William the Conqueror was one of the most influential figures of the 11th Century. He was the first Norman King of England, and reigned from the 25th December 1066 to his death on the 9th September 1087.
Born in 1027 at Château de Falaise in what is now France, William was the son of the Duke of Normandy, Robert I. He had two half brothers and a sister. Despite his illegitimate birth (for which he was mocked), William was proclaimed the heir of Normandy and succeeded his father as Duke in 1035, at the mere age of 7. William was supported by King Henry I of France, who knighted him at age 15 in 1043.
Assisted by King Henry, William was able to secure Normandy from insurgents and defeat rebel barons at Caen. Against the wishes of the Pope at the time, in 1053 William married Matilda of Flanders, a noble (and also a distant relative!). Henry I of France, feeling threatened by William’s growing power, attempted, and failed, to invade Normandy twice. William was popular amongst his people, and after the death of King Henry, along with his rival Geoffrey II of Anjou, he successfully seized control of Maine.
When the King Edward the Confessor of England perished at the age of 61, William emerged as one of the main competitors for the throne, along with Viking Harald Hadrada and Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex. William based his claim to the throne on a promise made by King Edward in 1052, after Edward had taken shelter in Normandy due to the Danish occupation of England. To repay William and his family for their support, Edward pledged that upon his death, William would become King.
Unfortunately for William, it was Harold Godwinson who was crowned King by the Wittan, Saxon Elders. Enraged, William prepared an invasion force to sail north to England. However, unfavourable winds forced him to bide his time and wait. During this time, Harold Godwinson amassed an army of his own and spectacularly defeated Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in northeastern England. Shortly afterwards, the winds changed and William was able to cross to southern England.
When Harold learned of William’s arrival, he forced his troops to march nearly 400 kilometres south to meet him, covering this distance within a week. By the time Harold reached William, his soldiers were exhausted and probably very sore. They met at the Battle of Hastings, where William’s army, despite heavy losses, managed to