William III & Mary II: Partners in Revolution

by Jonathan Keates

William III (1689-1702) & Mary II (1689-94) (Britain's only ever 'joint monarchs') changed the course of the entire country's history, coming to power through a coup (which involved Mary betraying her own father), reestablishing parliament on a new footing and, through commiting Britain to fighting France, initiating an immensely long period of warfare and colonial expansion. Jonathan Keates' wonderful book makes both monarchs vivid, the cold, shrewd 'Dutch' William and the shortlived Mary, whose life and death inspired Purcell to write some of his greatest music.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, British Literature, Royalty, Historical

89 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2015

About the author

Jonathan Keates, is an English writer, biographer, novelist and Chairman of the Venice in Peril Fund. Keates was educated at Bryanston School and went on to read for his undergraduate degree at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Reviews

[W.D. Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lively, jauntily-paced, unabashedly opinionated and well-informed potted history this, just the right length (somewhat briefer than the Very Short Introductions Series) for someone who wants to know a bit about a monarch, but who is not a historical royal watcher. I learned a fair bit from its scanty 80-something-pages, such as:

The impact of this Dutch Protestant value system on the English he came to rule has been underestimated, like almost everything else William of Orange brought them. A major feature of life in the Calvinist Netherlands was a significant degree of tolerance towards other faiths and denominations, something not native to England at that time, however much we now pride ourselves on it as a core aspect of notional ‘Englishness’.(18)

It was also heartening to learn that they must be pretty much nearly the only scandal-free monarchs in British history:

Their reign effectively killed off the world of the Restoration, with its duels and debauches, its gropers and fumblers, whores and orange-wenches, clap-doctors, cuckolds, rogues and bullies. Part of the trouble with William and Mary, for succeeding generations, has been that they were too seriously respectable.(74)

And finally, that the 1690s was a really interesting time to be alive that has yet to be seriously exploited by period dramas/historical fictionalizers, as according to the author

There is no worthwhile historical fiction set during this period. The action of Peter Greenaway’s much-admired film The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982) is located (with several deliberate anachronisms, including a cordless phone and a painting by Roy Lichtenstein) within an authentic enough atmosphere of arriviste prosperity in 1694. Nobody, so far as I can tell, has ever tried to write a play, an opera or a ballet about William and Mary. Such an exercise might repay the effort involved.(88)

Get cracking, then, my friends! I promise to read/watch the results. And I will likely read and/or collect more from this little gem of a series, albeit no monarchist I (though some of my forbears came to Canada when the wind was southerly [they, being mad but north-northwest, still knew a hawk from a handsaw] as United Empire Loyalists—i.e. they bravely ran away, away from 1776 and all that)!

[Emilija · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 52 Book Challenge - 47) Read during the month of November

This was a brief overview of the rule of William and Mary. It was well written and engaging and I particularly liked the conclusion where Keates looks into why they have both been widely forgotten by the British people.

I wish that the book had had more on Mary, especially considering that the book was titled "Partners in Revolution", but it mainly focused on William.

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

quick read

[Linda Finlayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. It is so nice to read a biography that refuses to read history through modern eyes. The author presents both William and Mary as he found them in their writings and actions. He noted their upright characters as well as their failings. Their reign should be celebrated much more than it is because they were the first British king and queen to accept the Bill of Rights presented to them by parliament. A remarkable step that took place long before either the American or French revolution.
The author's comments at the end of the book that most people go "who?" when you mention their names are right on the mark. Mary, in particular, was a good if reluctant queen. She put her duty ahead of her preferences and did her best to live out a Christian life. William too struggled to do what was best for his adopted country, much to the chagrin of those courtiers who'd rather have enjoyed the previous decadent court life under Mary's uncle and father. Such good monarchs hold little interest today because of the lack of scandal and decadence. A sad commentary.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this short joint biography of William III and Mary II because of the subtitle - Partners in Revolution. Most books about the Glorious Revolution emphasize William III at the expense of his wife and co-monarch, Mary II but Keates is careful to give Mary her due, stating that "There was always more to Mary than Protestant piety, and a fondness for knitting, old folk songs and blue and white porcelain" noting that she was praised for her political abilities as well as her willingness to undertake public engagements in contrast to her more reserved husband. I'm not sure if I agree with the author's conclusion that William and Mary are little known today because they were such respectable figures because Mary's willingness to join her husband in overthrowing her father was controversial in its time. Overall, however, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical significance of the joint monarchs and I wish it had been longer!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something I Didn't Know

Small, to the point and informative. I didn't know much about William III & Mary II and this book has taught me a lot in such a small space. It was good to read about a king and queen who were generally scandle free and good for the nation, perhaps too good for the nation at the time. It was also interesting to discover that William actually supported religious freedom and Catholics in Ireland and shows how distortions and hijacking of history can change perspectives. I recommend for a quick analysis written by an expert. This is why the Penguin Monarch Series is excellent.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book if you want a quick biography to read. Though as expected, it does gloss over quite a bit and only really provides a general overview of the lives of William and Mary. My main complaint is that despite being joint monarchs, more of the book is spent talking about William and not equally about Mary, much as the author did try to give her more credit than some historians have.
(I also have to say, somewhat vainly, that the covers of this series are gorgeous.)

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short book which provided a summary of these, often under-rated, Stuart monarchs who cemented the rule of law and limited royal power. They shaped the foundations of the free, democratic country we recognise today.

[James Rye · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent Introduction

This is a beautifully written, witty and penetrating introduction to two of England’s most neglected monarchs.

The author uses his long experience as a teacher to present the material in a way which engages his readers. I particularly appreciated two aspects of the book. First, the book shows a very good appreciation of the subtleties of the characters involved. It is all too easy to simply see him as withdrawn and boring, and her as pious. Keates presents us with two human beings in full colour with plenty of contradictions and inconsistencies. Secondly, as someone reading into this period for the first time, I really appreciated the analysis of how these two challenged the existing political framework, not just in William’s desire to limit Louis XIV, but in their changing the relationship between monarchy and state.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful quick introduction to William and Mary as King and Queen of England, Scotland, and Wales. Their accession to the three thrones (still a couple of years before the crowns are united) brought about the conclusion of the Protestant Reformation for the English nation. Their reigns (William, 1689-1702; Mary, 1689-1694) also birthed the modern British political establishment and the concept of the constitutional monarch.
My only problem with this study is that the focus was weighted toward King William and skirted Queen Mary, even thought the subtitle is "Partners in Revolution."
A worthwhile introduction to an important period of British history and life.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While lively and entertaining, 'William III and Mary II' is triumphalist and drum-banging - at best out of tune and at worst entirely off-beat. Keates's book is full of slapdash sketches of wilfully misunderstood characters, sacrificed to the search for witty one-liners - an issue that also arises in many of his off-hand comments about issues of earlier Stuart reigns ('democracy', for example, or James I's experiment with the Union). Furthermore, the book is far too Anglocentric. This omission might well be a victim to the word count, but it will do nothing to recommend it to Scottish or Irish readers. In sum, Keates tells a good story, but it is more fairytale than history.

[TM · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and concise overview of the lives and reigns of William III & Mary II. While I knew a little of the 'Glorious Revolution of 1688' that led to their becoming joint-monarchs, I knew almost nothing of what came before or after.

One of the great joys of the Penguin Monarchs series is how accessible some of the less storied monarchs and periods in British history have been made with each of these short tomes. They might not be as nuanced or well-rounded as a full-fledged biography but still offer a terrific starting point for the uninitiated.

[Mr John W Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

crucial turning point in Constitutional Monarchy

Good book - in a very short reign they accepted constitutional changes in exchange for support in a European war . The start of the British Empire which lasted 250 years

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this series. However this particular one was far too brief. Felt like the author couldn't really be bothered with short biogs, so made it as short and bland as possible. Fortunaltey ,some of the series are much much better.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more lively and perhaps controversial book than others in this series, the author arguing persuasively for a positive re-evaluation of William and Mary and their impact both then and now on the United Kingdom. Great fun to read!

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this, one of the best in the penguin series. Great style and good insight into a pair of monarchs which don’t get a lot of air time.

[Sibi Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many misinformation with less to no citations. The author tries to be politically correct by naming James I as a homosexual. Is he though ?

[Robyn Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun and well written history!

[Oscar Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reassessment of a largely forgotten King, who was in fact one of Britain’s best. Some more content on Mary would’ve been nice.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know you’ve read a good book when it has sparked a new reading list.

[Annie Morphew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bias is strong in this one.

[Ian Parke · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read about two monarchs about which history has mostly ignored.

[me · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is very positive about the co-monarchs, to a surprising degree actually so maybe everyone else who writes about them hates them? I don't know, I just found it kind of weird.

It also (this might change later, though I doubt it) seems to buy into that "Protestantism is just inherently better and more democratic than Catholicism" idea that now feels very old-fashioned and frankly a bit bigoted. I'm not myself Catholic but I keep pausing mentally every time it uses words like "popery" in the text, which is not coming across as a contextual use where that's just what people said at the time. I'm willing to believe it's mere carelessness but it doesn't make me want to read on. It's quite off-putting.

This also adds to the feeling that this is a work of Protestant hagiography, mostly about William as Mary is mostly an afterthought, coming across as unconvincingly supportive and subservient. (Except to her father, but he's Catholic and apparently that's bad.)

The idea that James II's son was the result of that mad baby-in-a-warming-pan conspiracy is presented almost as fact before a parenthetical note tells us modern DNA tests show he can't have been, but after Mary and her sister have been expressing their doubts that almost feels like a begruding admission. Which, again, may just be carelessness but at that point there's so much of that going on that I have no will to continue with the book.