In a virtually bloodless coup in November 1688, William of Orange, the foremost Protestant in Europe, seized the English throne for himself and his wife from James II, his uncle and father-in-law. Opponents of the increasingly autocratic Catholic king found in the Dutch prince the consummate alternative, while William procured the men and material needed to reinforce his extended military campaign against France and at the same time prevented a possible Anglo-French alliance. It was a perfect match. Moreover, William himself, Stadtholder of the United Provinces, had Stuart blood in his veins, his mother being the sister of Charles II and James II; William’s wife had an even stronger claim as the elder daughter of the king, but by continental standards the entitlements of females meant little. Together, the royal pair was an irresistible force, crafting for the nation a “Glorious Revolution,” as the calibration in government came to be called by its advocates. In return for control of the army and navy, the Dutch prince reluctantly accepted a Declaration of Rights, a keystone of the constitutional resolution and a vindication of the rule of law protecting citizens from arbitrary actions by the state. The Declaration also fixed the succession on Mary’s children, if any, next on her sister Anne and Anne’s heirs, and lastly on any children William might have by a later marriage. The Prince of Orange’s acceptance of these arrangements made possible the coronation of the Dual Monarchs, William III and Mary II.

The Revolution of 1688 maintained several traditions in Britain and altered others, as King William reformed his government and found new sources of funding for his wars, which included a belated showdown between his forces and those of James II in Ireland. In general the medical establishment welcomed the innovative sovereigns, but William’s reforms soon affected its professional traditions. The consequence of the military in British life directly altered the dynamics among doctors, surgeons, and apothecaries. The Royal College of Physicians was diplomatically silent upon the arrival of William and Mary, probably because the institution had received a new and favorable charter from James II in 1687, supportive of the regulatory activities of the College.