James II of England

James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was king of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1685 to 1688. He was King James II in England and Ireland, and King James VII in Scotland. He was also Duke of Normandy from 31 December 1660. He lost his kingdoms in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He did not succeed in taking them back in a war, and he spent the rest of his life in France.

Quick facts: James II & VII[lower-alpha 1], King of En... ▼

James II & VII[lower-alpha 1]
Portrait by Peter Lely
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (more...)
Reign	6 February 1685 – 23 December 1688
Coronation	23 April 1685
Predecessor	Charles II
Successors	William III & II and Mary II
Born	14 October 1633 (N.S.: 24 October 1633) St James's Palace, London, England
Died	16 September 1701 (aged 67) (N.S.) Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Burial	Church of the English Benedictines, Paris, France
Spouse	Anne Hyde (m. 1660; died 1671) Mary of Modena (m. 1673)
Issue more...	Charles, Duke of Cambridge Mary II, Queen of England James, Duke of Cambridge Anne, Queen of Great Britain Charles, Duke of Kendal Edgar, Duke of Cambridge Isabel Stuart Charles, Duke of Cambridge James Francis Edward Stuart Louisa Maria Stuart Illegitimate: Henrietta FitzJames James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick Henry FitzJames
House	Stuart
Father	Charles I of England
Mother	Henrietta Maria of France
Religion	Catholicism (1668–1701) Anglicanism (1633–1668)
Signature

He was the last Roman Catholic king in the British Isles. Some of his people did not like his religious ideas, leading a group of them to disobey and fight against him. This was called the Glorious Revolution in England and Scotland. King James and his son, James Francis Edward went into exile. The king was replaced by his Protestant daughter, Queen Mary II, and her husband King William III and II. They became rulers in 1689.

The belief that James, not William III or Mary II, was the one true ruler became known as Jacobitism (from Jacobus or Iacobus, Latin for James). James made one serious attempt to recover his throne when he landed in Ireland in 1689. After his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in the summer of 1690, he returned to France, living the rest of his life under the protection of King Louis XIV. His son James Francis Edward Stuart (The Old Pretender) and his grandson Charles Edward Stuart (The Young Pretender and Bonnie Prince Charlie) attempted to restore the Jacobite line after James's death, but failed.