"Despite the considerable opposition he faced, William achieved much as King. He retained the crown; guided the nation through a protracted war; established Britain as central to the anti-French alliance; committed the nation to the Hanoverian succession; oversaw the transformation of public finances; altered the relationship between Church and State; and worked with Parliament. This last point distinguished him from Charles II and James II. They preferred to use the legislature only occasionally, managing to reign without it for long periods. William had no such choice. And though he was not always able to get his way—witness his failures over triennial parliaments and Irish estates—he was able to avoid a fundamental breakdown in relations between Crown and Parliament. That was not easy, for he was a foreign invader who spent vast amounts of English tax revenues abroad. Fundamental to his success was his Protestantism and his appreciation of the need to rule through Parliament via English ministers. These were no small matters, for James had failed on both counts. Moreover, as time passed, William was able to tie more and more of the political nation to his regime."
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Anglicans from the United KingdomMonarchs from EnglandMonarchs from ScotlandPeople from The HagueMonarchs from the Netherlands
Original Language: English
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Sources
Julian Hoppit, A Land of Liberty? England, 1689–1727 (2000), p. 165
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_III_of_England
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William III of England
1650 – 1702
William III of England (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William II of Scotland and William of Orange, was a Dutch aristocrat and the Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scotland from 11 April 1689, in each case until his death.
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