In 1688, on this day William, Prince of Orange (pictured) boarded his flagship Den Briel and bourne by a favourable "Protestant Wind" his invasion fleet made headway into the Maas estuary and out into the English Channel.

Wrong TurnBut his armada changed direction straight into the path of the English Fleet after receiving falsified intelligence about King James II's troop depositions. With weather conditions deteriorating fast, a series of skirmishes finally ended with the sinking of Den Briel. All hands were lost and the Williamite enterprise was over.

The conflict had become inevitable in June with the birth of the Prince of Wales which meant that his wife Mary was no longer first in succession. But despite the young prince's legitimacy, he had received assurances of support from senior officers. And in fact William had not expected his father-in-law to survive the first year of his reign, but the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth, and the "Bloody Assizes" carried him through to the arrival of a male heir. Further ruthless acts were required, including the execution of the most prominent traitors, men such as John Churchill and his own nephew, the Duke of Grafton.