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Table of Contents
Mary II was the Queen of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until her death. She co-reigned the monarchy with her husband William III of Orange. As her husband was primarily engaged in military campaigns, Mary II remained in England to administer the government. She sought her husband’s advice but proved to be a firm and effective leader on her own.
See the fact file below for more information on Mary II or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Mary II worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Early Life
- Mary II was born on April 30, 1662, at St. James’s Palace in London.
- Her name has a variation of Mary Stewart or Mary Stuart.
- She was the eldest daughter of the Duke of York and the future King James II and VII, and his first wife, Anne Hyde.
- Her uncle, Charles II, ruled the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland when she was born.
- Her father converted to Roman Catholicism, which the King opposed, and ordered Mary II and her sister Anne to be raised Protestant through the Church of England. They were raised by a governess, Lady Frances Villiers, and separated from their parents at the Richmond Palace.
- Private tutors handled Mary II’s education but were limited to music, dance, drawing, French and religious instruction.
- Her mother died when she was nine years old, and her father remarried when she was twelve. Her stepmother, Mary II of Modena, was only four years older than her. She was also a Catholic that many British people, who were distrustful of Catholicism, believed to be the agent of the Papacy.
Marriage to William III of Orange
- At 15, King Charles arranged for Mary II to marry her cousin. William III of Orange, Mary II’s father was initially against the arrangement.
- He eventually gave in after the pressure of the King and the Chief Minister, Lord Danby, telling him that it would improve the Duke’s popularity among Protestants. Mary II “wept all that afternoon and the following day” after being told about her impending marriage.
- William and Mary II were married in St. James Palace on November 4, 1677. After a month, Mary II accompanied her husband to the Netherlands. The newlyweds made a formal entry to The Hague in a grand procession.
- Mary II had become popular with both Dutch and British people. She captured the hearts of the Dutch people with her charming personality and made the British happy by marrying a Protestant. Her husband mainly was away in his military campaigns, but that only allowed her to show the people how devoted she was to him.
- It took only months after their marriage when Mary II became pregnant. However, while visiting her husband in the city of Breda, she suffered a miscarriage. This event may have permanently impaired her ability to bear children as she suffered from multiple miscarriages in the following years.
Mary II’s Father’s Reign
- Charles II died in February 1685. Without a legitimate son, Mary II’s father, James, took over his brother’s throne and became James II of England and Ireland and James VII in Scotland. It also made Mary II the heir presumptive.
- Charles II’s illegitimate son, James, the Duke of Monmouth, surfaced and assembled an invasion force at Amsterdam. William informed his father-in-law about it, and they were able to defeat, capture and execute the Duke of Monmouth.
- Mary II’s father passed a controversial religious policy to grant religious liberty to Non-Anglicans. He also advocated repealing the penal laws in all three kingdoms. He allowed Roman Catholics to hold the highest positions in his kingdom and replace office holders at court with papist favorites after receiving the papal nuncio, Ferdinando d’Adda.
- These actions decreased his popularity among the British Anglicans and further alienated him from his daughter.
- Additionally, when the Catholic King of France invaded Orange and persecuted Huguenot refugees in the area, James refused to help her and William.
- The King also encouraged Mary II’s staff to tell her that William was having an affair with the daughter of her childhood governess. William denied it, and Mary II believed and forgave him. The said affair may have been meetings to exchange diplomatic intelligence.
- During this time, disappointed Protestant politicians and noblemen were in contact with Mary II’s husband. The final straw was when James II tried to make people believe that his wife gave birth to a son to secure a Catholic succession. With the help of her sister Anne, Mary II was able to confirm that the newly born child was not their natural brother.
- Seven noblemen, later called the “Immortal Seven,” quietly approached William to come to England with an army and overthrow James as the King of England.
- Being raised as a Protestant, Mary II supported her husband to invade England in November 1688, which we now call the Glorious Revolution. Her father fled the country after a month while she arrived in London in February. Mary II, the heir apparent, refused to take over the crown and become the sole ruler of the Three Kingdoms. A Scottish historian wrote that Mary II convinced her husband that she did not care about political power. She would continue to be his wife and obey him as she had promised to do in her wedding vows.
Mary II & William’s Reign
- On April 11, 1689, Mary II and William were crowned to share the monarchy and rule England, Scotland, and Ireland. Mary II mainly administered the government while her husband was directing Military campaigns outside of England. She, however, relied on his advice.
- Mary II proved to be a firm ruler. She ordered the arrest of her uncle and, later dismissed from the position, the 1st Earl of Marlborough, John Churchill, who were both plotting to restore James to power.
- The arrest of the Earl of Marlborough caused further estrangement from her sister Anne who appeared beside the wife of Churchill. She and her sister Anne already had a falling out early on her reign because of money.
- Mary II’s religious beliefs were evident in her proclamations about combating licentiousness, insobriety, and vice. She also attended the church’s affairs, and all the matters concerning ecclesiastical patronage passed through her hands.
- Mary II and William accepted the Bill of Rights drawn up by a Convention of Parliament, which set out certain basic civil rights and gave clear instructions on who was next to inherit the crown
Mary II’s Death
- Mary II was described as the healthiest among Anne and William with no history of serious illness, unlike the other two.
- However, in late 1694, she contracted smallpox. She did not allow anyone to be near her to avoid the spread of the disease.
- After several days, the smallpox lesion disappeared on Mary II’s skin. She also said that she felt better. Her attendants hoped that it was measles rather than smallpox that got her.
- However, they did not know that the rash had “turned inward,” which was worse than they thought. Mary II died on the morning of December 28 at Kensington Palace. She was only 32.
- Mary was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey. Her funeral service was one of the first to be attended by all the members of both House of Parliament.
Mary II Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Mary II across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Mary II was the Queen of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until her death.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Mary II Facts
- A Queen’s Early Life
- The People’s Queen
- The Queen’s Life
- Becoming A Queen
- A Queen and a Wife
- Defying her Father
- The King and the Queen
- Like Father, Like Daughter?
- Family or Religion
- Your Favorite Queen
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Link will appear as Mary II Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 4, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.