On This Day

Prince William of Orange (27) marries English princess Mary II Stuart (15)

Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694.

Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. She was also Princess of Orange following her marriage on 4 November 1677. Her joint reign with William over Britain is known as that of William and Mary. Mary was born during the reign of her uncle King Charles II. She was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York (the future James II of England), and his first wife, Anne Hyde. Mary and her sister Anne were raised as Anglicans at the behest of Charles II, although their parents both converted to Roman Catholicism. Charles lacked legitimate children, making Mary second in the line of succession. At the age of 15, she married her cousin William of Orange, a Protestant.

Historical Significance

Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694.

Key People

William III

Mary II

Events Before

  1. Battle of Öland: allied Danish-Dutch forces defeat the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea, during the Scanian War (1675–79)

    The Scanian War (Danish: den Skånske Krig; Norwegian: den skånske krig; Swedish: Skånska kriget; German: Schonischer Krieg) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway,...

  2. Feodor III succeeds his father and becomes Tsar of Russia

    Alexei Mikhailovich, also known as Alexis, was Tsar of all Russia from 1645 until his death in 1676.

  3. King Philip's War: a force of 1,500 Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and Narragansett Indians kill over 30 men and destroy buildings i

    King Philip's War: a force of 1,500 Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and Narragansett Indians kill over 30 men and destroy buildings in Lancaster, Massachusetts

  4. Sudbury, Massachusetts, attacked by Indians

    The Sudbury Fight (April 21, 1676) was a battle of King Philip's War, fought in what is today Sudbury and Wayland, Massachusetts, when approximately five hundred Wampanoag, Nipmuc, and Narragansett...

  5. Battle of Etna - Netherlands and Spain vs France, M de Ruyter fatally wounded

    Battle of Etna - Netherlands and Spain vs France, M de Ruyter fatally wounded

Events After

  1. John Bunyan's Christian novel "The Pilgrim's Progress" is published in London by Nathaniel Ponder

    John Bunyan's Christian novel "The Pilgrim's Progress" is published in London by Nathaniel Ponder

  2. Venetian Elena Cornaro Piscopia is awarded a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Padua, the first woman to re

    Venetian Elena Cornaro Piscopia is awarded a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Padua, the first woman to receive a university doctoral degree or PhD

  3. Hamburg State Opera opens in Hamburg, inaugurated with Johann Theile's "Adam und Eva"

    Hamburg State Opera opens in Hamburg, inaugurated with Johann Theile's "Adam und Eva"

  4. Earl of Shaftesbury freed from the Tower of London

    Earl of Shaftesbury freed from the Tower of London

  5. French troops conquer Ypres

    Ypres is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name Ieper is the official one, the city's French name Ypres is most commonly used in English.

More from the 1670s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 14, 1677?
Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. She was also Princess of Orange following her marriage on 4 November 1677. Her joint reign with William over Britain is known as that of William and Mary.
Why is Prince William of Orange (27) marries English princess Mary II Stuart (15) significant?
Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694.
Who was involved in Prince William of Orange (27) marries English princess Mary II Stuart (15)?
Key figures include William III, Mary II.

Explore More