On the Failed Dutch Invasion
On the early morning of the 29th of October, 1688, a handful of ships set sail from the Dutch port of Hellevoetsluis, despite the adversarial winds keeping a majority of the flotilla’s would-be fleetmates in port. At the head of this small fleet sailed William of Orange, main stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, aboard his flagship, Den Briel. A little over two weeks prior, William had issued his “Declaration of The Hague”. The declaration was meant to provide the reasons that William of Orange was landing in England, in particular citing His Majesty James II’s attempts to repeal the Test Act and penal laws barring Catholics from holding public office, insinuating a plot to disestablish the Anglican Church, among other assertations of royal prerogative over the bickering Parliament. His stated goal was “to have, a free and lawful Parliament assembled as soon as is possible”.
William’s extra dose of Dutch stubbornness proved to be his undoing when, later that day, as if to punish the would-be invader for his arrogance, the adversarial winds became a full-fledged storm. This sudden maelstrom proved too much for Den Briel, and it capsized and sank in the English Channel, taking William of Orange down with it to Davy Jones’ locker. After the storm had passed, the surviving Dutch ships turned around and sailed back to Hellevoetsluis to tell of how the “Popish Wind”, had thwarted their attempt at a glorious invasion…
On the early morning of the 29th of October, 1688, a handful of ships set sail from the Dutch port of Hellevoetsluis, despite the adversarial winds keeping a majority of the flotilla’s would-be fleetmates in port. At the head of this small fleet sailed William of Orange, main stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, aboard his flagship, Den Briel. A little over two weeks prior, William had issued his “Declaration of The Hague”. The declaration was meant to provide the reasons that William of Orange was landing in England, in particular citing His Majesty James II’s attempts to repeal the Test Act and penal laws barring Catholics from holding public office, insinuating a plot to disestablish the Anglican Church, among other assertations of royal prerogative over the bickering Parliament. His stated goal was “to have, a free and lawful Parliament assembled as soon as is possible”.
William’s extra dose of Dutch stubbornness proved to be his undoing when, later that day, as if to punish the would-be invader for his arrogance, the adversarial winds became a full-fledged storm. This sudden maelstrom proved too much for Den Briel, and it capsized and sank in the English Channel, taking William of Orange down with it to Davy Jones’ locker. After the storm had passed, the surviving Dutch ships turned around and sailed back to Hellevoetsluis to tell of how the “Popish Wind”, had thwarted their attempt at a glorious invasion…
