Why is William III of England known as 'William of Orange'?

William III (Dutch: Willem; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1672 and King of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702. read more

Convention Parliaments in England and Scotland then declared that James had 'abdicated' when he fled to France, and that the throne was now vacant. Some proposed that Mary should become Queen Mary II, with William of Orange as her consort. However, William wanted the title 'King', and his wife supported him. read more

William III (of Orange) William and his wife Mary were crowned joint monarchs of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1689. Their accession, known as the ‘Glorious Revolution’, marked an important transition towards parliamentary rule as we know it today. read more