The Role of Religion in William III’s Propaganda During the Glorious Revolution

Abstract

The Revolution of 1688, also known as Glorious Revolution, is often remembered as a revolution that effectively limited the monarch’s power and introduced a strong and permanent parliamentary system to the British Isles. In the context of England’s political development, much scholarly attention has been given to the constitutional aspects of the revolution, and the role of religion is often under-emphasized or seen as secondary. This essay examines a variety of Williamite propaganda piece and argues that religious ideas and symbols were used extensively in these propaganda pieces to convince people of the new regime’s legitimacy. Instead of seeing religious and political elements as separate, this essay argues that religious elements were used in conjunction with constitutional ones to support William’s reign.