Portal:England/Selected biography/01 2009

William III of England and Ireland, William II of Scotland or William of Orange (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was the Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 1672 onwards, and King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689. Born a member of the House of Orange-Nassau, William won the English, Scottish and Irish crowns following the Glorious Revolution, in which his uncle and father-in-law, James II, was deposed. In England, Scotland and Ireland, William ruled jointly with his wife, Mary II, until her death on 28 December 1694. He reigned as 'William II' in Scotland, and 'William III' in England and Ireland. He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy".

A Protestant, William participated in several wars against the powerful Catholic King Louis XIV of France in coalition with Protestant and Catholic powers in Europe. Many Protestants heralded him as a champion of their faith. Largely due to that reputation, William was able to take the British crowns where many were fearful of a revival of Catholicism under James. William's victory over James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is commemorated by the Orange Institution in Northern Ireland to this day. His reign marked the beginning of the transition from the personal rule of the Stuarts to the more Parliament-centered rule of the House of Hanover.

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