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William and Mary
William III and Mary II are the only joint reigning sovereigns in English history. Brought to power as a result of the Glorious Revolution of 1688-9 which deposed Mary's father - the Catholic King James II - their reign was a crucial period during which new restrictions of royal power helped to lay the foundations of modern constitutional monarchy. In this first biography of the two monarchs for over thirty years, John Van der Kiste provides a lively and accessible account of their lives and times. William, one of the leading Protestant champions of Europe, and Mary, his young cousin and wife, reigned jointly for only five years. In 1694 Mary died from smallpox and William ruled alone for another eight years. Although short, their reign was notable for the inauguration of the Declaration of Rights and triennial elections, both of which limited the sovereign's power and reaffirmed parliament's. In warfare, however, it was another although William was the first monarch who was not granted an independent income, he was also one of the last to lead his armies in person. He involved England decisively in European affairs and created a new balance of power on the continent. During William's absences at war, Mary was regent. Although she had wept when first told, aged fifteen, that she was to marry her unprepossessing and charmless cousin, they developed a close and loving relationship. Popular with the nation, a connoisseur of architecture, music and gardens, she encouraged the work of Henry Purcell and persuaded William to buy Kensington House, which was rebuilt by Wren and later became one of the major royal residences. This new biography not only recounts William and Mary's lives and reign but also explores their political influence, the troubled relationships with Mary's father, with her sister - and husband's successor - Anne, and with Charles II's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth who mounted an unsuccessful challenge to the throne. It will be essential reading for all those interested in Stuart history and in the development of the monarchy.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
51 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
John van der Kiste
171 books51 followersJohn Van der Kiste, British author, was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, on September 15, 1954, son of Wing Commander Guy Van der Kiste (1912–99). He was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, where he briefly formed a rock band Cobweb with fellow pupil Miles Tredinnick, later vocalist with new wave band London and subsequently playwright and scriptwriter, and read Librarianship at Ealing Technical College, where he edited the librarians’ student magazine.
He has worked for several years in public and academic libraries, but is best known as a writer. His first book, Frederick III, appeared in 1981, and since then he has published over twenty historical biographies, as well as books on local history, true crime, rock music, a novel and a play. He is also a contributor to Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Guinness Rockopaedia, and has produced articles on historical, musical and art subjects in national and local journals, including Illustrated London News, Royalty Digest, European Royal History Journal, Best of British, BBC History Magazine, Record Collector, Antique Collector, This England, The Independent, and Gibbons Stamp Monthly. He has reviewed books and records for the press, written CD booklet notes, and between 1991 and 1996 edited the 70s rock fanzine Keep on Rockin.
In 2002 he was a consultant for the BBC TV documentary 'The King, the Kaiser and the Tsar', first screened in January 2003.
He married professional musician and teacher Kim Graham (née Geldard) in 2003 and lives in Devon.
He has worked for several years in public and academic libraries, but is best known as a writer. His first book, Frederick III, appeared in 1981, and since then he has published over twenty historical biographies, as well as books on local history, true crime, rock music, a novel and a play. He is also a contributor to Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Guinness Rockopaedia, and has produced articles on historical, musical and art subjects in national and local journals, including Illustrated London News, Royalty Digest, European Royal History Journal, Best of British, BBC History Magazine, Record Collector, Antique Collector, This England, The Independent, and Gibbons Stamp Monthly. He has reviewed books and records for the press, written CD booklet notes, and between 1991 and 1996 edited the 70s rock fanzine Keep on Rockin.
In 2002 he was a consultant for the BBC TV documentary 'The King, the Kaiser and the Tsar', first screened in January 2003.
He married professional musician and teacher Kim Graham (née Geldard) in 2003 and lives in Devon.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 11, 2016
I came to this book with a basic understanding of William and Mary, I finish it with an incredibly high respect and admiration for these two who I now consider to be not only the most appallingly underrated and under-valued Monarchs in British history, but also believe that they deserve to be up there with those that are considered to be the greatest Monarchs in British history. And this is thanks to the work of Van Der Kiste.
The author doesn't seek to glorify his subjects, he points out their flaws (more so - understandably - in Williams case). But he does succeed in highlighting that their era had a profound effect on shaping the country that we now come to know as Britain today.
It is a perfect introduction to William & Mary, not overloading with information, and each chapter is concisely laid out.
From the outside, William & Mary are not the most charismatic of figures, certainly when compared to the likes of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Charles II to name but a few. But they were also two of the most personal and most down to earth Monarchs we have ever had. Certainly for the Seventeenth Century.
They both loathed sycophancy, both hated pomp and ceremony, and were at their happiest when they were choosing delftware, porcelain and exotic flowers for their homes and gardens, or attending to church matters and pouring over state documents.
William, never the most handsome of men and never one to dress extravagantly, was afflicted with terrible asthma. Yet continually he was on the Battle field every year leading his army mostly against the French, sleeping on camp beds. Mary, who believed a woman's role was to support her husband, and suffered from chronic depression, won friends and admirers with her natural charm. And when called on to step in during William's absences, she did so with a natural ease that showed a firm ruler.
There are many policies we can date to the reign of William & Mary, the 'Bill or Rights' that saw power passed from Crown to Parliament, establishing the Constitutional Monarchy Britain has today. The Bank of England was formed. The 'Act of Succession' which established only Protestants could inherit the throne.
Not to mention the fascinating story of how William and Mary to the throne, the 'Glorious Revolution' which saw Mary's father James II overthrown. An act which behind closed doors caused Mary much heart ache and distress, but on the outside she was criticised for being cold and aloof.
William & Mary story is one that on the outside appears cold and dull, but scratch the surface and you have two very down to earth unassuming individuals placed in a unique position, who believed Monarchy was not just about 'divine right of Kings', and who shaped the Britain we know today.
Van Der Kiste does his subjects complete justice in this terrific, easily digestible biography of two of Britain's most underrated and undervalued Monarchs.
The author doesn't seek to glorify his subjects, he points out their flaws (more so - understandably - in Williams case). But he does succeed in highlighting that their era had a profound effect on shaping the country that we now come to know as Britain today.
It is a perfect introduction to William & Mary, not overloading with information, and each chapter is concisely laid out.
From the outside, William & Mary are not the most charismatic of figures, certainly when compared to the likes of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Charles II to name but a few. But they were also two of the most personal and most down to earth Monarchs we have ever had. Certainly for the Seventeenth Century.
They both loathed sycophancy, both hated pomp and ceremony, and were at their happiest when they were choosing delftware, porcelain and exotic flowers for their homes and gardens, or attending to church matters and pouring over state documents.
William, never the most handsome of men and never one to dress extravagantly, was afflicted with terrible asthma. Yet continually he was on the Battle field every year leading his army mostly against the French, sleeping on camp beds. Mary, who believed a woman's role was to support her husband, and suffered from chronic depression, won friends and admirers with her natural charm. And when called on to step in during William's absences, she did so with a natural ease that showed a firm ruler.
There are many policies we can date to the reign of William & Mary, the 'Bill or Rights' that saw power passed from Crown to Parliament, establishing the Constitutional Monarchy Britain has today. The Bank of England was formed. The 'Act of Succession' which established only Protestants could inherit the throne.
Not to mention the fascinating story of how William and Mary to the throne, the 'Glorious Revolution' which saw Mary's father James II overthrown. An act which behind closed doors caused Mary much heart ache and distress, but on the outside she was criticised for being cold and aloof.
William & Mary story is one that on the outside appears cold and dull, but scratch the surface and you have two very down to earth unassuming individuals placed in a unique position, who believed Monarchy was not just about 'divine right of Kings', and who shaped the Britain we know today.
Van Der Kiste does his subjects complete justice in this terrific, easily digestible biography of two of Britain's most underrated and undervalued Monarchs.
May 5, 2010
A very informative short biography of these dual monarchs. A bit on the dry side, especially after Mary's death, but then so was William.
April 16, 2020
I wish there was a little more analysis but it is a good biography of the characters and political situation of their reign.
June 5, 2013
Well I'm sure this is accurate historically speaking, but dear me what a clunky writer. How's this for an infelicitous sentence?
"No longer the good-looking woman of younger days, she had lost some of her earlier good looks."
He opposes unsuitable epithets: attractive but pious - couldn't she be both? He misuses the word cuckold, he uses the same quote on consecutive pages with different attributions, he comes out with the occasional absurdity, as when he seems to suggest that Mary and Anne had sore eyes because their mother had breast cancer - I could go on, but that's a flavour of the style. I suggest he reads some Claire Tomalin to see how it should be done.
"No longer the good-looking woman of younger days, she had lost some of her earlier good looks."
He opposes unsuitable epithets: attractive but pious - couldn't she be both? He misuses the word cuckold, he uses the same quote on consecutive pages with different attributions, he comes out with the occasional absurdity, as when he seems to suggest that Mary and Anne had sore eyes because their mother had breast cancer - I could go on, but that's a flavour of the style. I suggest he reads some Claire Tomalin to see how it should be done.
November 8, 2013
This book was alright, as I'm currently writing an essay on William III and his invitation to 'throw' his father in law James VII & II of the throne of England. In terms of historiography, I do think it will be useful for my essay but the book didn't really tell me what I didn't already know about William III, Anne and the revolution. However, for anyone who doesn't really know that area in history, I do believe it is helpful as it is a decent summary.
November 18, 2025
Willie ate all the peas and wrote a bitchy abdication letter, Mary was Mary.
I still haven’t quite left the Stuarts behind! I wanted to read different books on Mary and Anne before moving back to the Hanoverians, so I selected William and Mary: Heroes of the Glorious Revolution by John van der Kiste as my next read. I feel like I should be more passionate about the dual monarchs with the Glorious Revolution and the Lear of it all, but for some reason I’ve always found them exceedingly dull. Maybe that’s because my previous reading lacked any dramatic flair, but I was hopeful that van der Kiste would change my opinion with his exploration of the pair.
I do think van der Kiste managed to make them interesting to read about! This book is divided up into eleven, succinct chapters that walk the reader through William and Mary’s lives and reign. I found there to be something endearing about the beginning of their relationship. Mary was quite distraught at the prospect of marrying William, he was of course older and she’d grown up hearing anti-Holland propaganda. The two soon developed a genuine affection for one another, however, and that’s nice given how disastrous things could have turned out. Although William was often regarded as cold and received mixed reviews as a domestic ruler, he proved to be an effective and efficient leader when it truly mattered—a quality the author captures well in this book. He may not have been well-loved by the English, but his legacy endures in saving them from the papist tyrant James II and preserving a balance of power among European nations.
This text highlights some interesting relationships that I don’t recall seeing explored as much in other texts. Electress Sophia of Hanover is mentioned quite frequently due to her warm friendship and frequent correspondence with Mary II which helped to smooth the path toward the Act of Settlement. I also enjoyed passages featuring discussion of the Duke of Monmouth, and I couldn’t help but wonder at the awkwardness of the situation. I also never realized how much Mary regretted having to leave Holland. What a turn of events for the young woman who dreaded the prospect of marriage to her cousin William. William and Mary: Heroes of the Glorious Revolution was an informative, accessible, and occasionally entertaining read.
"This is the story of two very different character, an outwardly cold, taciturn man and his affectionate, warm-hearted cousin, who married for reasons of state, whose lives —as so often in royal circles—became circumscribed by duty and ceremonial, and who left their home in Holland with some reluctance. Yet they reigned over a short period of significant change, and in the process left the standing of the British monarchy in 1702 in a far better position than it had been in 1688."
I still haven’t quite left the Stuarts behind! I wanted to read different books on Mary and Anne before moving back to the Hanoverians, so I selected William and Mary: Heroes of the Glorious Revolution by John van der Kiste as my next read. I feel like I should be more passionate about the dual monarchs with the Glorious Revolution and the Lear of it all, but for some reason I’ve always found them exceedingly dull. Maybe that’s because my previous reading lacked any dramatic flair, but I was hopeful that van der Kiste would change my opinion with his exploration of the pair.
I do think van der Kiste managed to make them interesting to read about! This book is divided up into eleven, succinct chapters that walk the reader through William and Mary’s lives and reign. I found there to be something endearing about the beginning of their relationship. Mary was quite distraught at the prospect of marrying William, he was of course older and she’d grown up hearing anti-Holland propaganda. The two soon developed a genuine affection for one another, however, and that’s nice given how disastrous things could have turned out. Although William was often regarded as cold and received mixed reviews as a domestic ruler, he proved to be an effective and efficient leader when it truly mattered—a quality the author captures well in this book. He may not have been well-loved by the English, but his legacy endures in saving them from the papist tyrant James II and preserving a balance of power among European nations.
This text highlights some interesting relationships that I don’t recall seeing explored as much in other texts. Electress Sophia of Hanover is mentioned quite frequently due to her warm friendship and frequent correspondence with Mary II which helped to smooth the path toward the Act of Settlement. I also enjoyed passages featuring discussion of the Duke of Monmouth, and I couldn’t help but wonder at the awkwardness of the situation. I also never realized how much Mary regretted having to leave Holland. What a turn of events for the young woman who dreaded the prospect of marriage to her cousin William. William and Mary: Heroes of the Glorious Revolution was an informative, accessible, and occasionally entertaining read.
November 28, 2025
Using a carefully selected amount of historical data tailored to a broad audience, the author crafted a vivid and engaging portrait of the royal couple. Their personalities, relationships with key figures of the era, and their pivotal role in reshaping England emerge with striking clarity. The book shows how they helped steer the nation away from an insular, authoritarian state riven by religious conflict and towards a constitutional monarchy that would grow in political and military influence across Europe. Immersing myself in the story of their lives and the intricate and turbulent world around them, I couldn’t help but wonder why they, William in particular, have slipped so far from public memory. A marriage of convenience between first cousins (William's mother was the sister of Mary’s father, James II), which initially seemed ill-matched, proved to be a strong and loving union. Health issues marred their lives, and they died relatively young and childless. Death was sadly common in their families, and they lost many siblings.
No religious zealots, they preferred a simple life over one of ostentation, and most importantly, both aspired to shoulder responsibility. Their remarkable story deserves greater public recognition.
No religious zealots, they preferred a simple life over one of ostentation, and most importantly, both aspired to shoulder responsibility. Their remarkable story deserves greater public recognition.
November 23, 2022
By now I'm acquainted with van der Kiste's style (dry as a drought in the middle of a lenghty Summer), and yet I cannot say in all honesty that I either like it or... get it. He either treats his subjects, real life people who changed history, as if they were mere footnotes in history devoid of emotionality, and disregard most human factors, which by the end of his books you get the feeling that instead of a biography you just went through a poor written Wikipedia entry, with facts thrown at your face that left you both bored and uninterested.
In spite of this, I still find him the right approach to certain characters:
-If I survive the book, I would dive out more by serious authors
-If not... that is the end of the line.
In this case, I am still interested in both William and Mary but I can't for the life of my understand how this man gets his books published at all.
In spite of this, I still find him the right approach to certain characters:
-If I survive the book, I would dive out more by serious authors
-If not... that is the end of the line.
In this case, I am still interested in both William and Mary but I can't for the life of my understand how this man gets his books published at all.
August 18, 2018
Very informative. I knew virtually nothing about this couple before reading the book. It was fascinating to discover that this Dutch guy sacrificed so much to keep England on the straight and narrow, as far as Protestantism was concerned. He left his beloved Holland to join the ranks of the corrupt, degenerate, English royalty, who mostly despised him as a foreigner, but tolerated him as being preferable to the incompetent & Catholic James II. Mary comes across as a thoroughly decent & loving wife, faced with the almost unbearable dilemma of choosing between her husband and her father.
January 3, 2020
A very good and much needed biography of Mary II and William III of England, who are often neglected and forgoten. Very well researched and informative. There are not many books about this pair of monarchs, so it was a joy to find this one! The book talks about their childoods, about their marriage, their relationship with each other and with their Stuart relatives and all the important political events they took part in. I recommend it! 👍
October 11, 2023
Interesting biography. The more I read about English monarchs the sorrier I feel for them. This book has lots of information. I do feel it does have a flaw typical of many biographies. After doing all that research, the author is so fond of his subjects he can’t see any flaws in them. I can believe the English people weren’t overly fond of a monarch who didn’t like being in England (even though he was a very good king)
November 30, 2021
Although this book is a bit dry, the conclusions it draws about both the role of Parliament as an institution and England’s growth on the world stage are interesting. However this is much more a biography of William than Mary, though it claims to be a dual biography, and the author is clearly much more supportive of William than Mary or Anne.
July 25, 2024
A fine account of William & Mary's lives and reign, with some intriguing hints about their personal lives. Mary II seems like an interesting person and it's a shame we don't know more about her. William seems difficult; the book discusses rumors about his sexual preference but I think he was more likely just very, very focused, and much more interested in his kingdom than in his wife.
March 5, 2025
An overview of the life of William and Mary, King and Queen of England, and Prince and Princess of Orange. After overthrowing Mary's father, William and Mary became reigning King and Queen of England. The book is rather broad in its scope. Recommended for anyone looking to get their feet wet with this couple.
May 7, 2019
William & Mary reluctant heroes!
The story of William & Mary Prince & Princess of Orange who became the unexpected rulers of England both quiet & reserved, both not used to being rulers, but made a great success of both!
Good read but a little long in places!
The story of William & Mary Prince & Princess of Orange who became the unexpected rulers of England both quiet & reserved, both not used to being rulers, but made a great success of both!
Good read but a little long in places!
February 27, 2020
An excellent read.
John Van der Kiste has, one again, written an excellent book about two European rulers one seldom has the opportunity to learn more about. The book was well-written and an interesting read throughout. I’d highly recommend it!
John Van der Kiste has, one again, written an excellent book about two European rulers one seldom has the opportunity to learn more about. The book was well-written and an interesting read throughout. I’d highly recommend it!
May 23, 2020
Intriguing people living in complicated times. Good portrait of these two individuals about whom I knew virtually nothing.
September 21, 2025
Not sure how you can not talk about the Darien scheme and the Glencoe massacre. I think a half a page was discussed about the Darien scheme and that was it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews