‘If he Deserves it’: W illiam of O range's Pre‐Revolution B ritish Contacts and G ilbert B urnet's Proposals for the Post‐Revolution Administration

The revolution of 1688–9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid much attention to the sheer depth of W illiam of O range's acquaintance with a broad swathe of B ritish society. Many of the choices the prince made during the invasion and in the years leading up to it were influenced by his contacts in Britain. He knew the court well and had made some efforts to influence the timings of parliaments and the direction of policy under his uncles, Charles II and James II. The shape of the regime that emerged after his successful overthrow of J ames II was also informed by his knowledge of a number of senior B ritish politicians and this is reflected in a list compiled by one of his followers, G ilbert B urnet, in the course of the revolution. This article seeks to cast new light on the preparations that lay behind the invasion and the reasons for the appointments that were made in the new administration of W illiam and M ary.