Editing William III of England (section)

===War in Europe===
{{Main|Nine Years' War}}
[[File:Ludolf Bakhuysen - The Arrival of Stadholder-King Willem III (1650- 1702) in the Oranjepolder on 31 January 1691 - 6 - Mauritshuis.jpg|thumb|right|The return of the Stadholder-King in the Dutch Republic on 31 January 1691, by [[Ludolf Bakhuysen]]]]
William continued to absent himself from Britain for extended periods during his [[Nine Years' War]] (1688–1697) against France, leaving each spring and returning to England each autumn.<ref>Troost, pp. 239–241; van der Zee, pp. 368–369</ref> England joined the League of Augsburg, which then became known as the Grand Alliance.<ref>Troost, pp. 241–246</ref> Whilst William was away fighting, his wife, Mary II, governed the realm, but acted on his advice. Each time he returned to England, Mary gave up her power to him without reservation, an arrangement that lasted for the rest of Mary's life.<ref>Van der Kiste, pp. 150–158</ref>

After the Anglo-Dutch fleet defeated a French fleet at [[Battle of La Hougue|La Hogue]] in 1692, the allies controlled the seas for the rest of the conflict, and the Treaty of Limerick (1691) pacified Ireland.<ref>Troost, pp. 281–283</ref> At the same time, the Grand Alliance fared poorly in Europe, as William lost [[Namur]] in the Spanish Netherlands in 1692.<ref>Troost, pp. 244–246</ref> A surprise attack on the French under the command of the Duke of Luxembourg at [[Battle of Steenkerque|Steenkerke]] was repulsed and the French defeated the allies at the [[Battle of Landen]] in 1693. However, William managed to inflict such damage on the French in these battles that further major French offensives were ruled out.{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2020|p=95 & 236}} The following year, the Allies possessed the numerical upper hand in the Low Countries. This enabled William to [[Siege of Huy (1694)|recapture Huy]] in 1694. A year later, the Allies achieved their grand success and [[Siege of Namur (1695)|recaptured Namur]] from the French. The fortress was considered one of the strongest fortresses in Europe and the conquest was a major blow to Louis XIV's reputation.{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2020|pp=239 & 250}}