Where did James II and VII go on Christmas day 1688?

Answer 1

King James II King James II of England (who was also King James VII of Scotland) was born on 14th October 1633 and became King of England on 6th February 1685; he was the last Roman Catholic monarch of England. While his Roman Catholic faith was disturbing to many people - England was largely a Protestant country - it was seen as a temporary problem because, until 1688 his likely successors were his two daughters, Mary and Anne, who were both Protestant. However, in June 1688 his wife, also called Mary, gave birth to a son, James Francis Edward - as a male he would take precedence over his older sisters in inheriting the throne and it was certain he would be brought up as a Roman Catholic. Some 11 years earlier, the King's daughter, Mary, had married William, Prince of Orange (in what is now The Netherlands) who was a staunch Protestant. At the end of June 1688 a group of Protestant English noblemen invited William of Orange to come to England with an army and he arrived in November that year, ready to fight. On 11th November, fearing to fight William, James II attempted to flee to France, probably intending to re-group his forces and fight later. He threw The Great Seal of the Realm (an important symbol of Royalty) into the River Thames and was captured and placed under an armed, Dutch guard. At Christmas 1688 (some sources say the actual date was 23rd December), William allowed him to escape so that he would not become a martyr and he was taken in by his cousin King Louis XIV of France, who provided him with a palace and an income. Because he had fled, and thrown away an important piece of Royal regalia, he was deemed to have abdicated and the British monarchy was taken over by his daughter Mary who ruled jointly with her husband, William of Orange. She became Queen Mary II, and he was King William III.