William the Conqueror (1028 to 1087)

Normandy soon fell into strife, when ducal rule dissolved and all levels of the aristocracy began to build their own palaces and seize control of William's government. Wars often broke out between these aristocrats, and it was such chaos that three of William's guards were killed, as was his teacher. It is possible that William's servant was killed while William was sleeping in the same room. The Herleva family provides the best shield. William began to play a direct role in Normandy affairs when he was 15 years old in 1042, and over the next nine years, he forcibly regained royal control and rights, fighting wars against rebel aristocrats. There was important support from Henry I of France, especially at the Battle of Val-es-Dunes in 1047, when the Duke and King defeated the allies of the Norman leaders. Historians believe that William learned a great deal about warfare and rule through this turbulent time and that it made him determined to continue to take full control of his land. It may also have made him cruel and capable of cruelty.

William also took steps to regain control by reforming the church, and he appointed one of his main allies to Bishop Bayeux in 1049. This was Odo, William by Herleva's half-brother, and he took up the ministry only at the age of 16. he proved to be a faithful and capable servant, and the church became strong under his watch.

William married Matilda of Flanders in 1053. William is known to have had nine children, although a tenth daughter named Matilda who died while a virgin is described in several sources. Several other girls whose names have not been identified are also said to have been engaged to aristocratic figures at that time.

In 1063 William succeeded in conquering Maine, the neighboring province, and in 1064 he was also recognized as the ruler of Brittania, as well as other neighboring provinces.

From 1042 to 1066, the King of England was Edward "the Confessor." Because Edward did not have any sons, there were many plans for movements to replace the position of the British kingdom. From a blood-related standpoint, William's demands to replace Edward are lame; Edward's mother was William's grandfather's younger sister. However, in 1051, Edward promised William to be his successor.

In 1064, Prince Harold Goldwin was the most powerful in England and Edward's best friend and brother-in-law entered William's grasp. William treats Harold as he should but holds him back until he takes an oath in support of William's demands for the crown of the British Empire. Many people think that this kind of point-to-point oath has no legality and moral ties, Harold does too. When Edward died in 1066, Harold Goldwin demanded the crown of the British Empire for himself and a body called "Witan" (a body of aristocrats who usually took part in the decision-making of whoever became the crown holder of the kingdom) chose him to be the new king. William, whose ambitions were burning and angry with Harold for breaking his oath, took the decision to invade England to seize the throne by gun force.

William assembled the fleet and armed forces on the coast of France, and by early August 1066, he was ready to anchor. However, the expedition was postponed for several weeks waiting for the bad winds from the north to subside. Meanwhile, the King of Norway Harald Hardraade launched a separate offensive against Britain across the northern sea. Harold Goldwin alerted his troops to the south of England, ready to face William's attack. Thus he had to deploy his troops to the north of England to block the attack of the Norwegian. On September 25, in the battle at Stamford Bridge, the king of Norway was killed along with the disorganized army.

On September 27, 1066, after the weather improved, William and his troops sailed to the southeast coast of England. The following morning, September 28, 1066, William landed at Pevensey and easily took control of the city. William's troops met Harold's troops on 14 October 1066 at Hastings. Earlier, at the end of September, Harold suffered a defeat against the King of Norway in the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Because of the battle, Harold's troops were not in tip-top shape when William attacked. William's troops first invaded Harold's troops in the morning. Harold's troops moved north where they were protected by forests, rivers, and marshy land. Three infantry William, namely Breton, Norman, and French stationed on the south side. They were accompanied by archers in front and cavalry behind. William's troops attacked with arrows, to which Harold responded with a throw of stone axes. 

Harold's troops managed to repel William's troops. However, when they pursued William's army, things turned around. William's cavalry invaded and destroyed Harold's troop formation. The fighting lasted several hours. Harold was killed and the Normandy troops won the battle.

William was crowned King of England on 25 December 1066. William adopted some of the governments he found in England, such as sophisticated Anglo-Saxon statutes and clerks, but he also imported large numbers of loyalists from the continent to reward them and hold his new empire. William now had to crush rebellions in England, and at times did so cruelly. However, after 1072 he spent most of his time returning to Normandy, dealing with indecent subjects there. The Normandy border proves problematic, and William has to deal with a new generation of neighbors and stronger French kings. Through a mixture of negotiation and warfare, he tried to keep things safe, with some success.

There were more revolts in England, including a conspiracy involving Waltheof, Britain's last ear, and when William ordered it, there was intense opposition; chronicles like to use this as a precursor to William's perceived decline in wealth. In 1076 William suffered his first great military defeat, to the King of France, at Dol. More problematic, William falls with his eldest son, Robert, who rebels, raises the army, makes William's enemy allies, and begins to attack Normandy. It is likely that the father and son may have fought in one battle. Peace was negotiated and Robert was declared heir to Normandy. William also fell in love with his brother, the bishop, and regent of Odo, who was arrested and imprisoned. Odo might bribe and threaten his passage into the papacy, and if so William objected to a large number of Odo's troops planning to take him from England to help him.

While trying to chase Mantes, he suffered injuries - perhaps while on horseback - which proved to be deadly. At the time of his death, William made a compromise, giving his son Robert his French lands and William Rufus England.

William had always felt and pretended to be the legitimate King of England and during his lifetime most of the British institutions were preserved as they were without change. Since it was William's interest in obtaining information regarding what was his, he ordered a detailed census of people and property to be carried out. In 1085, the results of the census were recorded in a large book called the "Domesday Book", which is a very valuable source of historical information. (The original manuscripts are still in existence today, kept at the Public Registry in London.)

He occupied the throne as King of England until the end of his life on 9 September 1087.

In 1087, William was robbed while riding a horse while crossing the city of Mantes. He was thrown from the saddle with his stomach down, causing his intestines to burst.

This injury was fatal and killed him a few weeks later. When the priests tried to fit William into a stone coffin that was too small for his size, they pushed against his stomach forcefully and made him explode.

They also speed up the funeral ceremony to avoid the foul smell released by William's body.

He died on September 9, 1087 (aged 58-59) in Saint Gervais Monastery, Rouen city, Normandy, Northern France, and was buried in Saint-Étienne de Caen, France.