James II of England

James II and VII (14 October 1633 O.S. – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from February 1685 until he was deposed in the 1688 Glorious Revolution. He was the last Catholic monarch of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

James was the second son of Charles I of England and Henrietta Maria of France. He became Duke of York at birth. When he was 51, he became king after his brother, Charles II, died. Many people supported him because they believed the king should be chosen by family tradition. But many people did not want a strong Catholic government.

In 1688, two events caused problems. First, James had a son, James Francis Edward Stuart. This meant a Catholic family could continue forever. Second, James punished some leaders of the Church of England. But the people supported these leaders, and James's power began to fail. Important leaders asked William of Orange, who was James's nephew and son-in-law, to become king instead. When William landed in Brixham in November 1688, James's soldiers left him, and he fled to France. In February 1689, Parliament decided that the throne was empty and made William and his daughter Mary the new rulers. This showed that the power of the king came from Parliament, not just from being born into the royal family. James tried to take back his kingdoms by going to Ireland, but he was defeated and lived the rest of his life in exile in France at Saint-Germain.

Early life

James was born on 14 October 1633 at St James's Palace in London. He was the second son of King Charles I and his wife, Henrietta Maria of France. James learned from private teachers, just like his older brother, who later became King Charles II.

In 1642, there were big political problems that started the First English Civil War. James and his brother were at the Battle of Edgehill, but they moved to Oxford for safety during the war. After the war ended, James went to The Hague in 1648 to stay safe.

Later, James lived in France and joined the French army. He learned more about fighting and led soldiers in some battles. When France made peace with Spain in 1659, James came back to England after his brother Charles II became king in 1660.

Restoration

After the Commonwealth ended in 1660, Charles II became king of England, Ireland, and Scotland. James, who was next in line to the throne, became Duke of Albany in Scotland. He married Anne Hyde, the daughter of Charles II's chief minister.

James held many important jobs, including Lord High Admiral. He worked with the navy and fought in sea battles. He also helped during the Great Fire of London in 1666. In 1664, Charles II gave James land between the Delaware and Connecticut rivers. This land later became New York.

James secretly became a Roman Catholic in the late 1660s but did not tell anyone until 1673. When the Test Act required officials to follow Anglican practices, he refused and left his naval job. Even so, Charles II allowed him to marry Mary of Modena. Many people did not trust Mary because she was Catholic.

People became worried about James becoming king, especially because Charles II and his wife had no children. A false story called the "Popish Plot" spread fear about James taking the throne. This led to tries to pass an Exclusion Bill to stop him from becoming king, but Charles II stopped these tries by dissolving Parliament. These events helped create the early Whig and Tory parties in England.

Reign

Accession to the throne

Main article: Coronation of James II and VII and Mary

King Charles II died in 1685, and his brother James became king. He was called James II of England and James VII of Scotland. People were happy at first, and he was crowned with his wife, Mary, in April. James tried hard as king but sometimes did not listen to others who disagreed with him.

Two rebellions

Main articles: Monmouth Rebellion and Argyll's Rising

James faced two uprisings soon after becoming king. One was led by his nephew in southern England, and the other by a leader in Scotland. Both uprisings were defeated. James was very strict with his enemies after these events.

Religious liberty and dispensing power

James wanted to stop more uprisings by building a bigger army, which worried many people. He used his power to let Catholics have important jobs without taking certain promises, which upset many in Parliament. James stopped meeting with Parliament and asked for more religious freedom for Catholics and some Protestants. He changed universities and local governments to support his ideas, which made more people oppose him.

Deposition and the Glorious Revolution

Main article: Glorious Revolution

In 1688, James allowed Catholics and some Protestants more freedom. When seven bishops asked to change his religious policies, they were arrested. People worried that if the queen had a Catholic baby, there would be a Catholic ruler. Some important Protestants invited William of Orange to come to England. William brought an army, and many of James's officers and his own daughter Anne joined William. James lost his confidence and did not attack the invading army. He tried to escape to France but was caught and then allowed to leave for the Netherlands. William called a meeting to decide what to do about James's escape. The meeting said James had left the throne and it was empty. James's daughter Mary and her husband William were declared king and queen. Parliaments in England and Scotland passed laws to limit the king's power and say that Catholics could not become king.

Attempt to regain the throne

Main article: Williamite War in Ireland

James tried to take back his throne by landing in Ireland in 1689 with French troops. The Irish Parliament still called him their king. But James lost at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 to William, who led an army to restore English rule. After this defeat, James ran away to France and never came back to his old kingdoms.

Later, James lived out his years in France. His last child, Louisa Maria Teresa, was born in 1692. Some of his followers in England planned to put him back on the throne with a plot against William, but it did not work. James died in 1701 at age 67. He was buried in Paris.

Later Hanover succession

After William died in 1702, Anne, James’s younger daughter, became the next ruler. If there were no more rulers from the line set by the Bill of Rights, the throne would pass to Sophia, Electress of Hanover, a German cousin, and her Protestant descendants. Sophia was related to the royal family through her mother, Elizabeth Stuart, who was the sister of Charles I. When Anne passed away in 1714, just a short time after Sophia had died, George I, Sophia’s son, became the new king. He was the Elector of Hanover and Anne’s second cousin.

Subsequent uprisings and pretenders

After James II died, his son James Francis Edward was seen by some as the true king, called "James III and VIII." He tried to take the throne in 1715 but was defeated. Later, his son Charles Edward Stuart also tried in 1745 but failed too. These were the last big efforts to bring back the Stuart kings.

Charles's claim then went to his brother Henry Benedict Stuart, who was an important leader in the Catholic Church. He was the last of James II's children with a right to the throne. After he died without children in 1807, no one else has claimed to be the Stuart king.

Historiography

Views on James II have changed over time. Early historians called him a strict ruler who cared only about his power. Later writers saw him more fairly, noting he wanted religious freedom for Catholics but used strong ways.

Some modern historians think James was a thoughtful leader who tried to help his country. Others think he was too focused on his own ideas and didn’t understand his people’s needs. Experts still discuss his actions and goals.

Titles, styles, honours, and arms

James had many important titles during his life. Before he became king, he was called the Duke of York, the Earl of Ulster, and the Duke of Albany. When he became king in 1685, people called him "His Majesty The King." His official title in England was "James the Second, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc." In Scotland, he was known as "James the Seventh."

James was also a Knight of the Garter and served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He had special coats of arms to show his role as king. Before becoming king, his coat of arms had three white spots on a red background. As king, his coat of arms mixed symbols from France, England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Family tree

James II was the fourth Stuart king of England. He was part of a big family of rulers. In four generations of the Stuart family, there were seven kings and queens who ruled. James II had two children who also became rulers. The House of Stuart stayed important after the 1603 Union of the Crowns.

!House of Stuart

Issue

James II had children from both of his marriages. With his first wife, Anne Hyde, he had two daughters named Mary and Anne. They both later became queens of England. With his second wife, Mary of Modena, he had a son named James Francis Edward Stuart. This son was born in 1688. His birth caused concern because it raised questions about who would be the next king or queen.

The family ties of James II were important in the political conflicts of his time, especially about the balance of power between the king and Parliament.