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'''William III''' (1650-1702) also known as '''William of Orange'''; was the king of [[England]], [[Ireland]], and [[Scotland]] from 1682-1702.  He ruled jointly with his wife, [[Mary II]], until her death in 1694; thus the reign of '''William and Mary.''' He was Prince of Orange and Stadholder of the Netherlands.<ref>He was William III as king of England; he was William II as king of Scotland; historians call him William III. "Prince of Orange" was just an inherited title--there was no country called "orange".</ref> As the leader of the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 he replaced King [[James II]] of England, after the latter fled to France. William reigned jointly with his wife [[Mary II|Queen Mary]]; she followed his wishes. Through him the parliamentary and Protestant causes achieved a permanent triumph in Britain.  However William's main goal was always to form a Europe-wide coalition against the French; he took the throne of England primarily to achieve this goal.

'''William III''' (1650-1702) also known as '''William of Orange'''; was the king of [[England]], [[Ireland]], and [[Scotland]] from 1682-1702.  He ruled jointly with his wife, [[Mary II]], until her death in 1694; thus the reign of '''William and Mary.''' He was Prince of Orange and Stadholder of the [[Netherland]]s.<ref>He was William III as king of England; he was William II as king of Scotland; historians call him William III. "Prince of Orange" was just an inherited title--there was no country called "orange".</ref> As the leader of the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 he replaced King [[James II]] of England, after the latter fled to France. William reigned jointly with his wife [[Mary II|Queen Mary]]; she followed his wishes. Through him the parliamentary and Protestant causes achieved a permanent triumph in Britain.  However William's main goal was always to form a Europe-wide coalition against the French; he took the throne of England primarily to achieve this goal.

   

   

==Life==

==Life==

He was born Prince William Henry, at The Hague on November 4, 1650, eight days after the death of his father William II, Prince of Orange, ruler of the United Provinces (the independent [[Netherlands, history|Netherlands]]).<ref>He held the hereditary title "Prince of Orange" but there was no longer a country called Orange.</ref> His mother was Mary, daughter of [[Charles I (England)|Charles I]] of England, and he was their only child. He was raised by his mother until he entered at the University of Leiden, where he excelled in languages and field sports. Even though a Calvinist by birth and training, he was tolerant in religious matters by nature and policy.

He was born Prince William Henry, at [[The Hague]] on November 4, 1650, eight days after the death of his father William II, Prince of Orange, ruler of the United Provinces (the independent [[Dutch History|Netherlands]]).<ref>He held the hereditary title "Prince of Orange" but there was no longer a country called Orange.</ref> His mother was Mary, daughter of [[Charles I (England)|Charles I]] of England, and he was their only child. He was raised by his mother until he entered at the University of Leiden, where he excelled in languages and field sports. Even though a Calvinist by birth and training, he was tolerant in religious matters by nature and policy.

William's dynastic position was at first ambiguous because many of the Dutch, insisting on state rights, resented submission to the House of Orange; this attitude was maintained by the two De Witt brothers, who were the effective rulers of the seven federated provinces during the Prince's minority. They led an anti-Orangist constitutional revolution that abolished the posts the prince would normally have inherited. The Orange party maneuvered to put William in power, and his opportunity came in 1672. That spring the French invaded under King [[Louis XIV]], and the people called for Orange. [[John De Witt]] had to acquiesce making William Captain General in charge of stopping the French and their English allies; within weeks he became Stadholder of the states of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Overijssel, and Gelderland and, in effect, supreme ruler of the Netherlands. De Witt was lynched, murdered, and mutilated by an angry mob.

William's dynastic position was at first ambiguous because many of the Dutch, insisting on state rights, resented submission to the House of Orange; this attitude was maintained by the two De Witt brothers, who were the effective rulers of the seven federated provinces during the Prince's minority. They led an anti-Orangist constitutional revolution that abolished the posts the prince would normally have inherited. The Orange party maneuvered to put William in power, and his opportunity came in 1672. That spring the French invaded under King [[Louis XIV]], and the people called for Orange. [[John De Witt]] had to acquiesce making William Captain General in charge of stopping the French and their English allies; within weeks he became Stadholder of the states of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Overijssel, and Gelderland and, in effect, supreme ruler of the Netherlands. De Witt was lynched, murdered, and mutilated by an angry mob.