Departure of Stadholder William III's fleet for England. Tile panel, 1690-1730. In 1688 the Protestant opponents of England's Catholic king, James II, appealed to Stadholder William III to come to their aid. With a fleet of over 300 ships and some 15,000 soldiers William sailed out of Hellevoetsluis bound for England on 10 November. On 15 November the stadholder came ashore in England at the fishing village of Brixham. Gathering the support of the English Protestants, the country was soon won and in 1689 William and his wife Mary II were crowned king and queen of England, Scotland and Ireland.