William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror (c. 1028 – 1087) was Duke of Normandy (1035–1087) and King of England (1066–1087). He defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 and was crowned at Westminster that Christmas, completing the Norman Conquest, and in 1086 he ordered the Domesday survey of the lands of all England. Born to Duke Robert I of Normandy and Herleva of Falaise, he was also known in his lifetime as “William the Bastard”.
| Lived | c. 1028 – 1087 |
|---|---|
| Active in | Normandy (Rouen, Caen) · England |
| Known for | The Norman Conquest of 1066; the Battle of Hastings; the Domesday survey |
| Game start | 1065 · age 37 · Duke of Normandy (ruler) — A Crown Across the Sea |
Life at a glance
- c. 1028 Born at Falaise, son of Duke Robert I of Normandy and Herleva.
- 1035 His father dies at Nicaea on his way back from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and William becomes duke at about seven. Chaos follows, as the boy duke's guardians are murdered one after another.
- 1047 With the help of King Henry I of France he defeats rebel barons at Val-ès-Dunes.
- c. 1051 Marries Matilda, daughter of the Count of Flanders.
- c. 1064 According to Norman sources, Harold Godwinson swears an oath on holy relics at Bayeux to support him.
- 1066 When Harold becomes king of England in January, William crosses the Channel, lands at Pevensey on 28 September, defeats Harold at Hastings on 14 October and is crowned at Westminster on Christmas Day.
- 1069 Crushes the northern rebellion and lays waste to Yorkshire (into the next year).
- 1079 Quarrelling with his eldest son Robert, he fights him at Gerberoy and is wounded.
- 1086 Completes the Domesday survey of the land and property of all England and takes the oath of loyalty of the landholders at Salisbury.
- 1087 Injured while burning Mantes, he dies near Rouen on 9 September and is buried in the abbey of Saint-Étienne at Caen.
Family
The family members who appear with this character when you start the game. Years follow the historical record; where none survives, a ? is shown.
| Relation | Name | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | Robert I | c. 1000 – 1035 | Duke of Normandy; died at Nicaea on pilgrimage in 1035 |
| Mother | Herleva | c. 1003 – c. 1050 | Daughter of a tanner of Falaise; later married Herluin de Conteville |
| Half-brother | Odo | c. 1035 – 1097 | Bishop of Bayeux, Earl of Kent |
| Half-brother | Robert of Mortain | c. 1031 – 1095 | Count of Mortain |
| Wife | Matilda | c. 1031 – 1083 | Daughter of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders; crowned queen of England in 1068 |
| Son | Robert Curthose | c. 1051 – 1134 | Succeeded as Duke of Normandy |
| Son | Richard | c. 1054 – c. 1070 | Died young in a hunting accident in the New Forest |
| Daughter | Adeliza | Dates unknown | |
| Daughter | Cecilia | c. 1056 – 1126 | Abbess of La Trinité at Caen |
| Son | William Rufus | c. 1057 – 1100 | King William II of England; killed by an arrow while hunting in 1100 |
| Daughter | Constance | ? – 1090 | Married Alan IV, Duke of Brittany |
In the game
You begin in 1065 at Rouen as the thirty-seven-year-old Duke of Normandy. Across the sea, England's old King Edward lies sick, and last year Harold Godwinson swore an oath over holy relics. Your wife Matilda, your sons Robert, Richard and William Rufus and your daughters, and your half-brothers Odo and Robert of Mortain are with you.
The turning point is “Hastings”. In the first year, whether you lend Tostig ships in “The exiled earl” and get your barons to sign “The ship list” moves the odds for 1066. Win, and real history runs through the Christmas coronation, Exeter, the Harrying of the North, the fens of Ely, the earls' revolt and the oath of Salisbury to the fire at Mantes in 1087; lose, and another branch runs to the end in which you remain a duke who fell back to his ships and guards a small duchy.
After the conquest, family quarrels wait alongside resistance. After 1077's “The water jug at L'Aigle” your eldest son Robert turns against his father, and the matter of your half-brother Odo waits on the Isle of Wight.
- Scenario guide A Crown Across the Sea
- Era guide Age of Vikings and Coronations
- Related turning points What if Harold had won the Battle of Hastings?
Frequently asked questions
Why is William called “the Conqueror” or “the Bastard”?
He is called the Conqueror because he conquered England in 1066 and became its king. Because he was born to his father Robert I and Herleva, who were not married, he was also called “William the Bastard” in his lifetime and in contemporary records.
When and where was the Battle of Hastings?
On 14 October 1066, north-west of Hastings in Sussex in south-east England (at the modern village of Battle). After a day-long fight King Harold II of England was killed, and William was crowned that Christmas.
What was the Domesday survey?
The survey of the land, livestock and property of all England that William ordered at his Christmas council of 1085 and that was largely completed in 1086. Its record, Domesday Book, is one of the most detailed surveys of medieval Europe and is still kept at the National Archives in England.
Sources
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; William of Poitiers, Deeds of Duke William; the Bayeux Tapestry; Domesday Book.