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| Depiction on the Bayeux Tapestry (c. 1087) |
Birth name: Williame de Normaundie
Born: c. 1028, Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, Kingdom of France
Father: Robert I, Duke of Normandy 'The Magnificent'
Mother: Herleva of Falaise
House: Normandy
Nationality: Norman
Religion: Catholicism
Claim: Right of conquest and chosen by Edward the Confessor *disputed*
Reign: 25 December 1066 - 09 September 1087 (20 years)
Coronation: 25 December 1066
Predecessor: Harold II or Edgar II *disputed*
Successor: William II 'Rufus'
Contender: Edgar II
Died: 09 September 1087 (aged 59), Rouen, Duchy of Normandy, Kingdom of France
Cause: Internal abdominal rupture
Burial: Saint-Étienne de Caen
Motto: N/A
Spouse(s):
- Lady Matilda of Flanders (m. 1051 - 1083)
Children:
- With Lady Matilda of Flanders
- Robert II, Duke of Normandy 'Curthose' (c. 1052 - 1134)
- Prince Richard of Normandy (c. 1055 - 1075)
- King William II of England 'Rufus' (c. 1056 - 1100)
- Constance, Duchess of Brittany (c. 1057 - 1090)
- Princess Matilda of Normandy (c. 1061 - c. 1086)
- Princess Cecilia of Normandy, Abbess of Holy Trinity (c. 1065 - 1127)
- Saint Adela, Countess of Blois (c. 1067 - 1137)
- King Henry I of England 'Beauclerc' (1068 - 1135)
- Princess Adeliza of Normandy (???? - c. 1113)
- Princess Agatha of Normandy (???? - ????)
Appearance:
William was reported to have possessed a strong build and was taller than average for the time period, possibly standing at around 182cm (6'0'').
He was also described as having a guttural voice.
While he was strong and athletic for the majority of his life, he did gain a considerable amount of weight in the years leading up to his death, likely fuelled by depression over the loss of his wife in 1083.
It is also possible that he had dark hair.
Character:
All of his life, William was regarded as a very talented and skilled military leader and soldier. He much preferred outdoor activities such as hunting, and did not have much patience for reading and administrative affairs. There are records of him attempting to learn English upon him becoming king, but he quickly gave up.
He mainly displayed his authority through brute strength, with his wife often having to intervene to make sure he dressed the part of king, as well as take part in ceremonies to win over the English people.
Despite being well known for his brutality and ruthlessness, he did have a kind and affectionate side, and was well known for his piety, generosity, and dedication to Christianity. He loved his wife dearly, despite being rumoured to have bullied her into marrying him, and he never took a mistress, which was very unusual for a royal and nobleman of this time period.
However, he often despaired at the behaviour of his sons, frequently having to intervene in petty quarrels between them, and viewed them as an embarrassment.
Biography:
William was born some time around 1028 in the Duchy of Normandy as the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and his mistress, Herleva of Falaise, a possible servant within the Norman household. He had four half-siblings from his parents' other relationships.
During his youth, William would mainly be brought up under the protection of his mother's brother, his uncle, Walter of Falaise. Despite being illegitimate, William was considered at the time to be the most likely successor to his father as the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy, especially when it appeared likely that he would not produce any legitimate sons.
In 1034, Robert embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and forced Norman noblemen to swear loyalty to William, should he not return alive. This scenario would come true, as Robert died on his return journey. Thus, William became the new Duke of Normandy when he was just 8 years old.
Immediately, William and his position was in danger due to his illegitimacy and young age. However, he was able to receive powerful support in the form of King Henry I of France, but this was not enough to prevent the duchy from falling into chaos a few years later. Other powerful noblemen fought for power and influence over William, with one of his guardians even being slaughtered above him while he slept. In 1046, there was possibly an attempted kidnapping of William, but he was able to escape and seek shelter via the French king.
As William became an adult, he was able to rally successful military campaigns, but his position still remained largely unstable. To alleviate some of this, William decided he would marry Lady Matilda of Flanders, the grand-daughter of the French king, and daughter of the powerful Count of Flanders. Matilda initially refused his hand in marriage due to him being of lower birth than her, and it's said that William resorted to bullying her to accept his proposal. He is reported to have dragged her by her hair and pushed her into the mud, to which this show of strength caused Matilda to finally agree, though it's not known how true these stories are.
Regardless, William married Matilda in 1051 when he was 23 years old, and Matilda was 20. The marriage occurred before a papal dispensation was granted for the union (the two of them were distant cousins), which resulted in both of them having to build abbeys as penance. His new marriage improved his social status and created many potential political alliances.
Despite the possible tumultuous foundations of the marriage, William and Matilda got along very well with each other, becoming very close over the years. She became one of his most valued advisors, and he would remain loyal to her, never once taking a mistress. On one occasion, he even referred to her as his soulmate. They would go on to have around ten children together over the course of their marriage. It appears that all of them survived infancy - a very impressive feat by the standards of the time - though one of their sons, Richard, was tragically killed in a horse riding accident in 1070.
Around the year 1051, it's possible that King Edward the Confessor of the English chose William as his heir to the throne of England. The two of them were distantly related, and Edward had always maintained close relations with Normandy due to his mother being from the duchy. However, this decision is not known for sure, as Harold, Earl of Wessex, also claimed that Edward had promised him the throne. There did also remain one legitimate male claimant from the House of Wessex: Edgar.
Later that same decade, the Normans claimed that Harold had sworn an oath on sacred relics to recognise William as Edward's heir in exchange for weapons and support in a military campaign. However, it's highly possible that this was propaganda and not an actual event that occurred.
In 1066, Edward the Confessor finally died, and regardless of any oath allegedly made to William, Harold seized the throne of England for himself and was elected by the English nobility.
During this time, King Harald III of Norway also announced he had a claim to the throne of England, and both Norman and Norwegian parties began making preparations for invasion. William was able to go one step further and receive papal approval from the Pope to invade the Kingdom of England.
Unfortunately, William's invasion would be delayed by bad weather.
Meanwhile, Harald's invasion reached the north of England, and both he and his forces were defeated by King Harold, with Harald being killed in the process. Just two days after this battle, William finally landed in Sussex, establishing a base there, awaiting Harold's return south.
Upon news of William's arrival, Harold was forced to march his already exhausted army back down south to deal with the Norman threat. Though Harold attempted to ambush William, intelligence information prevented this from happening, meaning that William was fully prepared.
Unfortunately, the Battle of Hastings did not start out in William's favour, since Harold's forces maintained higher ground and assumed a strong defensive position. The battle lasted all day, with William's forces sustaining many casualties. At one point, rumours circulated that William had been killed, causing mass panic, and for English forces to become overconfident, briefly breaking their defensive formation. Noticing this, William cleverly rallied his troops and pretended to retreat. This made the English break formation again and chase after them, only for Norman troops to turn back around and slaughter them. In the chaos, King Harold was killed, possibly as a result of an arrow being shot into his eye, before he was completely mutilated. William emerged victorious.
Despite believing England would quickly surrender after this, William was shocked when they did not. Edgar of Wessex was nominated as the new king, however, this was never able to come to pass, as William was able to secure his new territories along the coast and marched on London, burning and pillaging as he went. Eventually, English nobles, including the last remaining Wessex Prince, Edgar, officially submitted, and William was crowned as King of England on Christmas Day in 1066.
Over the next few years, William would spend the vast majority of his time consolidating his power within his new kingdom. He created alliances with English noblemen, purposefully planned for one of his sons to be born in the land, and began the building of many castles and fortresses, including the famous Tower of London.
However, his reign was still met with much resistance. The English people were not fond of their new Norman overlords who ruled their land. Scandinavian forces also continued to invade the north of the country, and Edgar Ætheling of Wessex still retained a claim to the throne with popular support from the nobles. However, William was able to squash many of these rebellions and maintain his power.
After establishing himself, William would travel back and forth between his lands in England and Normandy.
But trouble would soon begin a lot closer to home, as William's sons also began to rebel against him. His eldest son, Robert, grew restless with his own lack of power, and demanded control of small portions of land from his father; William refused. In revenge, Robert raided Normandy, and received some funding and support from his mother, Matilda, who had always favoured him among her children. Robert also received the support of William's enemies in order to stir up trouble for him.
William met Robert's forces in combat, and the two of them unknowingly battled each other, with Robert nearing victory. As Robert was about to deliver the fatal blow with his sword, he recognised his father's voice under his armour and panicked before fleeing.
William was enraged by all of these events, especially upon finding out that Matilda had supported their son. He had her brought before him in court where she collapsed and begged for his forgiveness, stating that her actions were only the result of her protective maternal instincts, and not a rebellion against him. William forgave her, but ensured she no longer played such an active role in politics and personal affairs. Meanwhile, the relationship between William and Robert would never fully recover.
In 1083, William's wife passed away due to a sudden illness, leaving him devastated. In his grief, he gave up his favourite hobbies. It was also noted by people at the time that William was never the same after this occurred, and he became a lot more tyrannical.
But William would not outlive his wife for long, as he himself would die in 1087. It is likely that William had injured himself on the saddle of his horse, which possibly burst his bladder or caused an internal rapture.
Rule:
William is most famous for being the founder of the Norman dynasty within England and defeating the last Anglo-Saxon king. After his victory, England was predominantly ruled by a Norman-French ruling class for the next 300 years. This shaped and changed the culture of England forever, heavily influencing the English language, architecture, and much more. As a result, England also lost it's close Scandinavian and Germanic ties, having once been linked to the powerful North Sea Empire. He is viewed as both the destroyer and creator of the Kingdom of England.
Throughout his rule, William was able to successfully hold onto power, crushing any rebellions against him.
One of his most notable achievements is the creation of the Domesday Book, a land registry of the entire kingdom, creating an organised administration of land holdings and taxes.
Despite introducing a lot of Norman culture, he did still allow English customs and methods, such as writs and shires, and its own minted coinage.
He often travelled the kingdom, though in his later reign, he largely remained in Normandy or away on military campaign, leaving his brother or his wife in charge of affairs. Though he had little patience for administrative work, William was able to successfully delegate, leading to the relatively smooth running of the kingdom.
Trivia:
- It is William's direct line of descent that continues to rule England and the United Kingdom until this very day.
- After his death, it was reported that his bloated body exploded as they tried to squeeze it into his tomb.
Quotes:
"The wife of my bosom, whom I love as my own soul, whom I have set over my whole kingdom and entrusted with all authority and riches, this wife, I say, supports the enemies who plot against my life, enriches them with my money, zealously arms and succours and strengthens them to my grave peril."
"I attacked the English of the Northern Shires like a lion. I ordered their houses and corn, with all their belongings, to be burnt without exception and large herds of cattle and beasts of burden to be destroyed wherever they were found. It was there I took revenge on masses of people by subjecting them to a cruel famine; and by doing so - alas! - I became the murderer of many thousands of that fine race."
Timeline of Reign:
| 1067: Creation of the Bayeux Tapestry - Work begins on the making of the Bayeux Tapestry.
| 1068: Siege of Exeter - Anglo-Saxon rebels surrender to William I.
| 1069: Sack of Durham and York - Anglo-Saxon and Viking rebels attack both cities.
| 1069: Harrying of the North - William I attacks the north of England to gain full control.
| 1071: Ely Abbey Rebellion - Last Anglo-Saxon rebellion defeated.
| 1072: Treaty of Abernethy - Peace treaty between England and Scotland is signed.
| 1075: Revolt of the Earls - Conspiracy to overthrow William I by prominent earls is defeated.
| 1078: Construction of the Tower of London begins - The White Tower is completed.
| 1087: Creation of the Domesday Book - Land registry of England is completed.
Sources & Further Reading:
Brain, J. (2022). William the Conqueror. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/William-The-Conqueror/
Barlow, F. (2024). William I | Biography, Reign, & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-I-king-of-England
BAYEUX MUSEUM. (n.d.). Who was William the Conqueror - Main characters in the Bayeux Tapestry. Bayeux Museum. https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/discover-the-bayeux-tapestry/who-was-william-the-conqueror/
Bayeuxtapestryodowilliamrobert.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2022). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bayeuxtapestryodowilliamrobert.jpg
PixelToCode pixeltocode.uk. (2013). William I (the Conqueror) | Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/william-i-the-conqueror
William the Conqueror. (2019). Historic Royal Palaces. https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/william-the-conqueror/
William the Conqueror Timeline. (n.d.). www.worldhistory.org. https://www.worldhistory.org/timeline/William_the_Conqueror/
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