William and Mary

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William and Mary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the joint sovereignty over the Kingdoms of England and Scotland of King William III and his wife Queen Mary II. Their reign commenced with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Mary died in 1694 after which William ruled alone until his death in 1702.

Their rule was the only period in British history in which "joint sovereigns" with equal powers were allowed to reign. Usually, the spouse of the monarch has no power and is simply a consort.

The phrase is also used to refer to the College of William and Mary in Virginia in the United States of America. The College was founded in 1693 and named in honor of the royal couple. It is the second oldest institution of higher learning in America. The College's iconic building -- the oldest academic building in continual use in the United States (if one can forgive a number of devastating fires and reconstructions) -- was originally designed by Sir Christopher Wren.