Orange Day

July 12, today, is Orange Day in Ireland. On this day, the "Orange Walks" have taken place that have led to anger and violence in the past, mostly between catholics and protestants. What is it all about? And why Orange Day - many Dutch people wonder.

Willem III, the great-grandson of Willem I married Maria Stuart in 1677, the daughter of the English king James II. Since Henry VIII (1491 –1547) England had been protestant, he started the Church of England because the catholic church disapproved that he divorced his wife. King James II was raised catholic and wanted to restore the catholic church in England. He also wanted to introduce an absolute monarchy, following the French example. Influential English families and aristocrats quickly involved his son-in-law Willem III who was then the stadholder in Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht: He gathered a small army and arrived in England in 1688. Without fight, James II surrendered to Willem III, which is remembered as the ‘Glorious Revolution’. 

Two years later, on July 12, 1690 Willem went to fight and defeated his father-in-law in Ireland, at the Battle of Boyne. With this win, he added Ireland to his kingdom. William of Orange defended a more tolerant and pluralistic, democratic governance in England - and the protestant belief against the return of catholicism. The order or Orange was founded in 1795 as a secret order with the objective to ensure monarchie and protestant belief.

As a result, the Orange parades are still seen as a provocation in the catholic neighbourhoods. Since William of Orange didn't leave any heirs, the union of England and the Netherlands died with him.