But in 1649 parliament was hard put to find a lawyer with the skill and daring to prosecute a King who was above the law: in the end the man they briefed was the radical barrister, John Cooke. Cooke was a plebeian, son of a poor farmer, but he had the courage to bring the King's trial to its dramatic conclusion: the English republic.
Mary (1662-94), daughter of James, Duke of York, heir to the English throne, married William (1650-1702), son of William II of Orange (1626-50), Stadtholder of the Dutch republic, who was eleven years older than her. This dual biography deals with both the 'life and times' of the monarchs, and with England's place in Europe.