In 1701 the ROYAL DRAGOONS were stationed in Yorkshire, with three troops in garrison at Hull; at this period the ambitious Louis XIV. of France violated the treaties he had entered into, and procured the accession of his grandson, Philip, Duke of Anjou, to the throne of Spain. War was resolved upon, and the establishment of the regiment was augmented to eight troops amounting to five hundred and thirty-two officers and men; and it embarked for Holland in the beginning of March, 1702. Before the transports sailed, the death of King William occurred (8th March, 1702), when the regiment was disembarked and placed in cantonments in the villages in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis. In a few days afterwards, Her Majesty Queen Anne having resolved to pursue the foreign policy of her predecessor, the regiment re-embarked, and after landing at Williamstadt, went into quarters at Breda, where it was formed in brigade with the royal Scots and royal Irish (second and fifth) dragoons, under the command of that excellent officer, Brigadier-General Ross, and was placed as a guard to the English train of artillery.[35] [Sidenote: 1703] A powerful French army was in the field menacing the frontiers of Holland. The EARL OF MARLBOROUGH assembled the forces under his orders towards the end of June, and in July the ROYAL DRAGOONS joined the army with the train of artillery. By a daring advance the British commander disconcerted the designs of his opponents, who retired without venturing an engagement. The ROYAL DRAGOONS were employed in covering the sieges of _Venloo_, _Ruremonde_, and _Stevenswaert_; and took part in the capture of the city of _Liege_: they afterwards marched back to Holland, and were quartered at Arnheim, the capital of the province of Guelderland, where they were reviewed in April, 1703, by their colonel, LORD RABY, who was passing through Holland on his way to Prussia, as envoy extraordinary to that court.[36] At the commencement of the campaign of 1703 the ROYAL DRAGOONS were employed in covering the siege of _Bonn_, and afterwards joined the army near Maestricht, with six battalions of infantry commanded by the Prince of Hesse, and were formed in brigade with the same regiments as in the preceding year. On the advance of the allied army commanded by the DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, the French retreated, and took post behind their fortified lines.