Introduction

The tall, blue and white Delftware pyramids often erroneously described as ‘tulip vases’ have become emblematic of the short reign of Mary II (1662–1694, reg. 1689–1694) (figure 11.1). Manufactured from tin-glazed earthenware in the Dutch town of Delft, they were painted with Chinese-inspired and European designs. When filled with multi-coloured exotic blooms, each in an individual spout, they made for a magnificent display in both her Dutch and English palaces. The cultivation and display of flowers was one of Mary's great passions. Another was her love of the decorative arts, and arranging the interiors of her apartments, which incorporated both real flowers and floral decorative motifs. She shared these horticultural and artistic interests with her husband, William III, Prince of Orange (1650–1702, reg. 1689–1702).

In 1677, Mary had moved to the Netherlands to marry her first cousin, William, but the unexpected events of the Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689 brought about a dramatic change in their circumstances. William was invited to England by a small group of nobles and senior clergy, and after a short military campaign, Mary's Catholic father James II (1633–1701) was forced to abdicate, and the English and Scottish thrones were offered to Mary and her husband in an unprecedented joint monarchy.