Why did William III of England die? Biography of Wilhelm III. Childhood and education

William III of Orange belonged to the glorious and famous House of Orange in Holland. Holland was a republic, but the highest position of supreme stadtholder passed by inheritance from one prince of Orange to another.
Already in 1670, Wilhelm was admitted to the Council of State with the right to vote. From that moment began his political career.
He was generously endowed with the qualities of a great sovereign and devoted his whole life to one policy. Such a person could not be on the sidelines for a long time.
For his era, Wilhelm was an outstanding personality. He combined ambition and moderation, prudence and tolerance, perseverance and understanding of the situation.
During the reign of William III of Orange, the finances of England were put in order. Under him, the press was freed from censorship. He pursued a policy of tolerance. A progressive document was the "Act of Toleration", which allowed the freedom of public worship.
At the same time, for England, William remained a stranger. The reason for this was his reclusive nature, his solitary life in Hamptoncourt and Kensington, his cold attitude towards the Anglican Church, sympathy for the Dutch and strictness towards the Jacobites. But in Holland he enjoyed popular love.

William III of Orange, son of Stadtholder William II and Princess Mary Henrietta of England, daughter of Charles I Stuart, was born on November 14, 1650, a week after his father's death.

The House of Orange was the reigning family in the Netherlands. Its name comes from the ancient Principality of Orange (fr.Orange, German Oranien) in the south of France. According to semi-legendary tradition, the first Prince of Orange was St. William, who bore the nickname au courbe nez (French for "Hook-nosed") or au court nez ("Short-nosed"). He lived during the time of Charlemagne, who in 793, for his services in expelling the Arabs from southern France, gave him the possession of a small principality of Orange.

In 1544, the right of inheritance by the principality passed to William of Nassau-Dillenburg, later stadtholder William the Silent, or William I of Orange. Wilhelm opposed the persecution of Protestants, later led the Netherlands Republic and became a link between the history of the House of Orange and Nassau, on the one hand, and the formation of the United Provinces and the spread of Protestantism in Europe, on the other.
In 1584 William I of Orange was killed. His two eldest sons died without heirs. As a result, the principality went younger brother Friedrich Heinrich, whose son was William II - the father of William III of Orange.
The political career of William III began quite early, which is not surprising, since William of Orange, surrounded by enemies and political rivals from childhood, became a cautious, secretive and withdrawn person. From his youth, he prepared himself for a political career, his education and interests were subordinated to this goal. He spoke eight languages ​​(besides Dutch), but showed little interest in art and literature. Despite a strict Calvinistic upbringing, the Prince of Orange was rather indifferent to matters of religion, but was a sincere supporter of religious tolerance.
Already in 1667, Wilhelm received the right to sit in the Council of State, thereby starting a political career.
During the Anglo-French-Dutch War of 1672-1678, William III of Orange was given the post of General Admiral (Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces).
Wilhelm III was elected to the post of stadtholder, which became hereditary two years later. Since that time, he has been the main organizer of anti-French coalitions against the expansionist policies of Louis XIV.

Under his leadership, the Dutch managed to turn the tide of hostilities in favor of France: her troops invaded deep into the territory of Holland, and the French fleet dominated the sea. However, the flooding of part of the country's territory, carried out on the orders of William III, stopped the advance of the French. In autumn, the Dutch switched from defensive to offensive operations, penetrated all the way to Maastricht, then invaded France and laid siege to Charleroi. The Elector of Brunswick and Emperor Leopold concluded an alliance with Holland. The appearance of the imperial army on the Rhine forced Louis XIV to divide his troops. Following that, the Spanish king began a war against France. In 1673, the Anglo-French fleet, after a fierce battle at Cape Gelder, had to retreat from the Dutch coast.
These victories brought Wilhelm immense popularity. He was declared Hereditary Stadtholder and Captain-General of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht.
The war moved to Spanish Belgium. Wilhelm, at the head of the Spanish and Dutch troops, gave battle to the French commander, Prince Conde, at Senef, near Devin. After a lot of bloodshed, the victory, although incomplete, remained with the French. Wilhelm abandoned his intention to invade France and retreated. The following year, the French captured the entire line of the Meuse - they took the fortresses of Guy, Luttich and Limburg.
Already in August 1673, William III achieved a speech against Louis XIV of Austria, Spain, Denmark and Brandenburg, and then on February 19, 1674, he concluded a peace treaty with England.
In 1676, Wilhelm was unable to save the Spanish fortresses of Bouchen and Condé, which were besieged by Louis XIV himself. He wanted to avenge this by taking Maastricht, but was forced to retreat from it. The famous Dutch Admiral Ruyter, who went with a squadron to the Mediterranean Sea, was utterly defeated by Admiral Duken there and himself fell in battle. In 1677 the French captured Valenciennes, Cambrai and Saint-Omer. Wilhelm tried to liberate the last city, but was defeated at Montcassel.

Since the war was fought with varying success, in August 1678 the Treaty of Niemwegem was signed, according to which the Netherlands returned Maastricht and the Principality of Orange. Immediately after the Peace of Niemwegen, Wilhelm launched a vigorous diplomatic campaign to isolate France as the most dangerous enemy, threatening to violate the principle of "political balance". Wilhelm's correspondence with the Emperor and the Elector of Brandenburg developed broad plans for a joint struggle against France.
It is noteworthy that the strengthening of France in the second half of the 17th century and its attempts to seize Belgium and Holland, which held Swedish exports in their hands, aroused fears in Sweden. The outstanding Swedish diplomat Oxenstierna believed that in the current situation, Sweden should go in alliance with the maritime powers - England and Holland, since both were interested in weakening France. Since 1680, Oxenstierna received the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under his control and already in 1681 he concluded an alliance with William of Orange, directed against France. This alliance was a brilliant move in Oxenstierna's political game, since after the so-called "Glorious Revolution" in England (1688) and the expulsion of James II Stuart, William of Orange became king of England. Around France closed the ring of her enemies. From this period, France enters a period of long-term struggle with England: this struggle fills the history of international relations throughout the 18th century.

But let us return to the life and work of Wilhelm III. His international prestige was significantly strengthened by his marriage to the eldest daughter of the Duke of York, Mary (1662-1694), which took place on November 17, 1677. This marriage allowed him to claim the English throne. William began to establish contacts with the English Protestant opposition, gradually organizing a circle of his supporters in Britain, and strengthening the alliance against Louis XIV of Bourbon. The marriage to Mary Stuart was the result of a political calculation. William's contacts with the English Protestant opposition aroused the suspicions of the Duke of York, who feared that his son-in-law was trying to bypass him to become the king of England. These fears were reinforced by the fact that in 1680, at the height of the conflict over the succession to the throne in England, the Prince of Orange offered himself as a "protector" (ruler) under the Catholic king as a guarantee of the preservation of the Protestant faith. After the defeat of the Whig opposition in the early 1680s, Wilhelm gave its leaders asylum in Holland. The figure of the Prince of Orange becomes a banner for all those dissatisfied with the policy of James II.

On June 10, 1688, when Jacob had a son (also named Jacob) by his second wife, Mary of Modena (a Catholic), anxiety in England reached its climax, since this meant that the heir to the throne would no longer be secret, like a king, but an open Catholic.
Therefore, in June 1688, William received a formal invitation from England, from Tory and Whig leaders, to take the English throne. He was told that nineteen out of twenty Englishmen were eager for change and would willingly unite to overthrow Jacob. The authors of the letter promised the prince complete success if he came to England at the head of a detachment of 10,000 men. In the summer of 1688, William III began preparations for an invasion of England to remove the unpopular Catholic King James II.
It was very important to turn public opinion in its direction. Wilhelm took care of this in advance by drawing up a manifesto, every word of which was thought out and had weight. On October 10, 1688, William issued a declaration in which he promised to come to the aid of the English nation in order to preserve "the Protestant religion, liberty, property, and a free parliament." He announced that he was in defense of the English laws, which were constantly violated by the present king, and in defense of the faith, which was so openly oppressed. He swore that he had no idea of ​​conquest and that his army would be held by the strictest discipline. As soon as the country is free from tyranny, he will send the troops back. Its sole purpose is to convene a freely and legally elected parliament. For the consideration of this Parliament, he promised to submit all public affairs.
On October 19, 1688, 600 ships of the Dutch fleet with a 15,000-strong army on board set off for England. In November, William landed in England.
The soldiers and officers of the army of King James II Stuart went over to the side of William; he was supported by uprisings in a number of counties. The English nobles went over to the side of the pretender en masse. In December 1688, Wilhelm entered London, from where Jacob II managed to escape.

William prudently refused the crown, which was offered to him by right of conquest, and left the decision of all controversial issues to Parliament. Since the only parliament of James was elected in violation of the laws, the House of Lords convened on December 26 those deputies of the House of Commons who sat in the last parliament of Charles II. This chamber passed a law on the transfer of temporary powers to govern the country to the Prince of Orange and voted him £100,000 for current expenses.
This coup d'état was called the "Glorious Revolution", which contributed to the victory of the bourgeoisie over absolutism and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, formalized by the so-called "Bill of Rights" on February 13, 1689.
April 11, 1689 William was crowned in Westminster Abbey along with his wife.
It is noteworthy that the opposition that brought Wilhelm to power was not the only one: the Tory Protestants who supported him were afraid of violating the principle of legitimacy and abandoning the hereditary monarchy. They proposed to transfer power to the legitimate heiress of James II, Mary, and her husband, William III, was to become co-ruler. Part of the Whigs sought to establish a republic. Both options did not suit the Prince of Orange, depriving him of the power he had counted on. According to a compromise reached by him and both houses of the new parliament, William and Mary were elected king and queen, but William's wife never interfered in the affairs of government, and William III became the de facto ruler.

The new king was given power under a number of restrictions, formulated in the Bill of Rights passed by Parliament in 1689: the king could not suspend laws and levy taxes. Since then, Parliament met annually: it controlled the allocation of funds to the king and the armed forces. Freedom of parliamentary debate was guaranteed. The king retained the right to convene and dissolve parliament, he was free to choose and dismiss ministers, but ministers were responsible to parliament.
According to the Bill of Toleration adopted in the summer of 1689, some of the sectarians were exempted from persecution. The Bill of Tolerance did not apply to Catholics, although in fact, during the reign of William III, the persecution against them ceased.
Abandoning the foreign policy of his predecessor, William took part in the War of the Palatinate Succession (called in England "King William's War") on the side of the League of Augsburg.
Despite William's victory, many supporters of the deposed King James II (Jacobites) remained in the British Isles: immediately after the coup, powerful uprisings broke out in Scotland and Ireland. In 1689-1691, William crushed the Jacobite rebellion in Scotland and prevented an attempted restoration of James II in Ireland by defeating him at the Boyne on June 1, 1690.
But even later, conspiracies to raise a rebellion or kill William III of Orange did not stop. The French king Louis XIV of Bourbon supported the deposed James II Stuart and refused to recognize the accomplishments of the Glorious Revolution.
In May 1689, William, with the consent of Parliament, declared war on Louis XIV. Followed fighting, usually referred to as the war of the League of Augsburg, resulted in battles in many theaters, including in Ireland, from where James II, with the support of the French, intended to seize the throne again. William won the only important victory in this war on July 1, 1690, on the River Boyne (near Drogheda, Ireland). He lost two battles to the French in Flanders - August 3, 1692 at Stenkerken (near Dunkirk) and July 29, 1693 at Nerwinden (near Louvain), but he fettered large French forces. The crushing victory of Admiral Edward Russell, who commanded the Anglo-Dutch fleet, over the French fleet at La Hougue (May 29, 1692) saved England from invasion.
Thus, by patronizing privateers, William achieved significant success at sea, destroying the French fleet at the Battle of La Goya.
But as commander-in-chief of the Anglo-Dutch forces, he did not show military talents, with the exception of the capture of Namur in 1695.
After the conclusion of the Peace of Ryswick in 1697, William III of Orange made great efforts to reach an agreement with Louis XIV of Bourbon regarding the fate of the Spanish possessions after the death of the childless King Charles II of Habsburg. The French Bourbons and the Austrian Habsburgs were pretenders to the Spanish throne. William III of Orange sought to prevent the excessive strengthening of either France or Austria.
Quite rightly, William III considered the peace concluded with France only a respite and wanted to resume hostilities soon. He dreamed of achieving a complete victory over Louis, but Parliament resolutely stood in the way of his plans. In 1699, the deputies decided to reduce the English army to 7 thousand people, and only the British could serve in it (before that, the army was formed mainly from the Dutch). The offended king left for his Dutch residence. The English were not very sorry about this, but subsequent events showed that Wilhelm foresaw the future better. Several years of peace passed, and the dispute over the Spanish inheritance began to clearly develop into a new European war against France.
IN last years reign, William tried to divide the Spanish possessions among the applicants on the basis of agreements. According to the agreement reached in 1701, the French Prince Philip was to get the Spanish territories in Italy, and Spain itself, along with other possessions, should go to the Austrian Habsburgs. This project provoked criticism in the British Parliament, which considered that British interests were not sufficiently taken into account in it.
After the death of Charles II of Habsburg french king refused to comply with the treaty and put forward claims to all Spanish possessions. Austrian Habsburgs opposed.
In 1701, an alliance was formed against Louis XIV, known in history as the Great Hague Alliance.
In the same year, the War of the Spanish Succession began. However, English society was not ready for war. It was feared that a large army under the command of the king could become an instrument for a return to an absolutist regime.
However, after Louis XIV of Bourbon granted French merchants privileges in trade with the Spanish colonies in America, thereby infringing on the interests of the Dutch and the British, public opinion changed. In addition, in 1701, Jacob II Stuart, who lived in exile, died, and the French king recognized his son as the legitimate king of England - James III. The British Parliament in response decided to increase military spending.
All this made the resumption of hostilities inevitable, but William did not live until May 1702, when the War of the Spanish Succession began. He died at Kensington Palace on March 19, 1702, from the effects of a fall from a horse. Since his marriage to Mary turned out to be childless, the throne passed to her younger sister Anna, his cousin and sister-in-law, according to the “Act of Succession and the Statute of the State Structure” (1701), which removed the Catholic branch of the Stuarts from power in favor of the Protestant Hanoverian dynasty.

So, William III of Orange is a Dutch stadtholder and English king, military commander and competent diplomat - was an outstanding politician late XVII - early XVIII centuries.
Starting your political activity With military career, Wilhelm achieved serious successes both in the field of military operations and in politics.
Wilhelm devoted almost his entire life to the fight against the influence of France, however, other European states were often his opponents.
Already being the king of England, the first years of his reign, William fought with the supporters of Jacob (the Jacobites). Irish Protestants (Orangists) still celebrate this day as a holiday and honor William of Orange as a hero.
An irreconcilable enemy of the most powerful Catholic king in Europe, Louis XIV, Wilhelm III fought against him on land and sea on numerous occasions. Louis did not recognize William as king of England and Scotland, supporting the claims of James II, and after the death of the latter in 1701, his son.
To fight the power of the Bourbons, William of Orange created a powerful army and the most significant English navy since the time of Elizabeth I.
The reign of William III marked a decisive transition to a parliamentary monarchy. Under him, the Bill of Rights of 1689 and a number of other fundamental acts were adopted.
During the reign of William of Orange in England, a constitutional monarchy was actually established.

WILHELM III of Orange(English) William, netherl. Willem van Orange) (November 4 (14), 1650, The Hague - March 19, 1702, London), King of England and Scotland from 1689, stadtholder of the Republic of the United Provinces from 1672. The reign of William III of Orange became for England the time of the formation of the principles of parliamentarism.

Statholder of Holland

The son of William II of Orange and Mary Stuart, daughter of Charles I Stuart, heir to the House of Orange was born after the death of his father. A few years later, the States General of the Republic of the United Provinces decided to deny William III the office of stathouder, which had traditionally been inherited by the princes of Orange. Later, the post of statholder was completely abolished. The prince grew up under the control of the Republicans, who suspected him of trying to seize power in the country.

William of Orange, from childhood surrounded by enemies and political rivals, became a cautious, secretive and withdrawn person. From his youth, he prepared himself for a political career, his education and interests were subordinated to this goal. He spoke eight languages ​​(besides Dutch), but showed little interest in art and literature. Despite a strict Calvinistic upbringing, the Prince of Orange was rather indifferent to matters of religion, but was a sincere supporter of religious tolerance.

From 1667, Wilhelm received the right to sit in the Council of State, thereby starting a political career. Gradually, his popularity in the country and the army grew along with the decline in the prestige of the republican government of Jan de Witt. From the beginning of the 1670s, with the intensification of the French threat, Wilhelm led the army of Holland, and in 1672, at the beginning of the war, he was appointed to the restored post of stathouder. Under his leadership, the Dutch managed to turn the tide of hostilities in favor of France: her troops invaded deep into the territory of Holland, and the French fleet dominated the sea. However, the flooding of part of the country's territory, carried out on the orders of William III, stopped the advance of the French. There was a coup d'état in Holland itself. Jan de Witt was assassinated and control of the state passed to the stadtholder. Having gained power, William III managed to find allies in the fight against France (England, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain). As a result of the war that ended in 1678, Holland managed to defend its independence and the integrity of the territory.

Chances for the English throne

The union with England was marked by the marriage of William III with his cousin Mary, the eldest daughter of the Duke of York, who later became King James II Stuart. This marriage gave William a chance at the English throne. He began to establish contacts with the English Protestant opposition, gradually organizing a circle of his supporters in Britain, and strengthening the alliance against Louis XIV of Bourbon.

The marriage to Mary Stuart was the result of a political calculation. William III of Orange was not prone to marital fidelity. However, relations between the spouses remained quite warm due to Mary's affection for her husband and her complete non-interference in state affairs. William's contacts with the English Protestant opposition aroused the suspicions of the Duke of York, who feared that his son-in-law was trying to bypass him to become the king of England. These fears were reinforced by the fact that in 1680, at the height of the conflict over the succession to the throne in England, the Prince of Orange offered himself as a "protector" (ruler) under the Catholic king as a guarantee of the preservation of the Protestant faith. After the defeat of the Whig opposition in the early 1680s, Wilhelm gave its leaders asylum in Holland. The figure of the Prince of Orange becomes a banner for all those dissatisfied with the policy of James II.

After the birth of a son by James II, who deprived the Prince of Orange of the chance to become king of England by law, the leaders of the opposition, who united representatives of different parties in their ranks, turned to William with a letter urging him to come to England and save her from the tyranny of James Stuart. In the spring of 1688, Wilhelm decided to act and began preparing a landing force for a landing in England.

Glorious Revolution

On October 10, 1688, William issued a declaration in which he promised to come to the aid of the English nation in order to preserve "the Protestant religion, liberty, property, and a free parliament." On October 19, 1688, 600 ships of the Dutch fleet with a 15,000-strong army on board set off for England and a few days later landed troops in the southwest of the country. The soldiers and officers of the army of King James II Stuart went over to the side of William; he was supported by uprisings in a number of counties. The English nobles went over to the side of the pretender en masse. In December 1688, Wilhelm entered London, from which James II managed to escape. The hastily assembled deputies of the "Whig" parliaments of 1679-1681 declared him the temporary ruler of the country and called elections to a new parliament, which was supposed to decide the issue of state power.

The opposition that brought Wilhelm to power was not the only one: the Tory Protestants who supported him were afraid of violating the principle of legitimacy and abandoning the hereditary monarchy. They proposed to transfer power to the legitimate heiress of James II, Mary, and her husband, William III, was to become co-ruler. Part of the Whigs sought to establish a republic. Both options did not suit the Prince of Orange, depriving him of the power he had counted on. According to a compromise reached by him and both houses of the new parliament, William and Mary were elected king and queen, but William's wife never interfered in the affairs of government, and William III became the de facto ruler.

During the reign of William of Orange in England, a constitutional monarchy was actually established. The new king was given power under a number of restrictions, formulated in the Bill of Rights passed by Parliament in 1689: the king could not suspend laws and levy taxes. Since then, Parliament met annually: it controlled the allocation of funds to the king and the armed forces. Freedom of parliamentary debate was guaranteed. The king retained the right to convene and dissolve parliament, he was free to choose and dismiss ministers, but ministers were responsible to parliament. According to the Bill of Toleration adopted in the summer of 1689, some of the sectarians were exempted from persecution. The Bill of Tolerance did not apply to Catholics, although in fact, during the reign of William III, the persecution against them ceased.

English king

Despite the victory of William, many supporters of the deposed King James II (Jacobites) remained in the British Isles: immediately after the coup, powerful uprisings broke out in Scotland and Ireland, which were suppressed only in 1691. But even later, conspiracies to raise a rebellion or kill William III of Orange did not stop.

The French king Louis XIV of Bourbon supported the deposed James II Stuart and refused to recognize the accomplishments of the Glorious Revolution. William III of Orange, in turn, initiated the creation of the Augsburg League, hostile to France. As a result of the War of the Palatinate Succession (1688-1697), William III of Orange achieved international recognition of his rights to the English throne and a number of important concessions from the defeated French.

After the conclusion of the Ryswick Peace in 1697, William III of Orange made great efforts to reach an agreement with Louis XIV of Bourbon regarding the fate of Spanish possessions after the death of the childless King Charles II of Habsburg. The French Bourbons and the Austrian Habsburgs were pretenders to the Spanish throne. William III of Orange sought to prevent the excessive strengthening of either France or Austria. According to the agreement reached in 1701, the French Prince Philip was to get the Spanish territories in Italy, and Spain itself, along with other possessions, should go to the Austrian Habsburgs. This project provoked criticism in the British Parliament, which considered that British interests were not sufficiently taken into account in it.

After the death of Charles II of Habsburg, the French king refused to comply with the treaty and put forward claims to all Spanish possessions. The Austrian Habsburgs opposed. In 1701, the War of the Spanish Succession began. However, English society was not ready for war. It was feared that a large army under the command of the king could become an instrument for a return to an absolutist regime.

However, after Louis XIV of Bourbon granted French merchants privileges in trade with the Spanish colonies in America, thereby infringing on the interests of the Dutch and the British, public opinion changed. In addition, James II Stuart, who lived in exile, died in 1701, and the French king recognized his son as the legitimate king of England - James III. In response, Parliament voted to provide funds for the preparation of the British army for war. In the midst of military preparations, William III of Orange died and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

(14.11.1650 - 08.03.1702)

English historians almost unanimously give William III high marks as the ruler of England and Scotland. During his reign, profound reforms were carried out that laid the foundation for the country's political and economic system. During these years, the rapid rise of England and its transformation into a mighty world power begins.

According to his father (William II of Orange), William III belonged to the influential Protestant dynasty of the Princes of Orange in the Netherlands, he bore the title of prince from birth (10 days before the birth of William, his father died of smallpox). On his mother's side, he is the grandson of the English King Charles I. He is married to his cousin, the daughter of the Duke of York (later James II), Mary. Since 1666, he was considered by the oligarchy as the heir to the highest post of the republic, the stadtholder (stadtholder).

In the Netherlands, the young prince was treated with caution, remembering that shortly before his death, his father tried to make a monarchical coup in the republic and become king. Jan de Witt (Dutch. Johan de Witt) was elected ruler. In the early 1670s, the Netherlands was involved in endless wars with England and later with France. As a result of a popular uprising, de Witt was killed (1672), and the 21-year-old Prince Wilhelm was proclaimed stadtholder and commander in chief.

With energetic measures, the young ruler stopped the French offensive, then formed a coalition with Brandenburg, Austria and Spain, with the help of which he won a number of victories and brought England out of the war (1674).

William's wife, Queen Mary II In 1677, William married Mary Stuart, daughter of the Crown Prince and future King of England, James II. Contemporaries reported that the relationship between the spouses was warm and friendly. This alliance and the defeat of the army of Louis XIV at Saint-Denis (1678) ended the war with France (though not for long).

In 1685, after the death of the childless English king Charles II, William's father-in-law, James II, who was unpopular among the people and also a Catholic, took the throne of England and Scotland, immediately set a course for the restoration of Catholicism in England and the absolute autocracy of the king. For some time, Jacob's opponents hoped for the death of the elderly king, after which his Protestant daughter Mary, William's wife, would take the throne of England. However, in 1688, a son was unexpectedly born to the 55-year-old James II, and this event served as the impetus for a coup. The anti-Jacobite forces agreed to invite the Dutch couple, Mary and Wilhelm, to replace the tyrant. By this time, William had visited England several times and gained great popularity there, especially among the Whigs.

In the same year, 1688, James II intensified the persecution of the Anglican clergy and quarreled with the Tories. He had practically no defenders left (Louis XIV was busy with the war for the Palatinate inheritance). The united opposition - parliament, clergy, townspeople, landowners - sent a call to William to lead the uprising and become king of England and Scotland.

On November 15, 1688, William landed in England with an army of 40,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. His standard was inscribed with the words: "I will support Protestantism and the freedom of England." He did not meet any resistance: the royal army, the ministry and even members royal family immediately went over to his side. James II fled to France, from where he tried to carry out the restoration, but without any success.

In January 1689, Parliament proclaimed William and his wife equal monarchs of England and Scotland. After 5 years, Maria died, and in the future, Wilhelm led the country himself. He ruled England, Scotland, Ireland, and also retained his power in the Netherlands - until the end of his life.

In the first years of his reign, William fought against the supporters of Jacob (the Jacobites), defeating them first in Scotland (1689), and then in Ireland (at the Battle of the Boyne, 1690). Irish Protestants (Orangists) still celebrate this day as a holiday and honor William of Orange as a hero. Orange color (family for the Orange dynasty) on the flag of Ireland is a symbol of the Protestants.

An irreconcilable opponent of the most powerful Catholic king in Europe, Louis XIV, Wilhelm repeatedly fought against him on land and at sea even when he was the ruler of the Netherlands. Louis did not recognize William as king of England and Scotland, supporting the claims of James II. To fight the Bourbon power, William of Orange created a powerful army and the most significant English fleet since the time of Elizabeth I. After a long series of wars, Louis XIV was forced to make peace and recognize William as the rightful king of England (1697). Nevertheless, Louis XIV continued to support James II, and after his death in 1701, his son, who declared himself James III.

Wilhelm was personally acquainted and friendly with the Russian Tsar Peter I, who during the Great Embassy (1697-1698) visited the Prince of Orange in both his possessions - both in the Netherlands and in England.

The reign of William III marked a decisive transition to a constitutional (parliamentary) monarchy. Under him, the Bill of Rights (1689) and a number of other fundamental acts were adopted that determined the democratic development of the English constitutional legal system for the next two centuries. The Tolerance Act also played a positive role, although some infringements on the rights of Catholics persisted for a long time.

In 1694, with the support of the king, the Bank of England was founded, and in 1702, shortly before his death, the king approved the creation of a united East India Company. The heyday of literature (Jonathan Swift)), science (Isaac Newton), architecture (Christopher Wren), and navigation began. Preparations are being completed for the mass colonization of North America. The memory of this is the name of the capital of the Bahamas "Nassau" (1695).

Shortly before his death (1701), William approved the “Act of Succession to the Throne”, according to which only adherents of the Anglican Church could henceforth occupy the British throne.

At the end of his life he suffered from asthma.

Wilhelm died of pneumonia, which was a complication of a broken shoulder. The king broke his shoulder in a fall from his horse, and it was rumored that this was due to the horse stepping into a wormhole. The Jacobites then willingly raised a toast "to that mole" ("the gentleman in the black waistcoat"). William and Mary had no children, and Mary's sister, Anna, took the throne.

The name "Great Britain" appeared later, then the country was still divided into the English and Scottish kingdoms with a common king.

The history of William III of Orange was rich in events, political and military victories. Most English historians give a high appraisal of his activities as ruler of England and Scotland. At this time, he managed to carry out a number of profound reforms, which laid the political and economic system of the country.

And also began the rapid rise of the English kingdom, which led to its transformation into a powerful state. At the same time, a tradition was established associated with the restriction of royal power. This will be discussed in short biography William III of Orange, below.

Birth, family

The birthplace of Willem van Oranje Nassou is the de facto capital of the Republic of the United Provinces of The Hague. He was born on November 4, 1650. Looking ahead, let's say, about the years of the reign of William III of Orange. He became the ruler of the Netherlands in the position of stathauder (literally "holder of the city") in 1672. King of England and Scotland - in 1689. He ruled until his death - 03/08/1702 - in London. It should be noted that our hero was on the throne of Scotland under the name of William 2. At the same time, he became the English king a little earlier - in February, and the Scottish - in April.

In the family of his father, Stadtholder Wilhelm number two, Prince of Orange, the prince was the only child. In a number of European states, a stadtholder, also known as a statholder, is a governor, a person who ruled any of the territories of a given state. A position similar to the Doge of Venice.

His mother was Mary Henrietta Stuart, the eldest daughter of the King of England, as well as Scotland and Ireland, Charles I. Her brothers were the sons of Charles I, the future kings Charles II and James II. Thus, the family of William III of Orange was royal.

name controversy

Literally two days after the birth of the future Prince of Orange, his father died of smallpox. Both paternal titles - prince and stadtholder - were not legally inherited, so little Wilhelm did not receive them right away. Meanwhile, his mother and paternal grandmother clashed over what to name the baby. The first wanted to name him Charles, after his father, the king. The second managed to insist on naming the boy Wilhelm. She hoped that her grandson would become a stadtholder.

Drawing up a will, Wilhelm's father planned to appoint his mother as the guardian of his son, but he did not have time to sign the document. According to the decision of the Supreme Court of 1651, custody was divided between the mother, grandmother and uncle of the child.

Childhood, education

Mother, Mary Henrietta Stuart, did not show much interest in her son. She rarely saw him, always consciously separating herself from Dutch society. At first, the education of William III of Orange was placed in the hands of several Dutch governesses. However, some of them were from England. Beginning in 1656, the future Prince of Orange began to receive daily religious instruction from a Calvinist preacher.

A short treatise on ideal education the future ruler, the author of which, presumably, was one of the mentors of Orange. According to this material, the prince was constantly inspired that fate had determined that his life goal was to become an instrument in the hands of God in order to fulfill the historical destiny of the Orange family.

Continuing education

Since 1959, Wilhelm studied at the University of Leiden for 7 years, albeit unofficially. After that, Jan de Witt, the great pensioner who at that moment actually ruled Holland, and his uncle forced the Dutch states to take responsibility for the formation of Orange. Since this was supposed to serve as a guarantee that he would acquire the skills necessary for the performance of public duties.

Since then, a struggle began for influence on William and his future fate between representatives of the United Dutch provinces on the one hand and the English royal dynasty on the other.

Intervention in the education of the prince by Holland began in the autumn of 1660, but it did not last long. When the boy was 10 years old, his mother died of smallpox. In her will, she asked King Charles II to look after the interests of her son. In this regard, Karl put forward a demand to the States that they stop interfering in the fate of Wilhelm.

From the end of September 1661, the intervention ceased, and the representative of the king, Zuillestein, was "seconded" to the boy. As a result of the 2nd Anglo-Dutch War, a peace treaty was signed, one of the conditions of which was to improve the position of the royal nephew. The leadership of the States officially declared Wilhelm a graduate of the government.

After that, Jan de Witt took over the boy's education. Every week he instructed the future William III of Orange on matters relating to government controlled, and also played with him a game called "real tennis" (the prototype of tennis). The next great pensioner, Gaspard Fagel, was more committed to Wilhelm's interests.

Carier start

The beginning of the career of William III of Orange was far from cloudless. After his father died, some of the provinces stopped appointing the next stadtholder. When the Peace Treaty of Westminster was signed, summing up the results of the 1st Anglo-Dutch War, he demanded that a secret appendix be concluded to it.

According to this annex, in order to prohibit the appointment by Holland of representatives of the Orange dynasty to the post of stadtholder, it is necessary to pass a special act of elimination. However, since the English Republic (with which the Dutch concluded an agreement) ceased to exist after the restoration of the Stuarts, it was recognized that this act had no legal force.

In 1660, Wilhelm's mother and grandmother made an attempt to convince some of the provinces to recognize him as a future stadtholder, but initially none of them agreed. On the eve of the young man's eighteenth birthday, in 1667, the Orange Party made another attempt to bring him to power by assigning him the posts of stathouder and captain-general.

Further confrontation

To prevent the restoration of the influence of the Princes of Orange, de Witt "gave the go-ahead" to the Haarlem pensioner Gaspard Fagel to call on the States of Holland to adopt the so-called Eternal Edict. According to the adopted document, the positions of captain-general and stadtholder of any of the provinces could not be combined in the person of the same person.

However, Wilhelm's supporters did not stop looking for ways that could lead to a rise in his prestige. To this end, in September 1668, he was proclaimed "First of the Noble" by the States of Zeeland. To accept this title, Wilhelm was forced to secretly arrive in Middelburg unnoticed by his teachers. A month later, his grandmother Amalia gave him permission to independently manage his yard, announcing his coming of age.

Cancellation of the post of stadtholder

Being a stronghold of the Republicans, the Dutch province in 1670 decided to abolish the position of stadtholder, and 4 more provinces followed suit. At the same time, de Witt demanded that every member of the city council (regent) take an oath supporting the edict. Wilhelm considered this development to be his defeat.

However, his chances for promotion were not exhausted. He had the opportunity to become a member of the army's high command. In addition, de Witt acknowledged that there was a possibility of making Wilhelm a member of the Dutch Council of State. The latter at that time was an authoritative body, with the prerogative of controlling the military budget. At the end of May 1670, the Prince of Orange was admitted to the council with the right to vote, and this despite the fact that de Witt insisted on participating exclusively in the discussions.

Trip to England

In November 1670, William was given permission to travel to England, during which he tried to convince King Charles I that he would at least partially return the debt of the Orange dynasty, which amounted to about 3 million guilders. At the same time, the prince agreed to reduce the amount of debt to 1.8 million.

The English king had to make sure that his nephew was a devoted Calvinist and a Dutch patriot. Therefore, he canceled his plans to appoint him as head of an entity completely dependent on the English crown, into which he, with the help of France, sought to turn the Republic of the United Provinces, in fact destroying it.

At the same time, Wilhelm saw that his relatives, the king's sons Karl and Jacob, unlike him, lead a life filled with mistresses and gambling.

Republican position

The following year, it became clear to the leaders of the Republic that it could not escape the invasion of the British and French. In the face of this threat, the States of Gelderland put forward a proposal to appoint Wilhelm to the post of captain-general in the near future, despite his youth and lack of experience. The states of Utrecht supported this proposal.

However, the States of Holland in 1672 offered to appoint the Prince of Orange to the specified position for only one military campaign, to which he refused. After that, it was decided to compromise: first appoint for one summer, and then, when the prince reaches 22 years old, make the appointment indefinite.

At the same time, Wilhelm sent a letter to King Charles, where he suggested that he, taking advantage of the situation, put pressure on the Dutch States to appoint his nephew as stadtholder. He, for his part, was ready to promote the union of England with the Republic. However, there was no reaction from Karl, he continued to prepare for war.

Proclamation as stadtholder and marriage

The beginning of the 1670s was marked for the Netherlands by involvement in long wars, first with England, and then with France. On June 4, 1672, at the age of 21, Prince Wilhelm was finally appointed both stadtholder and commander-in-chief at the same time. Shortly thereafter, in August, the de Witt brothers were brutally mauled by a mob provoked by the Prince's supporters, the Orangemen.

As for the involvement of the Prince of Orange himself in this cruel action, it has not been proven, but there is evidence that he prevented the instigators from being brought to trial. Moreover, some of them he presented for an award in the form of money or high positions.

This, of course, had a bad effect on his reputation, as well as the punitive expedition he initiated in Scotland, which is known in history as the massacre at Glencoe.

In that turning point Prince of Orange showed great abilities as a ruler, he distinguished himself strong character, hardened in the difficult years of republican rule for him. With the help of energetic measures, the young ruler managed to stop the offensive of the French troops, enter into a coalition with Austria, Spain and Brandenburg. With the help of the allies, in 1674 he won a series of victories, and England was withdrawn from the war.

In 1677 he got married. The wife of William III of Orange was his cousin Mary Stuart, who was the daughter of the Duke of York, who later became King James II of England. According to contemporaries, this union was distinguished by extraordinary warmth and goodwill. It was followed, in 1678, by the defeat of the troops of the French king Louis XIV near Saint-Denis, who summed up the war with the French, however, not for long.

Events of the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688

After the death of the English king, who had no legitimate children, his uncle James II, who was William's father-in-law, took his place on the throne of England and Scotland. He was extremely unpopular both among the people and among the ruling elite. It was believed that his desire was the restoration of Catholicism in England and the conclusion of an alliance with France.

For some time, Jacob's opponents had the hope that the king, being an elderly man, would soon leave this world, and English throne his daughter Mary, wife of Wilhelm, who was a Protestant, will enter. But this hope collapsed when Jacob, who had reached the age of 55, had a son in 1688, which became the impetus for a coup d'état.

The main groups, united on the basis of rejection of the policy of James II, agreed to invite a Dutch couple - Mary and Wilhelm, who were called to replace the "Catholic tyrant". There were reasons for that. By this time, the Prince of Orange had already visited England several times, gaining popularity there, especially with the Whig party.

In the meantime, Jacob was undertaking an increase in the persecution of Anglican priests, and he also quarreled with the Tories. Thus, he was practically left without defenders. His ally Louis XIV waged a war for the Palatinate Succession. Then the united opposition, consisting of the clergy, parliamentarians, townspeople and landowners, secretly turned to William with a call to become the head of the coup and take the crown of England and Scotland.

Victory

In November 1688, William of Orange landed on the English coast with an army of 40,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. His personal standard bore an inscription stating that he would support the freedom of England and the Protestant faith. At the same time, there was no resistance to Wilhelm. Without any delay, not only the royal army, ministers, but also members of the royal family went over to his side.

One of the decisive factors in the victory was that the coup had been supported by King James's closest associate, Baron John Churchill, who commanded the army.

The old king had to flee to France, but this did not mean that he resigned himself to defeat. When the Irish revolted against England in 1690, Jacob, having received military support from France, made an attempt to regain power. But in the Battle of the Boyne, under the personal leadership of William of Orange, the Irish Catholic army suffered a crushing defeat.

In the January days of 1689, he and his wife Mary were proclaimed monarchs of England and Scotland on an equal footing by Parliament. It should be noted that the first proposal that came to William from the Whigs was to become a consort, that is, only the husband of Queen Mary, who was called to reign alone.

However, they were categorically denied. It so happened that Mary died after five years, and William III of Orange continued to independently rule the country. At the same time, he ruled until the end of his life not only England and Scotland, but also Ireland, while maintaining power in the Netherlands.

What distinguished the years of government

Then he fought on land and at sea with Louis XIV, who did not recognize him as king. To do this, he created a powerful army and ph. As a result, Louis had no choice but to conclude peace in 1697 and recognize the legitimacy of power for William.

But despite this, the French king did not stop supporting James II, and after his death in 1701, his son, who declared himself King James III. An interesting fact is that William III of Orange was not only familiar, but also on friendly terms with Peter I, the Russian Tsar. The latter in the period from 1697 to 1698 (the Great Embassy) was visiting William - both in England and in the Netherlands.

Important Facts

Here are some of the most important facts that marked the reign of William III, which include the following:

• The transition to a parliamentary monarchy, which was facilitated by the adoption in 1689 of the Bill of Rights and a number of other acts. They determined the development of the constitutional and legal system in England for the next two centuries.
• The signing of the Act of Toleration, although referring only to Protestants who did not belong to the Anglican Church, and not concerning the infringed rights of Catholics.
• Foundation of the Bank of England in 1694 with the support of the king.
• Approval in 1701 of the Act of Succession to the Throne, according to which Catholics and persons married to them had no right to claim the English throne.
• Approval in 1702 of the creation of the United East India Company.
• The flourishing of science, literature, navigation.

In the last years of his life, Wilhelm suffered from asthma. He died in 1702 from pneumonia, which was a complication that followed a broken shoulder. Since the marriage of Mary and Wilhelm was childless, Mary's sister Anna became the heir to the throne.

D. Everything came together, apparently, to destroy a child weak from birth: Cromwell pursued him as a Stuart (by mother), Louis XIV took the Principality of Orange from him, and already in r. his mother died. The Republican Party was hostile to him because his father (who died shortly before his birth) tried to make the titles of captain general and stadtholder hereditary in his family. Already in his early youth, the firm, serious character of the prince began to be revealed. During the unrest that accompanied the invasion of Louis XIV in the city, Holland and Zeeland elected the prince stadtholder, and the Estates General - captain general and grand admiral of the republic. Wilhelm immediately aroused universal confidence; but the insignificance of his military means and the indecisive policy of the allies did not allow him to strike the enemy with strong blows. On April 11, he was defeated at Mont Cassel and was forced to lift the siege of Maastricht, Saint-Omer and Charleroi. Then V. began to fuss about how to arrange in their favor and in favor of the Dutch interests of England. In autumn he went to London and married there his cousin Mary, the eldest daughter of the future King James II. According to the peace concluded in Nimwegen in the city, the Netherlands Republic kept its territory intact and pledged to maintain neutrality in return. Since then, V. vigilantly followed the aggressive policy of Louis XIV. Indignant at the arbitrary seizures of Louis, he achieved the conclusion of a defensive treaty at the Gaga in the city and an alliance at Augsburg in the city, by means of which it was supposed to put an end to the French conquests. Since his father-in-law, James II, ascended the throne, V., as the wife of the future heir to the throne, has repeatedly rebelled against the violent measures of the king in church and political affairs. After the birth of the Prince of Wales (James III), whom the Protestants did not consider the son of the king, the Whigs and Torii united and asked V. for armed intervention in English affairs. In the summer of the year, supported by the States General, V. took up arms and landed in England on November 5 (on his accession to the throne and the fight against James II in Ireland - see Great Britain). In February, he became the head allied forces in the Netherlands, but as a military commander he was not successful either in this or in the following campaigns. While the English fleet was winning victories at sea, V. was defeated at Steenkerken in August, and at Neerwinden in July. Only in the city did he succeed in taking Namur. His strength was not in the talents of the commander, but in unshakable firmness, inspired by a deep faith in the rightness of the cause he defended. After the defeat, he was as calm as after the victory. The eight-year war with France ended in the city of Ryswick with the Peace, according to which the French government recognized the new order of things in England. When Louis XIV decided to make the Bourbons heirs to the Spanish throne, William first urged him to agree to the division of the Spanish possessions and concluded two agreements with him about this, in and years. After the death of Charles II, however, the grandson of Louis XIV came to the Spanish throne. V. persuaded Parliament to send troops to the Netherlands and concluded in The Hague a triple alliance between Austria and the maritime powers. Despite the fact that he would hardly have been able to persuade parliament in favor of war if Louis XIV had not offended the English nation by recognizing his son as king after the death of James II, under the name of James III. The new parliament, whose sessions opened in January, declared this course of action a breach of the peace. The war was decided, but V., whose health had already been upset for a long time, was not allowed to wait for it to begin; after a short illness, he died on March 19. V.'s unsociable character, his solitary life in Hamptoncourt and Kensington, his cold attitude towards the Anglican Church, his predilection for the Dutch, his strictness towards the Jacobites made him unpopular in Great Britain, while in the Netherlands he constantly enjoyed the greatest affection. He dearly loved his wife, Queen Mary, and long remained inconsolable after her loss. Deeply religious, he possessed, however, a quality so rare in his time - complete tolerance for other confessions. In the history of England, he left a deep mark; under him, the press was freed from censorship and the beginning of a truly parliamentary form of government was laid. The best characterization of V. belongs to Macaulay (in the "History of England").

Wed also: Trevor, "Life and times of William III" (London, 1835-1836); Vernon, "Court and times of William III" (Lond. 1841); Traill, "William the third" (London, 1888).

The article reproduced material from the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron.

William III of Orange, the ruler (stadtholder) of the Dutch (c) and the king of England (1689-1702). The political crisis in the Netherlands in 1672, caused by the French invasion, led to the restoration of the power of the ruler, whose place was taken by William III. The main task of Wilhelm III was the fight against the aggressive aspirations of France. Married to the daughter of King James II of England, V. III was called to England in 1688 to replace his father-in-law, who had turned against himself broad circles of the landowning and merchant bourgeoisie and caused the so-called Second English Revolution. Having become the English king, V. III continued to fight with France, uniting in his hands foreign policy and the armed forces of England and the Netherlands.

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