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James II of England (also James VII of Scotland) was an English and Scottish monarch who reigned from 1685 to 1688. He was the grandson of King James I, the son of King Charles I and the younger brother of King Charles II, whom he succeeded.
He was the husband of Mary of Modena and the father of James Stuart and Queen Mary II.
His reign came to an abrupt end with the Glorious Revolution in November 1688 when he was overthrown by William of Orange. (AUDIO: The Glorious Revolution)
He was the paternal grandfather of Bonnie Prince Charlie, who tried to reclaim the English and Scottish thrones for his family in the Jacobite Rising which ended with the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746. The Second Doctor's future companion Jamie McCrimmon was among the survivors, as was his laird and future father-in-law Colin McLaren. (TV: The Highlanders)
In an alternate timeline accidentally created by Jamie in 1688, the Glorious Revolution was a failure and James II remained on the throne until his death. Consequently, the Jacobite Risings and the Battle of Culloden never took place. His grandson Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, eventually ascended the throne as King Charles III. He was still the reigning monarch in 1788. (AUDIO: The Glorious Revolution)
Behind the scenes
James II was played by John Westbrook in the 1969 BBC drama series The First Churchills and Guy Henry in the 1995 film England, My England.