Succession · monarch of England
Why did William III of England succeed James II of England?
Deposition by invasion and parliamentary settlement; joint monarchy with Mary II. Nephew and son-in-law — William was the son of James's sister Mary and the husband of his daughter Mary.
The short answer
In 1688 William of Orange landed at Torbay at the invitation of leading Englishmen alarmed by James's Catholic policies and the birth of a Catholic heir. James fled in December; the Convention Parliament ruled that he had abdicated and offered the crown jointly to William and Mary in February 1689, with the Bill of Rights setting conditions.
Who they were
Family relationship
Nephew and son-in-law — William was the son of James's sister Mary and the husband of his daughter Mary.
How power passed
Deposition by invasion and parliamentary settlement; joint monarchy with Mary II
Mary had the stronger hereditary claim as James's elder daughter, but William refused to be a consort, so the crown was vested in both — a unique joint monarchy. After Mary's death in 1694 William reigned alone. James's infant son, James Francis Edward, was passed over entirely; his descendants' claims fuelled the Jacobite risings.
Key points
- William landed 5 November 1688; James fled 23 December
- Convention Parliament declared the throne vacant; crown offered 13 February 1689
- Joint reign: William III and Mary II; William alone after 1694
- Bill of Rights 1689 limited royal power and barred Catholics from the throne
Related family connections
- How were William III of England and Mary II of England related?
First cousins — and husband and wife
Sources
- Glorious Revolution Invasion, flight of James, the settlement
- Bill of Rights 1688 The statutory settlement of the crown
Explanation written and reviewed by HistorIQly · reviewed 2026-09-18. Part of House of Stuart. Background on Wikipedia.