William III

Page 1 of 8

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Early years
• 3. Opportunism
• 4. Crusade against Louis
• 5. Effect in Britain
• 6. Resolving religious tension
• 7. Towering triumph
• 8. Find out more
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Introduction

For many people, the most memorable image of William III is bound close to the Battle of the Boyne, in which he defeated the Catholic James II (James VII of Scotland) in 1690. To this day he is represented in this battle - which took place on the banks of the River Boyne, County Louth - on the murals of loyalist Protestant Belfast. There he is shown triumphant, on a rearing white charger, scattering James's Catholic army - a symbol of Protestant salvation.

'... William's contribution to British and Irish history stemmed from his relative indifference to these islands.'

Yet though this is the most visible element of William's legacy, it is perhaps the most misleading. This king in fact had little focus on Ireland's Protestants (or on any other Britons), and many of his most significant achievements were achieved far away from the Boyne.

Curiously, William's contribution to British and Irish history stemmed from his relative indifference to these islands. His career explains this. William was born in the Hague in 1650. Although his mother Mary was English (a daughter of King Charles I), his father William (who died of smallpox days before his son's birth) was an Orange-Nassau, a member of the most powerful family in the United Provinces of the Netherlands. This paternal legacy would always shape the future king's life.

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Published: 2004-07-08