Portrait of Queen Mary II of England (1662 - 1694)
Item
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Title
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Portrait of Queen Mary II of England (1662 - 1694)
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Description
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Mary was born on April 30, 1662, during the reign of her uncle, Charles II. Her father, James, was first in line to the throne but he was Catholic, which made him unpopular in England. As a result, Charles required Mary to be raised as a Protestant. Three years later, James succeeded Charles, but he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, where Mary and her husband as well as first cousin, William of Orange, succeeded him in 1689. Mary was devoted to her husband and reluctant to assume power in his absence, but she proved to be a strong and capable monarch when the need arose. The couple had no children; there is speculation that an early miscarriage permanently impaired Mary’s ability to have children. She was extremely devout and dedicated much of her time to ecclesiastical affairs. In addition, Mary endowed the College of William & Mary in 1692, helped found the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and the Royal Hospital for Seamen. Mary was tall and apparently fit, but in 1694 she contracted smallpox. She died on December 28, 1694. William was devastated and reigned on as sole monarch until his death in 1702.
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Identifier
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1952.002
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Creator
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Studio of KNELLER, SIR GODFREY
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Medium
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Oil on canvas
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Format
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Framed: 57 x 48 ins.
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Contributor
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Gift of Roy Faulkner
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Publisher
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Muscarelle Museum of Art
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Date Available
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image
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Rights
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Rights and Reproductions are administered through the Office of the Registrar. The fee for images varies depending on size and medium of the requested product, and the use. You must submit a request through email or written letter. This can be submitted through email, fax, mail, or in person. For more information please contact Laura Fogarty at lfogarty@wm.edu or 757.221.2705
