but Mary refused to allow it because she was afraid that Anne would also contract smallpox if she came.

William and Mary factsWikipedia

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6


More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.