Vikings / Famous Vikings / William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror
Duke of Normandy; King of England
- Lived
- c. 1028 – 1087
- Role
- Duke of Normandy; King of England
William, illegitimate son of Duke Robert I, inherited Normandy as a child in 1035 and secured it by the 1050s. Claiming that his cousin Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne, he landed in England in 1066, three days after Harald Hardrada's defeat at Stamford Bridge, and killed King Harold at Hastings on 14 October. Crowned at Westminster on Christmas Day, he replaced the English aristocracy with Normans, built castles across the country and ordered the Domesday survey of 1086.
Known for
- Victory at Hastings, 1066
- Norman conquest of England
- Commissioned Domesday Book, 1086
In the story
Places
- 1Falaise, Normandy (birthplace)
- 2Battle (Hastings battlefield), England
- 3Caen, Normandy (burial)
On the timeline
Events that name William the Conqueror
The 8 main events of 18. Each opens in the timeline.
- July 1035 William Becomes Duke of Normandy Duke Robert I of Normandy dies at Nicaea in early July 1035 on his way home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Before leaving he had…
- 1047 Battle of Val-ès-Dunes The young Duke William of Normandy, about nineteen and facing a revolt of western Norman barons led by his cousin Guy of…
- c. 1051 William Marries Matilda of Flanders Duke William marries Matilda, daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders, probably at Eu between 1050 and 1052, although Pope Leo IX… Date or details approximate
- 1051 William of Normandy's Claimed Visit to England While Earl Godwin and his sons are in exile, one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that Duke William crosses the sea with… Disputed by historians
- 1054 Battle of Mortemer Early in 1054 King Henry I of France and Geoffrey Martel of Anjou invade Normandy in two columns. The northern force, led by the…
- August 1057 Battle of Varaville King Henry I of France and Geoffrey Martel invade Normandy again, aiming at Bayeux and Caen. As their army fords the tidal…
- c. 1064 Harold Godwinson's Oath to William Harold Godwinson, earl of Wessex, crosses the Channel, is seized by Count Guy of Ponthieu and handed over to Duke William. He… Disputed by historians
- 14 October 1066 Battle of Hastings Harold hurries south and takes position on a ridge north-west of Hastings. From morning until dusk his shield wall of housecarls…
Sources
Wikipedia — William the Conqueror Wikipedia — Battle of Hastings Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — William IPicture: King William I ('The Conqueror') from NPG, Unknown author (English School) · Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.