William of Orange invades England

The Protestant prince’s fleet lands in Devon, ready for revolution

Atthe beginning of November 1688, one of the greatest invasion fleets in English history was sailing towards the Devon coast. With 40,000 men aboard 463 ships, William of Orange was in deadly earnest. To his admirers, the Dutch prince’s slogan, “For Liberty and the Protestant Religion”, captured the tone. Here was a Protestant prince who would topple the hated James II and VII, secure the Anglican faith and save England from Catholic absolutism.

Although William himself was suffering from acute seasickness, his fleet made a splendid sight; his men lined up with bands playing as they sailed past Dover. The next day, the 4th, was William’s birthday. But the 5th, celebrated by Protestants as the anniversary of the gunpowder plot, started badly. The sky was hazy and visibility poor, and William’s pilot steered too far to the west. Before they knew it, they were heading past Torbay, where they had planned to land. Now they were in a mess. The wind was too strong for them to turn back, but the next port was Plymouth, where James had already posted a garrison – and all the time the king’s fleet was on their heels.

Then, suddenly, the breeze changed. After the defeat of the Spanish Armada a century earlier, men had talked of the ‘Protestant wind’, and God was clearly on the Protestant side once again. With the sun shining and the wind blowing from the south, William was able to turn back to Torbay after all. By the time he stepped ashore at what is now Brixham, the quay was crowded with well-wishers. There was no resistance. The Glorious Revolution was under way.