After the flight of James II, a "Convention Parliament" met, and
declared that, James having broken "the orginal contract between king
and people," the throne was therefore vacant. The Convention next
issued a formal statement of principles under the name of the
"Declaration of Right," 1689.[1]
[1] It was called a "Convention Parliament" because it had not been
summoned by the King (S491). Declaration of Right: see Summary of
Constitutional History in the Appendix, p. xxii, S24. On the
coronation oath see S380, note 1.
That document recited the illegal and arbitrary acts of the late King
James II, proclaimed him no longer sovereign, and resolved that the
crown should be tendered to William and Mary.[2] The Declaration
having been read to them and having received their assent, they were
formally invited to accept the joint sovereignty of the realm, with
the understanding that the actual administration should be vested in
William alone.
[2] William of Orange stood next in order of succession to Mary and
Anne (provided the claim of the newly born Prince James, the so-called
"Pretender," was set aside [SS490, 491]). See Genealogical Table,
p. 323.