Mary II of England

Mary II (30 April 1662–28 December 1694) reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689 until her death, and as Queen of Scotland (technically as Mary II of Scotland) from 11 April 1689 until her death. Mary, a Protestant, came to the Throne following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of her Roman Catholic father, James II. Mary reigned jointly with her husband and first cousin, William III, who became the sole ruler upon her death. Popular histories usually know the joint reign as that of "William and Mary". Mary, although a Sovereign in her own right, did not wield actual power during most of her reign. She did, however, govern the realm when her husband was abroad fighting wars.

Legacy

Mary II was succeeded by William III. The line of succession established by the Bill of Rights was almost extinguished; Mary and William did not have any children, all of the Princess Anne's children had died, and it seemed unlikely that William would remarry. Thus, it was deemed necessary to pass the Act of Settlement 1701, which provided that the Crown would go to the nearest Protestant relative, Sophia, Electress of Hanover and her heirs. When William III died in 1702, he was succeeded by Anne, who was in turn succeeded by the deceased Electress Sophia's son, George I.

Related Topics:
Act of Settlement 1701 - Sophia, Electress of Hanover - 1702 - George I

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Mary endowed the College of William and Mary (in the present day Williamsburg, Virginia) in 1693. She also founded the Royal Hospital for Seamen, Greenwich.

Related Topics:
College of William and Mary - Williamsburg, Virginia - 1693 - Royal Hospital for Seamen, Greenwich

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