In real life, William beat King James because much of James's army deserted him, but what if the outcome had been decided not by the armies, but by the men themselves?
James was 181 cm, William was only 169 cm, was asthmatic, and apparently slightly hunchbacked, but William was 15 years younger than James. Both had battle experience, but James had more extensive battle experience.
My money's on James. He was in his mid-50s at the time, so it's not like he was an old man, and his significant height advantage, as well as lack of asthma and hunchbackedness is more than enough, in my opinion, to make up for being a decade and a half older.
William was also known for being arrogant, impulsive, and hubristic. It worked to his advantage IOTL because his army outnumbered James's 3:2, but in a one-on-one sword duel against a significantly taller and more experienced man, it likely wouldn't have. He would have likely tried some ill-advised attack on James and either been killed outright (like Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in their duel, though this would be less likely if he was wearing armor, which some portraits of him show him in), or been sent to the Tower of London to be executed.
Based on what James did to his other nephew who tried to usurp his throne (Monmouth), I don't think that, had James defeated and William, William would have been allowed to continue living. I know William let James escape, but there is a difference between a usurper killing the king that they usurped and a king killing someone who tried to usurp him.
James was 181 cm, William was only 169 cm, was asthmatic, and apparently slightly hunchbacked, but William was 15 years younger than James. Both had battle experience, but James had more extensive battle experience.
My money's on James. He was in his mid-50s at the time, so it's not like he was an old man, and his significant height advantage, as well as lack of asthma and hunchbackedness is more than enough, in my opinion, to make up for being a decade and a half older.
William was also known for being arrogant, impulsive, and hubristic. It worked to his advantage IOTL because his army outnumbered James's 3:2, but in a one-on-one sword duel against a significantly taller and more experienced man, it likely wouldn't have. He would have likely tried some ill-advised attack on James and either been killed outright (like Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in their duel, though this would be less likely if he was wearing armor, which some portraits of him show him in), or been sent to the Tower of London to be executed.
Based on what James did to his other nephew who tried to usurp his throne (Monmouth), I don't think that, had James defeated and William, William would have been allowed to continue living. I know William let James escape, but there is a difference between a usurper killing the king that they usurped and a king killing someone who tried to usurp him.
