William the Conqueror

Duke of Normandy who crossed the sea to conquer England in 1066, changing the course of English history.

Life

The bastard duke

William was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy. He inherited the dukedom at age seven, grew up amid turmoil, and gradually took control of Normandy. He claimed that the English king Edward "the Confessor" had promised him the throne.

Hastings

When Edward died in 1066, Harold Godwinson took the throne. William led an army across the Channel, defeated and killed Harold at Hastings in October, and was crowned at Westminster on Christmas Day. He then crushed resistance across the country (the "Harrying of the North"), distributed land to Norman nobles, and built a great many castles, including the Tower of London.

Domesday Book

In 1086 he ordered a survey of the land and property of the whole realm, compiled into the Domesday Book. In 1087 he was injured while campaigning in France and died.

Legacy

The Norman Conquest tied England closely to the European continent and profoundly transformed the English language, law and the nobility.

Major works & achievements

• Domesday Book

Did you know? For nearly three hundred years afterward, French was the language of the English court and nobility.

Key dates

• 1035Inherits the Duchy of Normandy
• 1066Battle of Hastings; crowned King of England
• 1069Harrying of the North
• 1086Compiles the Domesday Book
• 1087Died