'''James II''' [1633-1701] was James II as king of England and Ireland and James VII as king of Scotland, 1685-1688. A member of the Stuart dynasty, he was the second son of King [[Charles I]] and became Duke of York.<ref>New York is named after him.</ref> He succeeded his late brother [[Charles II]] to the throne. He antagonized all the leading sectors of Britain by his plans to make Britain a Roman Catholic nation and form an alliance with the France of King [[Louis XIV]]. The leaders called on William of Orange, the ruler of the Netherlands to overthrow James, which happened in 1688. James went into exile in France and schemed to organize his supporters (called "Jacobites") to invade Britain and restore him to the throne. He failed.
[[File:Jamesii.jpg|thumb|200px]]
==Early life and career==
He was born to Charles I and Henrietta Maria on October 14, 1633. From birth, he was designated as the Duke of York. After years of disputes, he spent many years in exile in France. When his brother Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, James was appointed to the position of Governor of the [[Royal African Company]].
==Reign==