(William I)

House of Reign: 25th December 1066 – 9th September 1087 William was crowned king after his victory at the Battle of Hastings. During his reign, many castles and keeps were built to defend England, including the White Tower of the Tower of London. He also ordered the Domesday Book to be compiled which was a survey of all the land owned in the country, its value and what resources it had.

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House of Normandy Reign: 26th September 1087 – 2nd August 1100 William II, son of William the Conqueror, was known as William Rufus due to the red hair he had as a child. As he was his father’s favourite, he was chosen to inherit England while his elder brother was given Normandy to rule. He was seen as a wise ruler and a strong military leader. William died after being shot with an arrow while out hunting.

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House of Normandy Reign: 5th August 1100 – 1st December 1135 Henry, William the Conqueror’s youngest son, seized the throne after William Rufus’ death. He was seen as a harsh but effective ruler, manipulating many of the nobles into supporting him and keeping the country in peace. His only surviving son, William, died in a shipwreck and so he named his daughter, Matilda, as his heir.

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House of Blois Reign: 22nd December 1135 – 25th October 1154 After Henry I’s death, Stephen invaded England and had himself crowned instead of Henry’s daughter, Matilda. The pair fought a war for the throne for almost 20 years, resulting in Stephen agreeing for Matilda’s son, Henry, to be his heir instead of his own children. This period of fighting later became known as ‘.’

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House of Anjou Reign: 19th December 1154 – 6th July 1189 Henry worked hard to return England back to peace after the civil war between Stephen and Matilda. He introduced new laws which formed the basis for English Common Law as we have today. He is most famous for supposedly have been overheard saying ‘someone rid me of this turbulent priest’ in reference to his feud with Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This lead to a group of knights murdering Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.

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House of Anjou Reign: 3rd September 1189 – 6th April 1199 Richard I was a great military leader and became known as ‘The Lionheart’ due to his bravery and fierceness. He spent much of his reign away from England fighting in the Third Crusade, an attempt to reconquer the Holy Land, or in France. He died after being shot with a crossbow bolt and the wound became infected.

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House of Anjou Reign: 27th May 1199 – 19th October 1216 John is often portrayed as a villainous monarch in many modern portrayals. In fact, John had many strengths, including being seen as hard working and an able general. During his reign, John faced a rebellion from many nobles, leading to the signing of the Magna Carta, in which church rights were protected, were protected from illegal imprisonment and there were limitations placed on the amount of money paid to the crown.

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