James II, King /ˌdʒeɪmz ðə ˈsekənd/ BrE AmE
(1633–1704) the king of England from 1685 until 1688, when he was forced to give up his position because he had become a Catholic. In 1690 he tried to get back power from the new British king, William III, but he was defeated at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.