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Numismatic Medals
This SILVER medaille has been minted by the Paris Mint in 1975 to commemorate the coin of William III (1650 – 1702) and Mary II (1662 – 1694).
This SILVER medaille has been minted in 100 pieces and in bronze 400 pieces.
This SILVER medaille has the number V/C on the rim.
William III(William Henry;Dutch:Willem Hendrik; 4 November 1650– 8 March 1702), also widely known asWilliam of Orange, was the sovereignPrince of Orangefrom birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland,Utrecht,Guelders, andOverijssel in theDutch Republic from the 1670s, andKing of England,Ireland, andScotlandfrom 1689 until his death in 1702. As King of Scotland, he is known asWilliam II. [1]He is sometimes informally known as "King Billy" inIrelandand Scotland. His victory at theBattle of the Boynein 1690 is commemorated by Unionists, who displayorange coloursin his honour. He ruled Britain alongside his wife and cousinQueen Mary II, and popular histories usually refer to their reign as that of "William and Mary".
Mary II(30 April 1662– 28 December 1694) wasQueen of England,Scotland, andIreland, co-reigning with her husband,William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694.
diameter – 67 mm, (ca 2⅞”)
weight – 157.30 gr, (5.55 oz)
metal – SILVER, natural patina, hallmark on the rim
Proclaimed king
William summoned aConvention Parliamentin England, which met on 22 January 1689, to discuss the appropriate course of action following Jamess flight.William felt insecure about his position; though his wife preceded him in the line of succession to the throne, he wished to reign as king in his own right, rather than as a mereconsort. The only precedent for a joint monarchy in England dated from the 16th century, whenQueen Mary ImarriedPhilip of Spain. Philip remained king only during his wifes lifetime, and restrictions were placed on his power. William, on the other hand, demanded that he remain as king even after his wifes death. When the majority ofToryLords proposed to acclaim her as sole ruler, William threatened to leave the country immediately. Furthermore, Mary, remaining loyal to her husband, refused.
TheHouse of Commons, with aWhigmajority, quickly resolved that the throne was vacant, and that it was safer if the ruler were Protestant. There were more Tories in theHouse of Lords, which would not initially agree, but after William refused to be aregentor to agree to remain king only in his wifes lifetime, there were negotiations between the two houses and the Lords agreed by a narrow majority that the throne was vacant. On 13 February 1689, Parliament passed theBill of Rights 1689, in which it deemed that James, by attempting to flee, had abdicated the government of the realm, thereby leaving the throne vacant.
The Crown was not offered to Jamess infant son, who would have been theheir apparent under normal circumstances, but to William and Mary as joint sovereigns. It was, however, provided that "the sole and full exercise of the regal power be only in and executed by the said Prince of Orange in the names of the said Prince and Princess during their joint lives".
William and Mary were crowned together atWestminster Abbeyon 11 April 1689 by the Bishop of London, Henry Compton. Normally, the coronation is performed by theArchbishop of Canterbury, but the Archbishop at the time,William Sancroft, refused to recognise Jamess removal.
William also summoned a Convention of the Estates of Scotland, which met on 14 March 1689 and sent a conciliatory letter, while James sent haughty uncompromising orders, swaying a majority in favour of William. On 11 April, the day of the English coronation, the Convention finally declared that James was no longer King of Scotland. William and Mary were offered the Scottish Crown; they accepted on 11 May.
Rule with Mary II
Jacobite resistance
Although most in Britain accepted William and Mary as sovereigns, a significant minority refused to acknowledge their claim to the throne, instead believing in thedivine right of kings, which held that the monarchs authority derived directly from God rather than being delegated to the monarch by Parliament. Over the next 57 yearsJacobitespressed for restoration of James and his heirs.Nonjurorsin England and Scotland, including over 400 clergy and several bishops of theChurch of EnglandandScottish Episcopal Churchas well as numerous laymen, refused to take oaths of allegiance to William.
Ireland was controlled by Roman Catholics loyal to James, andFranco-Irish Jacobitesarrived from France with French forces in March 1689 to join thewar in Irelandand contest Protestant resistance at thesiege of Derry. William sent his navy to the city in July, and his army landed in August. After progress stalled, William personally intervened to lead his armies to victory over James at theBattle of the Boyneon 1 July 1690, after which James fled back to France.
Upon Williams return to England, his close friendDutch General Godert de Ginkell, who had accompanied William to Ireland and had commanded a body of Dutch cavalry at the Battle of the Boyne, was named Commander in Chief of Williams forces in Ireland and entrusted with further conduct of the war there. Ginkell took command in Ireland in the spring of 1691, and following several ensuing battles, succeeded in capturing bothGalwayandLimerick, thereby effectively suppressing the Jacobite forces in Ireland within a few more months. After difficult negotiations acapitulationwas signed on 3 October 1691—theTreaty of Limerick. Thus concluded the Williamite pacification of Ireland, and for his services the Dutch general received the formal thanks of theHouse of Commons, and was awarded the title ofEarl of Athlone by the king.
A series ofJacobite risingsalso took place in Scotland, whereViscount Dundeeraised Highland forces and won a victory on 27 July 1689 at theBattle of Killiecrankie, but he died in the fight and a month later ScottishCameronianforces subdued the rising at theBattle of Dunkeld. William offeredScottish clansthat had taken part in the rising a pardon provided that they signed allegiance by a deadline, and his government in Scotland punished a delay with theMassacre of Glencoeof 1692, which became infamous in Jacobite propaganda as William had countersigned the orders. Bowing to public opinion, William dismissed those responsible for the massacre, though they still remained in his favour; in the words of the historianJohn Dalberg-Acton, "one became a colonel, another a knight, a third a peer, and a fourth anearl."
Williams reputation in Scotland suffered further damage when he refused English assistance to the Darien scheme, a Scottish colony (1698–1700) that failed disastrously.
Death
In 1702, William died ofpneumonia, a complication from a broken collarbone following a fall from his horse, Sorrel. It was rumoured that the horse had been confiscated from Sir John Fenwick, one of the Jacobites who had conspired against William. Because his horse had stumbled into amolesburrow, many Jacobites toasted "the little gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat". Years later,Winston Churchill, in hisA History of the English-Speaking Peoples, stated that the fall "opened the door to a troop of lurking foes". William was buried in Westminster Abbey alongside his wife. His sister-in-law and cousin,Anne, becamequeen regnant of England, Scotland and Ireland.
Williams death meant that he would remain the only member of the DutchHouse of Orange to reign over England. Members of this House had served as stadtholder of Holland and the majority of the other provinces of the Dutch Republic since the time ofWilliam the Silent (William I). The five provinces of which William III was stadtholder—Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Overijssel—all suspended the office after his death. Thus, he was the last patrilineal descendant of William I to be named stadtholder for the majority of the provinces. Under William IIIs will, John William Frisostood to inherit the Principality of Orange as well as several lordships in the Netherlands. He was Williams closest agnatic relative, as well as grandson of Williams auntHenriette Catherine. However,Frederick I of Prussia also claimed the Principality as the seniorcognaticheir, his motherLouise Henriette being Henriette Catherines older sister. Under theTreaty of Utrecht(1713), Frederick Is successor, Frederick William I of Prussia, ceded his territorial claim toLouis XIV of France, keeping only a claim to the title. Frisos posthumous son,William IV, succeeded to the title at his birth in 1711; in theTreaty of Partition(1732) he agreed to share the title "Prince of Orange" with Frederick William.
Mary II was the eldest daughter ofJames, Duke of York, and his first wifeAnne Hyde. Mary and her sisterAnnewere raised asAnglicansat the behest of their uncle,King Charles II, although their parents bothconverted to Roman Catholicism. Charles lacked legitimate children, making Mary second in theline of succession. Shemarried her first cousin, William of Orange, aProtestant, in 1677. Charles died in 1685 and James took the throne, making Maryheir presumptive. Jamess attempts atrule by decreeand the birth of his son from a second marriage,James Francis Edward(later known as "the Old Pretender"), led to his deposition in theGlorious Revolutionof 1688 and the adoption of theEnglish Bill of Rights.
William and Mary became king andqueen regnant. Mary mostly deferred to her husband, a renowned military leader and principal opponent ofLouis XIV, when he was in England. She did, however, act alone when William was engaged in military campaigns abroad, proving herself to be a powerful, firm, and effective ruler. Marys death fromsmallpoxat the age of 32 left William as sole ruler until his death in 1702, when he was succeeded by Marys sister, Anne.
