= Mary II = '''Mary II''' was the queen and co-monarch of [[UnitedKingdom/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_England|England]], Scotland, and [[Ireland/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Ireland|Ireland]] alongside her husband [[UnitedKingdom/WilliamIII|William]]. <> ---- == History == Mary was the eldest daughter of [[UnitedKingdom/JamesII|James II]]. Because most of her siblings died young, she spent a significant portion of her childhood as second-in-line for the [[UnitedKingdom/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Great_Britain|British crown]]. Furthermore, her father's rights to succeed were challenged through the '''Exclusion Crisis'''. Mary was engaged to her cousin [[UnitedKingdom/WilliamIII|William]], who was himself fourth-in-line, amid the '''Third Anglo-Dutch War'''. This marriage significantly improved her position as an alternate claimant to the throne. ---- == Reign == [[UnitedKingdom/JamesII|James]] did succeed the English throne in 1685, but his reign was immediately plagued by unrest. Furthermore, it was believed that James would side with France in the rapidly-escalating conflict on the continent. [[UnitedKingdom/WilliamIII|William]] landed an army in Devon in November 1688. After failing to rally his own army, James fled to France. This '''Glorious Revolution''' crowned William and Mary as co-monarchs over [[UnitedKingdom/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_England|England]], Scotland, and [[Ireland/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Ireland|Ireland]]. William spent most of their reign abroad, commanding armies. The [[WorldHistory/NineYearsWar|Nine Years War]] quickly erupted as expected. Then the '''Williamite War''' emerged as a theater of that conflict, through a [[UnitedKingdom/Monarchs#Stuart|Jacobite]] rebellion in Ireland. Mary died in 1694, leaving [[UnitedKingdom/Anne|Anne]] as the only feasible heir. ---- CategoryRicottone