A William and Mary Question

If you didn't know, Queen Mary II suffered one or two miscarriage(s)/stillbirth(s) in 1680 and 1681 - however, it left her barren. Now, my question is, what if the pregnancy had carried to term, and the baby lived - boy or girl doesn't really matter.

My question is this, when Queen Mary II died in 1694 of the dratted pox, who would've succeeded her, the child (under a regency, I think, IDK what the age of majority in England was) or does the child only succeed once both parents are dead?
 
If you didn't know, Queen Mary II suffered one or two miscarriage(s)/stillbirth(s) in 1680 and 1681 - however, it left her barren. Now, my question is, what if the pregnancy had carried to term, and the baby lived - boy or girl doesn't really matter.

My question is this, when Queen Mary II died in 1694 of the dratted pox, who would've succeeded her, the child (under a regency, I think, IDK what the age of majority in England was) or does the child only succeed once both parents are dead?
I believe that William would remain king until his death. When he dies, one of his children with Mary will succeed him. If he remaries after Mary's death and his children with his new wife, they will be placed in the succession after Anne and her children.
 
I believe that William would remain king until his death. When he dies, one of his children with Mary will succeed him. If he remaries after Mary's death and his children with his new wife, they will be placed in the succession after Anne and her children.

This seems most likely. William was appointed co-ruler and would thus rule until his own death, but any children of his that weren't also Mary's would follow his regular pre-marriage place in the succession. Unless he himself tried to change this while sole ruler, but that would probably cause a constitutional crisis.

What do you think would happen if Mary had died shortly after the marriage with no children, and Anne later had children. Would William have remarried but been content to let Anne's children supercede his own, or would he have tried to use his status as king to leapfrog her? Would Parliament have intervened to prevent any such scenario from ever happening?
 
If you didn't know, Queen Mary II suffered one or two miscarriage(s)/stillbirth(s) in 1680 and 1681 - however, it left her barren. Now, my question is, what if the pregnancy had carried to term, and the baby lived - boy or girl doesn't really matter.

My question is this, when Queen Mary II died in 1694 of the dratted pox, who would've succeeded her, the child (under a regency, I think, IDK what the age of majority in England was) or does the child only succeed once both parents are dead?

William remains King until death. That was actually addressed in the Bill of Rights. It established that William & Mary would jointly reign, and after one dies the other will continue to reign until death, then that Monarch would be succeeded by their (if any) children, then Anne and her issue and finally any children by a second marriage for William.
 
This seems most likely. William was appointed co-ruler and would thus rule until his own death, but any children of his that weren't also Mary's would follow his regular pre-marriage place in the succession. Unless he himself tried to change this while sole ruler, but that would probably cause a constitutional crisis.

What do you think would happen if Mary had died shortly after the marriage with no children, and Anne later had children. Would William have remarried but been content to let Anne's children supercede his own, or would he have tried to use his status as king to leapfrog her? Would Parliament have intervened to prevent any such scenario from ever happening?

This is after the Glorious revolution. The King has lost the power to change the succession. The bill of rights had established the order of succession. Plus William was a foreigner who wasn't next in line. No way Parliament would sanction something like that. However, should William remarry and have children (a huge if considering he had a 10 year plus relationship with a mistress and no kids to show for it and that the mistress later married and had three children) while Anne ends up in the same boat with no surviving children by 1700, then Parliament might decide to cut Anne out altogether and make William's kids the next in line.
 
The answers to those questions were very explicitly set out in thebBill of Rights 1689

he said Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons assembled at Westminster doe Resolve That William and Mary Prince and Princesse of Orange be and be declared King and Queene of England France and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging to hold the Crowne and Royall Dignity of the said Kingdomes and Dominions to them the said Prince and Princesse dureing their Lives and the Life of the Survivour of them And that the sole and full Exercise of the Regall Power be onely in and executed by the said Prince of Orange in the Names of the said Prince and Princesse dureing their joynt Lives And after their Deceases the said Crowne and Royall Dignitie of the said Kingdoms and Dominions to be to the Heires of the Body of the said Princesse And for default of such Issue to the Princesse Anne of Denmarke and the Heires of her Body And for default of such Issue to the Heires of the Body of the said Prince of Orange. And the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons doe pray the said Prince and (X3) Princesse to accept the same accordingly.

So, the answers are

When Mary dies William carries on as King, as OTL

When he dies the child succeeds.

If the child dies sine prole, Anne succeeds (assuming she is still alive)

If William had remarried, any children of that marriage would have followed Anne, assuming she left no heir (as OTL).

Note that this scheme of succession followed faithfully the common law succession rules, except for making William and Mary joint sovereigns.

Edit.All assuming that the parties are not Papist or married to a Papist, of course
 
Last edited:
What might make things a little Interesting would be the daughter to marry her cousin, William Duke of Gloucester-Anne's son. If he lived then the Stuart line continues. :)

Yes I know it would be the House of Stuart but William's dads family name Oldenburg from Denmark. :rolleyes:
 
Top