St. Ruth's Fatal Gamble

In 1685, James, Duke of York, ascended to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland. As the first catholic monarch in 150 years many believed that his reign would be short and that he would be succeeded by his eldest daughter Mary, a protestant, who was married to her cousin William, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the United Dutch Provinces.

James' close ties to King Louis XIV of France served to fuel the fires of discontent, and when a male heir was born in June 1688 a number of nobles and clergymen, fearing a backlash of Catholic absolutism, invited William of Orange to take the throne.

William duly invaded, and after a desultory campaign, James fled the country for refuge in France, it being claimed that his flight constituted a legal abdication but whilst William sought to consolidate his position in England and Scotland, the Earl of Tyrconnell – James' viceroy in Ireland – began to prepare for his master's restoration.