Not Just the Tudors Queen Mary II & the Glorious Revolution
Feb 23, 2026
Dr Holly Marsden, Assistant Research Curator at Kensington Palace and Stuart-era historian, explores Mary II as a politically astute, devout joint sovereign. Short takes cover her overlooked role in power, the Glorious Revolution, her regency and naval leadership, intimate female friendships, cultural patronage and porcelain tastes, and the tensions and legacy surrounding her reign.
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Mary II As Active Joint Sovereign
- Mary II reshaped the monarchy as England's only full joint sovereign, actively influencing constitutional change rather than being a passive consort.
- Dr Holly Marsden shows Mary was politically alert, devout, culturally influential and central to the Glorious Revolution's meaning.
Protestant Upbringing Was Deliberate State Policy
- Despite her father James II's Catholicism, Mary was raised Anglican to secure a Protestant succession and resist French Catholic influence.
- Charles II personally chose her chaplains and schooling to ensure Mary and Anne practiced Anglican doctrine.
Mary's Intimate Letters To Lady Frances Apsley
- As a teenager Mary wrote passionate, role-playing letters to Lady Frances Apsley that adopted husband-and-wife play names and sexual imagery.
- These letters reveal intimate female friendships that blurred modern categories of romance and devotion.