Marriage of Mary II and William of Orange
- When
- 1677
- Where
- St James's Palace
- Episodes
- 1
Mary II and William of Orange married on 4 November 1677 at St James's Palace in London. The union, officiated by Bishop Henry Compton, linked the English royal family with the Dutch House of Orange. This marriage established Mary as Princess of Orange and positioned William as a candidate for the English throne.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. William of Orange, the sovereign Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, sought to improve his political position during the war with France. He married his first cousin, Mary, the elder daughter of James, Duke of York. This union connected the Dutch and English royal houses, with Mary later becoming Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Marriage Ceremony. The couple was married on 4 November 1677 at St James's Palace. Bishop Henry Compton officiated the ceremony. Mary was described as tearful during the event. Following the marriage, Mary assumed the title of Princess of Orange, a style she held until 1689. The specific date corrects the legacy placeholder of 1 January.
People involved
- Mary II · Bride, later Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland
- William of Orange · Groom, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder
- Henry Compton · Officiating Bishop
Sources
- Mary II Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-24
- William III of England Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.