William and Mary Biography

William and Mary Biography William III was born on November 4th, 1650 in The Hague, Netherlands. He was the son of William II, Prince of Orange, and Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange. William II of Orange died of smallpox before his son, William III, was even born. By the age of ten, William III became an orphan when his mother too died of smallpox. In 1672, William III was appointed Stadtholder and captain general of the Dutch forces to resist the French invasion of the Netherlands. He forced Louis XIV to make peace in 1678 and concentrated on building up a European alliance against France. Mary II was born on April 30th, 1662 in London, England. She was the daughter of James II, King of England, and Anne Hyde. Mary was an educated Protestant and was the successor of the English throne after the death of her uncle, King Charles II, and her father. The choice of a husband for Mary II was a political event of high importance. Around 1672 the name of William III, Prince of Orange, was mentioned. After some hesitation of both sides, in 1677 William III married his cousin Mary II at the age of 27. Mary did not enjoy the married life. Although she became popular in Dutch, Mary remained childless and was neglected by her husband. During the Glorious Revolution, James II fled to France and in 1689 William III and Mary II were crowned King and Queen of England. In 1694, Mary II died of smallpox and with no surviving children; William was left to rule alone. After ruling for eight years after the death of his wife, William III died of pneumonia subsequently having a broken collar bone after falling from his horse.
Work Cited
"History." BBC. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct 2013.
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"King William III and Queen Mary II (1689-1702)." Royal Family History. N.p.. Web. 13 Oct
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"Queen Mary II." NNDB Tracking the Entire World. N.p.. Web. 9 Oct 2013.
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Cited: "History." BBC. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct 2013. . "King William III and Queen Mary II (1689-1702)." Royal Family History. N.p.. Web. 13 Oct 2013. . "Queen Mary II." NNDB Tracking the Entire World. N.p.. Web. 9 Oct 2013. .