# Mary II of England

> Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 to 1694 (1662-1694)

**Wikidata**: [Q130812](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130812)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_II)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mary-ii-of-england

## Summary
Mary II of England was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 to 1694, ruling jointly with her husband William III in a coregency known as "William and Mary." Born in 1662, she played a pivotal role in establishing constitutional monarchy in Britain through the Glorious Revolution, which limited royal power and laid the groundwork for modern parliamentary democracy.

## Biography
- **Born**: April 30, 1662  
- **Nationality**: Kingdom of England  
- **Known for**: Joint reign with William III, establishment of constitutional monarchy, and the Bill of Rights 1689  
- **Employer(s)**: Monarch of the Kingdom of England, Scotland, and Ireland  
- **Field(s)**: Governance, politics  

## Contributions
- **Glorious Revolution (1688–1689)**: Mary II and William III ascended to the throne following the overthrow of James II, ending absolute monarchy and instituting parliamentary sovereignty.  
- **Bill of Rights 1689**: Enacted during their reign, this document codified civil liberties and restricted the powers of the monarchy, forming the basis of modern British governance.  
- **Coregency Model**: Established a precedent for joint monarchies, demonstrating collaborative governance between equals.  

## FAQs
**Who were Mary II’s parents?**  
Mary II was the daughter of James II of England and Anne Hyde.  

**What was Mary II’s relationship to William III?**  
Mary II ruled jointly with her husband William III, who was also her first cousin. Their marriage and coregency were pivotal to the Glorious Revolution.  

**How did Mary II die?**  
Mary II died of smallpox on December 28, 1694, at the age of 32.  

**What legacy did Mary II leave?**  
Her reign entrenched parliamentary authority over the monarchy, shaping Britain’s constitutional framework and influencing global democratic systems.  

## Why They Matter
Mary II’s reign marked a turning point in British history, transitioning from absolutism to constitutional governance. The Bill of Rights 1689, enacted under her rule, remains a cornerstone of British law and a model for democratic nations worldwide. Her collaboration with William III demonstrated the viability of shared power, reinforcing the principle that monarchs derive authority from Parliament and the people. Without her acceptance of these reforms, Britain’s political evolution—and by extension, its global influence—might have followed a far more autocratic trajectory.

## Notable For
- First queen regnant to rule jointly with her spouse under a formalized constitutional framework.  
- Central figure in the Glorious Revolution, which reshaped British governance.  
- Patron of the Old Royal Naval College, a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 1696.  
- Namesake of "William and Mary" co-regency, symbolizing the union of English and Dutch interests.  

## Body

### Early Life and Succession  
Mary II was born on April 30, 1662, to James, Duke of York (later James II of England), and Anne Hyde. She married her first cousin William of Orange in 1677, a union that strengthened Anglo-Dutch alliances. Following the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which deposed her Catholic father, Mary and William were jointly crowned monarchs in 1689.  

### Reign and Governance  
Mary II’s reign (1689–1694) was defined by the **Bill of Rights 1689**, which prohibited monarchs from suspending laws, levying taxes without parliamentary consent, or maintaining a standing army. This legislation established Parliament’s supremacy and enshrined Protestant succession, excluding Catholics from the throne. Mary supported William’s military campaigns against France, including the Nine Years’ War (1688–1697), which bolstered Britain’s European influence.  

### Death and Legacy  
Mary died of smallpox on December 28, 1694, at Kensington Palace. Her death led to William III’s sole rule until his death in 1702. The couple’s reign is remembered for stabilizing Britain after years of religious and political strife, fostering an era of scientific and cultural advancement epitomized by figures like Isaac Newton.  

### Related Entities  
- **William III**: Co-monarch and spouse, with whom she shared executive power.  
- **Kingdom of England**: The historic realm she governed, which merged with Scotland in 1707 to form Great Britain.  
- **Old Royal Naval College**: A landmark founded during her reign, reflecting her patronage of maritime and architectural projects.  

### Cultural Impact  
Mary II’s embrace of Protestantism and parliamentary governance reinforced Britain’s identity as a constitutional monarchy. Her reign saw the rise of the two-party system (Whigs and Tories) and the expansion of colonial ventures, laying foundations for the British Empire. Her legacy endures in the continued relevance of the Bill of Rights and the symbolic role of the monarchy as a unifying, non-partisan institution.

## References

1. The Peerage
2. Integrated Authority File
3. Source
4. RKDartists
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
8. SNAC
9. Find a Grave
10. FemBio database
11. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
12. A historical dictionary of British women
13. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
14. Online Dictionary of Dutch Women
15. CERL Thesaurus
16. Union List of Artist Names. 2016
17. [LIBRIS. 2012](https://libris.kb.se/katalogisering/qn2456b8105b523)
18. [Conceptbrief van Maria II aan Karel II, koning van Spanje, 1 oktober 1685. 1685](https://www.koninklijkeverzamelingen.nl/collectie-online/detail/a4b0761d-0686-5e4a-9a3b-8e13d85b2cd6)