 William III, Prince of Orange, ascended the English throne in 1688 following the overthrow of James II in the Glorious Revolution.William ruled jointly with his wife, Mary, James's daughter, until her death in 1694, and then solely until his own death in 1702.In 1697 the first proposal had been made to erect a statue in the king's honour in St James's Square, home to many of his strongest supporters.