Simone Lawson
William and Mary were joint sovereigns of Britain, ruling from 1689 to 1694. They were offered the throne by Parliament after deposing King James II, Mary's father, in what is known as the Glorious Revolution of 1688. William and Mary's reign saw a significant shift in power towards Parliament and away from the monarchy, with the passage of the Bill of Rights in 1689 greatly limiting royal power and broadening constitutional law. The Act of Settlement, which further restricted the powers of the Crown and addressed the religious aspects of succession, was another important accomplishment during their reign. Mary, a devoted Protestant, played a significant role in the transition to a more modern constitutional monarchy, especially when William was absent, fighting the French.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of ascension | 1689 |
| Type of ascension | Known as the "Glorious Revolution" |
| Previous monarch | King James II, Mary's father |
| Reason for ascension | James' conversion to Catholicism |
| Nature of rule | Joint sovereigns |
| Nature of relationship | Husband and wife |
| Nature of governance | Constitutional monarchy |
| Key legislation | Bill of Rights, Act of Settlement |
| Limitations on monarch | Control of finances, control of army, restrictions on suspending laws, levying taxes, or raising a standing army during peacetime without parliamentary consent |
| Limitations on succession | No Roman Catholic could ascend the throne, nor anyone married to a Roman Catholic |
| Other limitations | Sovereign could not establish their own courts or act as a judge |
| Other consequences | Shift in power from monarchy to Parliament |
| Length of reign | William: 1689-1702, Mary: 1689-1694 |
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What You'll Learn
The Bill of Rights
William and Mary were proclaimed joint sovereigns of Britain on 13 February 1689, during what became known as the Glorious Revolution. The ascension of William and Mary, along with their acceptance of the Bill of Rights, marked decisive victories for Parliament in its long struggle against the crown.
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The Act of Settlement
William and Mary's reign as constitutional monarchs was marked by significant accomplishments, including the acceptance of the Bill of Rights, which limited royal power and broadened constitutional law. This established parliamentary control over finances and the military, and barred Catholics from ascending the throne. William and Mary also oversaw the passage of the Toleration Act, guaranteeing religious freedom for non-conformist Protestants.
One of the most notable achievements of their reign was the Act of Settlement, passed in 1701, which secured the Protestant line of succession to the throne. The Act was a response to the deaths of Queen Mary in 1694 and the Duke of Gloucester, Princess Anne's only surviving child, in 1700. With no direct heirs, the throne would pass to Anne's half-brother James, an infant whose birth had sparked William of Orange's invasion of England in 1688.
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The Toleration Act
William and Mary's ascension to the throne of England was the result of a 17th-century Protestant power grab fuelled by fear and religious bigotry, known as the Glorious Revolution. William, a Dutch prince, married Mary, the daughter of the future King James II, in 1677. As a Protestant, William kept in close contact with the opposition to the Catholic king. After the birth of an heir to James in 1688, seven high-ranking members of Parliament invited William and Mary to England. William landed at Torbay in Devonshire with an army of 15,000 men and advanced to London, facing no opposition from James' army. James himself was allowed to escape to France, and in February 1689, Parliament offered the crown jointly to William and Mary, provided they accepted the Bill of Rights.
The Act was a political necessity that restored peace to a religiously pluralistic England and ended a period of persecution during which thousands of nonconformist Protestant ministers had died in jail. It demonstrated that the idea of a "comprehensive" Church of England had been abandoned and that hope lay only in toleration of division. The Act allowed Nonconformists their own places of worship and teachers and preachers, subject to the acceptance of certain oaths of allegiance. However, social and political disabilities remained, and Nonconformists were still denied political office, as were Roman Catholics.
The Act was seen as a compromise bill to gain the support of nonconformists in the crucial months of 1688. Both the Whig and Tory parties that had rallied around William and Mary promised nonconformists that such an act would be enacted if the revolution succeeded. James II had himself issued a declaration of indulgence that suspended the laws against religious nonconformity, but nonconformists believed that his efforts to undermine their civil liberties and circumvent parliament placed their religious liberties at risk. The Act had the effect of permitting the existence of lawful nonconformity, though nonconformists still had to pay tithes to the established church and endure many civil disabilities.
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The Declaration of Rights
The Declaration of Right, written in 1689, was a conservative document that outlined the wrongdoings of King James II and established limits on royal power and authority. It was a pivotal moment in the Glorious Revolution, which saw the overthrow of James II and the installation of William and Mary as constitutional monarchs.
The Declaration of Right was a response to the ideology of the Divine Right of Kings, which successive monarchs from James I to James II used to argue that their actions and decisions were not subject to interference by Parliament, the courts, or the church. The declaration asserted that while the king himself may be above the law, his servants were not and could be prosecuted for illegal acts, even if they were carrying out royal instructions.
The document contained two main parts: a list of grievances committed by James II, and 13 clauses establishing constraints on royal authority. The wrongdoings attributed to James II included attempting to "subvert and extirpate the Protestant religion and the laws and liberties of the kingdom". He was accused of dispensing and suspending laws without the consent of Parliament, as well as assuming and exercising the power to dispense with and suspend the execution of laws without parliamentary approval.
The Declaration of Right established important principles, including regular and free parliamentary elections, freedom of speech within Parliament, no taxation without Parliament's consent, freedom from government interference, the right to petition, and the right to just treatment by the courts. It also asserted that parliamentary debates and elections should be free and that Parliament should meet regularly.
The Declaration of Right was written into the English Bill of Rights, which received royal assent in December 1689. This bill greatly limited royal power and broadened constitutional law. It imposed a new oath of allegiance for officeholders, members of Parliament, and clergymen, and restricted the royal prerogative by forbidding the monarch to suspend laws passed by Parliament, levy taxes, or raise a standing army during peacetime without parliamentary consent. The Bill of Rights also laid down the future line of royal succession, declaring that no Roman Catholic would ever be sovereign of England.
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The Glorious Revolution
In February 1689, Parliament offered the crown jointly to William and Mary, provided they accepted the Declaration of Rights (later known as the Bill of Rights). This bill greatly limited royal power, broadened constitutional law, and granted Parliament control of finances, legislation, and the army. It also prescribed the future line of royal succession, declaring that no Roman Catholic would ever be sovereign of England. The bill was designed to ensure Parliament could function free from royal interference and established the important principle that the government was to be undertaken by the sovereign and their constitutional advisers, not by the sovereign's personal advisers.
The ascension of William and Mary as joint monarchs marked a significant shift in power dynamics. While William was present in England, Mary allowed him to rule, but when he was on the continent fighting the French each summer, Mary ruled alone and did so effectively. Mary's role in the establishment of cabinet government and the transition to a more modern constitutional monarchy is often overlooked. She was devoted to bringing about reform in the Church and improving the moral standing of the nation. William and Mary's reign cultivated a political climate for modern government in England, as Parliament began to assume a more prominent role over the monarch, which it would never again lose.
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Frequently asked questions
The Glorious Revolution, also known as the ascension of William and Mary, was a decisive victory for Parliament in its long struggle against the crown. It was a largely peaceful revolution that saw William and Mary become joint sovereigns of Britain.
The Bill of Rights was a constitutional document that received royal assent in December 1689. It imposed a new oath of allegiance, introduced restrictions on the royal prerogative, and laid down basic civil rights. The Bill greatly limited royal power and broadened constitutional law, granting Parliament control of finances and the army.
The Act of Settlement was a piece of legislation passed during the reign of William and Mary that addressed the dynastic and religious aspects of succession. It further restricted the powers and prerogatives of the Crown, requiring parliamentary consent for the Sovereign to engage in war or leave the country.
William and Mary's reign cultivated a political climate for modern government in England. Parliament began to assume a role over the monarch, which it would never lose. This led to stable and eventually democratic rule, independent of the whims of the crowned head of state.
