James the II of England was the grandson of James I, the son of Charles I and the brother of Charles II (see the name Charles for more information on their reigns). In a nut shell, Charles I inherited the throne (from James I) and was eventually executed after Oliver Cromwell became “Lord Protector†of England and stamped out the monarchy for 11 years. After Cromwell’s death, Charles I’s son, Charles II, would return from European exile to re-establish the monarchy with the support of the English people. Charles II became known as the “Merry Monarch†due to his pursuits of pleasure (he was also a closeted Catholic, and converted to Catholicism on his deathbed), but he also knew how to play politics and keep the peace. His brother, the openly Catholic James II, would ascend the throne much to the chagrin of Parliament and the English people who predominantly did not want to return to Catholicism. So James II was immediately faced with overthrow attempts and his over-zealous defense did nothing to gain further support. Fortunately, for his detractors, James II’s first wife was Protestant, so his Protestant daughter Mary was recognized as the preferred heir along with her also-Protestant Dutch husband, William of Orange. The “Glorious Revolution†of 1688 ensued and James II was forced to abdicate or lose his life. His reign lasted a little more than three years.
