Mary II Of England

Mary II was born on April 30, 1662, at St. James's Palace in London. She was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, who later became King James II of England and VII of Scotland, and his first wife, Anne Hyde. Her paternal grandfather was King Charles II. Mary was baptized into the Anglican faith, and her godparents included Prince Rupert of the Rhine. Her mother died in 1671, and her father remarried in 1673 to Mary of Modena.

Mary's early education was conducted through private tutors, focusing on music, dance, drawing, French, and religious instruction. From about age nine until her marriage, she maintained correspondence with Frances Apsley, an older girl at court.

In 1677, at the age of 15, Mary became engaged to William III of Orange, her cousin and the Protestant Stadtholder of Holland. The marriage took place on November 4, 1677, at St James's Palace. Following the marriage, Mary traveled with William to the Netherlands, where she gained popularity among the Dutch. The couple's union was viewed favorably in Britain due to William's Protestant faith.

Mary and William's union produced no children, and her miscarriages and illnesses affected her reproductive capacity. William and Mary became joint rulers of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1689 after the deposition of James II during the Glorious Revolution.

James II's attempts to promote Catholicism and the birth of his son in 1688 led to widespread unrest and the invitation from English nobles for William to intervene militarily. William arrived in England in November 1688, deposing James, who fled to France. Mary joined William afterward, and they were proclaimed monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Their coronation took place on April 11, 1689, at Westminster Abbey.

Their joint reign lasted until her death in 1694. In December 1694, Mary contracted smallpox and died shortly after midnight on December 28, at the age of 32. Her death left William as the sole ruler until his own death in 1702. She was buried on March 5, 1695, in Westminster Abbey, in a funeral attended by all members of both Houses of Parliament—an unprecedented occasion.

Mary II's legacy includes her support of the founding of the College of William and Mary in Virginia and her contributions to artistic and cultural developments, such as garden design and the popularization of blue and white porcelain. Her reputation has been interpreted differently over time, with initial depictions emphasizing her modesty and devotion, and later portrayals sometimes characterizing her as confident and capable during her period of independent governance.