12 July 1690: Why the Battle of the Boyne is important
Today, unionists across Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom are commemorating the Battle of the Boyne, which took place on 12 July 1690.
It's a national holiday there, with street parties, marching bands and some of the world's biggest bonfires.
But why is a 300-year-old battle still so important?
The Battle of the Boyne is not just a battle between royal families.
It was a pivotal battle in British history, a battle that ensured British freedom, civil liberty and independence.
If the Battle of the Boyne had turned out differently, Britain would once again be subjugated under European control.
The Battle of the Boyne began on July 12, 1690, across the River Boyne close to the town of Drogheda in the 'Kingdom of Ireland', which is the modern-day Republic of Ireland.
The battle took place between William of Orange (above) and his uncle, James II.
William of Orange was a Dutch protestant who had recently been jointly crowned monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland during the 'Glorious Revolution'.
After William was crowned, James - who was also William's father-in-law - escaped to exile in France.
In France, at that time the greatest military power in Europe, the catholic King Louis XIV, supplied James with troops to head back to battle protestant rule.
In 1689, James landed back in Ireland in the hope of regaining the English crown.
On June 14, William marched his forces - the largest Ireland had seen at that time, with more than 1,000 horses - south, to James's stronghold near Dublin.
The ensuing battle at the River Boyne has come to be remembered as the final time two crowned Kings of England, Scotland and Ireland met in battle.
William was grazed on his shoulder by a bullet early on in the battle, but as a veteran military leader, he had the strength of experience on his side.
By contrast, James was approaching sixty with his best years behind him, and after around four hours he gave the order to retreat.
William marched to Dublin in victory, and James returned to exile in France.
The battle marked a major turning point in British history.
For protestants in Ulster, the victory ensured the survival of the protestant, English-speaking areas.
The victory is still celebrated every July 12 in Northern Ireland by the Orange Order, named after William of Orange.
Had James won the Battle of the Boyne, the British Isles would have returned to European domination, with freedom, civil liberties and freedom of religion curtailed by Catholic absolutism.
In a way, the Battle of the Boyne was an earlier, military Brexit.
The victory of King William at the Battle of the Boyne ensured that the nascent 'United Kingdom' was free, strong and independent, and able to become a global power with a vast empire.
King William (or King Billy as he's affectionately known) is a national hero of not just Northern Ireland, but also of the whole United Kingdom.
To every British patriot celebrating the Glorious 12th today, we send you our deepest patriotic regards.