Page 5 - History 2020
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the prospect of a Catholic dynasty, seven leading English aristocrats, all Protestants,
secretly invited James’ daughter Mary to become Queen. She was married to the
Dutch Prince William of Orange, and William was invited to cross to England with a
fleet. King James II, despairing at his family’s desertion, fled. Mary duly became
Queen, but, contrary to all precedent, her Dutch husband William of Orange was
named as King. This 1688 created, uniquely, co-rulers: Queen Mary II and King
William III.
What was the significance of 1688?
On one level 1688 was not even a change of dynasty, more a swapping of Stuart
monarchs, the daughter substituted for the father. Further, the 1688 Revolution,
th
driven by religion rather than politics, seems to look backwards to the 17 century
rather than forwards to the modern age. It seemed to have little to do with the king
versus parliament question. It was presented as the quiet removal of monarch and
his replacement by someone more acceptable, secretly engineered by a few
grandees, and not really changing anything very much; not much of a revolution at
all, more a “very British coup”.
There is some truth in this; but as closer examination reveals it is nowhere near the
whole truth. The official version of the 1688 Revolution, in typical British fashion,
glosses over a number of questions, some of them awkward ones:
1. Whose idea was it?
2. Did it have popular support?
3. Was it a bloodless revolution?
4. Did James II jump or was he pushed?
5. Did it make parliament supreme over the monarchy?
6. Did people warm to William and Mary?
7. What were its consequences, short and long term?
Here are some suggested answers:
1. Whose idea was it?
Not parliament. Seven aristocratic grandees* took the initiative and issued a secret
invitation to Mary and William. However William had previously put out feelers and
indicated that he would be favourable. As ruler of the Netherlands he was engaged in
a life or death struggle with French King Louis XIV, the most ambitious and feared
monarch in Europe. Getting the military and economic resources of Britain behind
him would be a huge boost to his war effort. His wife Mary approved; she had been
brought up a Protestant and disapproved of her father’s conversion to Catholicism.
