The Glorious Revolution of 1688

One of the major issues was religion, which became a central point of conflict. The problem stemmed from the king, who was an Anglican but became a Catholic almost at the point of death. This created a problem from the very beginning. The Houses of Parliament were divided into two dominant groups: the Whig group and the Tory group. The Whigs were called 'Roundheads' and the Tories were called 'Cavaliers' during the Civil War. The fact that the king was surrounded by Catholics made things very difficult. The Tories were ready to support the king; the Whigs were less ready to support the king because they had supported Parliament during the Civil War.

Accession of James II (1685)

Charles II died without a legitimate heir, so his successor had to be his brother James. Charles II was a declared Anglican throughout his life, but at the last moment, he declared himself Catholic, as his brother was. So when he died in 1685, James became King as James II.

The Succession Question

James had a daughter called Mary, who was a declared Protestant. She married the King of Holland, William of Orange.

When he was older, he had another child, so, apart from Mary, there was another legitimate son. Law stated he would be the successor to the throne, which would change the situation totally.

The Glorious Revolution of 1688

However, the Houses of Parliament offered the crown to Mary and William and expelled James. This event is known as the Glorious Revolution.

James II Expelled, William and Mary Crowned

James II was forced to leave, so he had to abandon the country and became an exile in France. The throne of England was offered to William of Orange and Mary. This traditionally marked the end of the Stuart Dynasty.

Impact in Scotland and Ireland

This revolution was also known as the Bloodless Revolution, although in places like Scotland and Ireland, the events were bloody. In Scotland, there were Jacobites, who fought to restore James's son to the throne.

There were also people in favour of William of Orange in parts of Ireland. So now we have the famous Orange marches in places like Londonderry or Belfast, which commemorate the victory of William of Orange.

Traditionally, this is considered the end of the Stuart dynasty, although there are some doubts since Mary was James II’s daughter, and James II was a Stuart. However, it is traditionally viewed this way.

The fact that William of Orange and Mary occupied the English throne was difficult and produced conflicts in the peripheral territories:

The Jacobite Cause in Scotland

Scotland: James II was King of Scotland and had many supporters who fought for him; these were the Jacobites. They remained faithful to the King for years until they were defeated in 1746 at the Battle of Culloden.