IT may come as a surprise to learn that recent events in the northern sector of this island have their roots in meteorology. But such indeed would appear to be the case. A little over 300 years ago, the supporters of King William of Orange prayed fervently for "a Protestant wind" to facilitate their would be conquering hero it was a close run thing, but in due course the Almighty duly obliged.
It all began in 1688, when after three years on the throne of England, the Catholic James II was not, to put it mildly, very popular. He had exalted notions about the divine rights of kings, and worse than that, he tried to put them into practice. All in all, the need was seen for a more manageable monarch, and William, Prince of Orange, seemed ideal. His family motto, after all, was a guarantee against excessive liberalism Je maintiendrai, it said. "I shall maintain!".
The transfer of the royal sceptre was conducted with due regard, on William's side, for the proprieties. He declared that he would come to England only on receipt of a written "invitation" from his foremost would be subjects this he duly got, and plans were laid accordingly not for an invasion, but for what was euphemistically referred to throughout the whole affair as the new king's "descent" on England.
William, however, who lived in Holland, needed an easterly wind to sail to take possession of this windfall, and for many weeks the weather was singularly unobliging. The historian Thomas Babbington Macaulay takes up the story. "The gales which at times blew obstinately from the west, prevented the Prince's armament from sailing, and also brought fresh Irish regiments from Dublin to Chester, where they were bitterly cursed and reviled by the common people. "The weather, it was said 'is Popish'. Crowds stood in Cheapside gazing intently at the weather cock on the graceful steeple of Bow Church, praying for a Protestant wind."
The Popish wind blew stiff and strong for many weeks. God seemed to waver a little on October 16th when He first sent an easterly to tempt the Dutch, then followed tout de suite with a northwesterly gale which almost wrecked their fleet. It was November 11th before the real Protestant wind finally arrived, and William of Orange was finally able to fulfil his destiny by setting sail for England. He "descended" at Torbay in Devon on November 15th 1688, and thus began the train of events that led to the Battle of the Boyne, 307 years ago today.