Death of King William III.

King William III by Thomas Murray, circa 1691

He was born on 4 November 1650, crowned on 11 April 1689, died on 8 March 1702 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, London.

William’s direct cause of death was pneumonia following a fall from horseback that had broken his collarbone. Ironically, his mount ‘Sorrel’ had belonged, when confiscated, to the Jacobite Sir John Fenwick. The cause of the fall was said to have resulted from the horse having its stride disrupted as its hoof sank into a mole hole. It was said that thereafter, Jacobites in Ireland would raise their glasses and offer a toast to ‘the little gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat’.