Heritage > Rulers
William III& Mary II, 1689-1702
William III Prince of Orange married Mary II in London on November 17, when she was 15 and he was 17. They had no children.
William and Mary had deprived childhoods and Mary looked to William to give her the love she had missed out on. William could never do this, but Mary always loved him, and found consolation in her religion.
Mary had a senior claim to the crown, yet she wished to give her rights to the throne up altogether in preference of her husband. This resulted in William and Mary being offered the crown together as king and queen regnant. When James, Mary's father heard this news, he threw a curse on Mary.
Mary died very quickly and William became a target for Jacobite plots, and from his peoples view, became rather too interested in hostilities against the French, which were far more geared to help his own country, the Netherlands.
William died of pleurisy, and was generally thought of as a traitor to every monarch he had dealings with.
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