Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 36.djvu/366

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Mary II
360
Mary II


ii. 263-4; see Macaulay, iii. 117-20). Miss Strickland (xi. 18-28) states that on the morning of the coronation Mary received from her father the news of his landing in Kinsale, and used the heartless language attributed to her in 'Life of James II,' ii. 329 ; but anecdote and date are alike apocryphal. Much comment was aroused by the device of a chariot on the reverse of the coronation medal (Macaulay, iii. 120), and the comparison of Mary to Tullia became a cranibe repetita of the Jacobite wits (Miss Strickland, xi. 45-7). In April followed the proclamation of William and Mary in Scotland, with the settlement of the Claim of Rights, and on 12 May they took the oath of office at Whitehall, in the presence of the Scottish commissioners and all the Scotsmen of distinction then in London (Macaulay, iii. 287-93). Finally, by the new parliament which met in March 1690, and passed the Bill of Rights, they were recognised as rightful and lawful sovereigns.

Of the new ministry, Danby, now lord president, was a statesman whom she had good reason to trust ; to Shrewsbury, who received most of the king's confidence, it was rumoured that she was personally attached ; and the terrible 'Jack' Howe (i.e. John Grubham Howe) [q. v.], her vice-chamberlain, who at one time is said to have fancied her to be in love with himself, told Burnet that had she survived the king she would certainly have married Shrewsbury (Own Time : v. 453 ; Dartmouth's note). The great office of groom of the stole to the queen was be- stowed upon the Countess of Derby, the sister of the Duke of Ormonde; according to the Duchess of Marlborough {Account of Conduct, p. 30) Lady Fitzharding was at the commencement of Mary's reign pre-eminent in her favour.

The queen had no wish to interfere in public business, and accordingly few persons cared to pay court to her, so that she found herself very much neglected except in the way of censure (Memoirs ap. DoEBNER,p. 14 ; cf. Burnet, iv. 3). But William largely depended on her to make up for his own want of popularity. It is even said that about December 1689 he was with difficulty prevented from executing a design which he had kept secret from Maryof retiring to Holland, and leaving her in England to bear the brunt of the conflict (ib. iv. 71 : cf. Macaulay, iii. 530; but see Klopp, v. 87). On account of his state of health the court had very soon moved from Whitehall to Hampton Court, where among the odd novelties introduced was Mary's collection of Chinese porcelain, and where she indulged her tastes for gardening and architecture. But the distance from London proving too great, the king and queen fox some weeks from October 1689 resided at Holland House in Kensington, which they at one time thought of purchasing, and finally on 23 Dec. settled in toe mansion which they had bought from the Earl of Nottingham in the same suburb, and which henceforth became known as Kensington Palace.

In the midst of misrepresentation and scandal Mary strove to put as pleasant as possible a face upon things, but she was painfully affected by the moral laxity which on her arrival she found generally prevalent in England. Xor did sne confine herself to private musings on the subject. By her desire, when things seemed going ill in Scotland and Ireland, a public fast was proclaimed (cf. N. Luttrell, Brief Historical Relation y &c. i. 542), and, in accordance with her puritanising tendency, she abolished the singing of prayers in the Chapel Royal at Whitehall, and introduced Sunday afternoon sermons there (Memoirs ap. Doebner, pp. 12 et al.) These innovations gave great oflence to the Princess Anne, who took her cue from the high church party. Notwithstanding Mary's dislike of Lady Marlborough, she had for some time after her arrival maintained friendly relations with Anne. The queen showed great interest in the birth (24 July) and infant troubles of the Duke of Gloucester, and in the birth of Anne's next child, who was christened Mary (ib. p. 15; Countess Bentinck, p. 123), but a coolness had set hi between the sisters before the latter event. The Duchess of Marlborough (Account of Conduct, pp. 27-8) attributes its origin to Anne's disappointment at being refused some additional apartmentsat Whitehall and Richmond Palace. Mary says that in the latter part of 1689 she discovered that Anne was secretly 'making parties to get a revenue settled upon her,' and that both at the commencement and in the course of the transaction which ensued she had occasion to speak reproachfully to her sister, who only asked pardon of her and the king in order to compass her end (Memoirs a p. Doebner, pp. 1 7-27 ; cf. Account of Conduct, pp. 29-38 ; Dalrymple, ti. iii. 108 sq., iv. 155 sq. ; Macaulay, iii. 559-66). Though Anne obtained her parliamentary settlement of 50.000l. a year, the sore rankled, while further umbrage was given to Anne by William's rude treatment of Prince George in Ireland (1690), and by Mary's refusal, of course under orders, to allow him to serve at sea during the king's absence in Holland (1691) [see Anne, 1665-1714 ; and George op Denmark].

Before William started for Ireland, in June