Mary II (1662-1694), Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1689-1694), born in London. She was the daughter of James, Duke of York-who in 1685 became King of England as James II-and his first wife, Anne Hyde. Although her father was a convert to Roman Catholicism, Mary was brought up as a Protestant and was married at the age of 15 to the Dutch Protestant Prince William of Orange. In 1688, English opponents of James, unhappy with his autocratic rule and favouritism towards Roman Catholics, initiated the Glorious Revolution, forcing James into exile and giving the throne to Mary and William.
