On This Day In History 4 November 1650 . King William III was born . About William; . . 👑 William III was sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, & Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1672, & King of England, Ireland, & Scotland from 1689 until his death. It is a coincidence that his regnal number (III) was the same for both Orange & England. As King of Scotland, he is known as William II. He is informally & affectionately known by sections of the population in Northern Ireland & Scotland as "King Billy". . ◼ William inherited the principality of Orange from his father, William II, who died a week before William's birth. His mother Mary, Princess Royal, was the daughter of King Charles I of England. In 1677, he married his mother's niece & his first cousin, Mary, the daughter of his maternal uncle James, Duke of York. . ◼ A Protestant, William participated in several wars against the powerful Catholic king of France, Louis XIV, in coalition with Protestant & Catholic powers in Europe. Many Protestants heralded him as a champion of their faith. In 1685, his Catholic father-in-law, James, became king of England, Ireland & Scotland. James's reign was unpopular with the Protestant majority in Britain. . ◼ William was invited to invade England by a group of influential political & religious leaders in what became known as the "Glorious Revolution", on 5 November 1688, William landed at the southern English port of Brixham. James was deposed & William & Mary became joint sovereigns in his place. They reigned together until her death on 28 December 1694 after which William ruled as sole monarch. . ◼ He died on 8 March 1702, of pneumonia, a complication from a broken collarbone following a fall from his horse, Sorrel . . . #Onthisdayinhistory #ThisDayInHistory #D4Nov #theyear1650 #WilliamIII #WilliamofOrange #KingWilliamIII #WilliamIIIofEngland #WilliamandMary #History #HouseofOrange #GloriousRevolution #Historyfacts #Royalty #Monarchy #kingbilly #Britishmonarchy #Thebritishmonarchy Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018 (at The Hague, Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpwgxorl5_R/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wikxc5tfylts