u/Voider765

Reposted forgot Charles I (with head)

On 30 June 1690 (Old Style calendar), the day before the Battle of the Boyne, King William III was reconnoitring the Jacobite positions near the River Boyne around Oldbridge.

William rode forward with a group of senior officers to inspect possible crossing points. Jacobite artillery on the opposite bank spotted the party. Two field guns were brought to bear and fired at the conspicuous group of horsemen. One shot missed. The other struck the ground nearby and either ricocheted and hit William directly, or shattered and sent debris into him.The exact mechanics are disputed because eyewitnesses described the event differently.

The shot struck William on the right shoulder area, tearing his coat and causing a flesh wound. Contemporary reports indicate his shoulder was bruised and cut, there was noticeable bleeding, he was knocked or jolted by the impact, no bone was broken and the wound was not life-threatening.

His surgeon dressed the injury, and William was able to continue commanding.

News spread rapidly through both armies.

Many Jacobites initially believed they had killed or seriously wounded William. Some reports say celebrations broke out in parts of the Jacobite camp and news was returned to Paris and that bells rung out across the city in celebration.

William deliberately showed himself afterward, riding among his troops despite the injury, helping reassure his army that he remained fit to command.

So how would British, Irish and broader European history have changed if he had died?