William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror William I (Old Norman: Williame I; c. 1028[1] continental domains, troubles with his eldest son, and – 9 September 1087), usually known as William threatened invasions of England by the Danes. In 1086 the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bas- William ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book, tard,[2][lower-alpha 1] was the first Norman King of Eng- a survey listing all the landholders in England along with land, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. The their holdings. William died in September 1087 while descendant of Viking raiders, he had been Duke of Nor- leading a campaign in northern France, and was buried in mandy since 1035 under the style William II. After a Caen. His reign in England was marked by the construc- long struggle to establish his power, by 1060 his hold on tion of castles, the settling of a new Norman nobility on Normandy was secure, and he launched the Norman con- the land, and change in the composition of the English quest of England in 1066. The rest of his life was marked clergy. He did not try to integrate his various domains by struggles to consolidate his hold over England and his into one empire, but instead continued to administer each continental lands and by difficulties with his eldest son. part separately. William’s lands were divided after his William was the son of the unmarried Robert I, Duke of death: Normandy went to his eldest son, Robert, and his Normandy, by Robert’s mistress Herleva. His illegitimate second surviving son, William, received England. status and his youth caused some difficulties for him after he succeeded his father, as did the anarchy that plagued the first years of his rule. During his childhood and 1 Background adolescence, members of the Norman aristocracy battled each other, both for control of the child duke and for their Norsemen first began raiding in what became Normandy own ends. In 1047 William was able to quash a rebel- in the late 8th century. Permanent Scandinavian settle- lion and begin to establish his authority over the duchy, ment occurred before 911, when Rollo, one of the Viking a process that was not complete until about 1060. His leaders, and King Charles the Simple of France reached marriage in the 1050s to Matilda of Flanders provided an agreement surrendering the county of Rouen to Rollo. him with a powerful ally in the neighbouring county of The lands around Rouen became the core of the later Flanders. By the time of his marriage, William was able duchy of Normandy.[3] Normandy may have been used to arrange the appointments of his supporters as bishops as a base when Scandinavian attacks on England were re- and abbots in the Norman church. His consolidation of newed at the end of the 10th century, which would have power allowed him to expand his horizons, and by 1062 worsened relations between England and Normandy.[4] In William was able to secure control of the neighbouring an effort to improve matters, King Æthelred the Unready county of Maine. took Emma of Normandy, sister of Duke Richard II, as In the 1050s and early 1060s William became a con- his second wife in 1002.[5] tender for the throne of England, then held by the child- Danish raids on England continued, and Æthelred sought less Edward the Confessor, his first cousin once removed. help from Richard, taking refuge in Normandy in 1013 There were other potential claimants, including the pow- when King Swein I of Denmark drove Æthelred and his erful English earl Harold Godwinson, who was named family from England. Swein’s death in 1014 allowed the next king by Edward on the latter’s deathbed in Jan- Æthelred to return home, but Swein’s son Cnut contested uary 1066. William argued that Edward had previously Æthelred’s return. Æthelred died unexpectedly in 1016, promised the throne to him, and that Harold had sworn to and Cnut became king of England. Æthelred and Emma’s support William’s claim. William built a large fleet and two sons, Edward and Alfred, went into exile in Nor- invaded England in September 1066, decisively defeating mandy while their mother, Emma, became Cnut’s second and killing Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October wife.[6] 1066. After further military efforts William was crowned king on Christmas Day 1066, in London. He made ar- After Cnut’s death in 1035 the English throne fell rangements for the governance of England in early 1067 to Harold Harefoot, his son by his first wife, while before returning to Normandy. Several unsuccessful re- Harthacnut, his son by Emma, became king in Den- bellions followed, but by 1075 William’s hold on England mark. England remained unstable. Alfred returned to was mostly secure, allowing him to spend the majority of England in 1036 to visit his mother and perhaps to chal- the rest of his reign on the continent. lenge Harold as king. One story implicates Earl Godwin of Wessex in Alfred’s subsequent death, but others blame William’s final years were marked by difficulties in his Harold. Emma went into exile in Flanders until Harthac- 1 2 3 DUKE OF NORMANDY nut became king following Harold’s death in 1040, and France.[2] his half-brother Edward followed Harthacnut to England; There are indications that Robert may have been briefly Edward was proclaimed king after Harthacnut’s death in [7][lower-alpha 2] betrothed to a daughter of King Cnut, but no marriage June 1042. took place. It is unclear if William would have been sup- planted in the ducal succession if Robert had had a le- gitimate son. Earlier dukes had been illegitimate, and 2 Early life William’s association with his father on ducal charters appears to indicate that William was considered Robert’s most likely heir.[2] In 1034 Duke Robert decided to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Although some of his supporters tried to dissuade him from undertaking the journey, Robert convened a council in January 1035 and had the assembled Norman magnates swear fealty to William as his heir[2][15] before leaving for Jerusalem. He died in early July at Nicea, on his way back to Normandy.[15] 3 Duke of Normandy 3.1 Challenges William I ~ Sprota = Esperleng Ermengarde = Conan of of Anjou Brttany Fulk III Château de Falaise in Falaise, Lower Normandy, France; ~ Rodulf of Anjou Richard I = Gunnora Seinfreda Herfast of Ivry William was born in an earlier building here. Duvelina of Crepon Judith of = Richard II = Papia of Archbishop Geoffrey Geoffrey I Hawise= Joscelina of Brittany Rennes Envermeu Robert of Eu Fulbert of of Rouen Humphrey Osbern = Emma Geoffrey Falaise +++++++ the Steward de Vielles ++++++++ Martel Alan III of ---------- Richard III Gilbert of William was born in 1027 or 1028 at Falaise, Normandy, Brittany Roger de +++++++ Alice= Renaud I of Brionne Montgomery Burgundy ++++++ [1][8][lower-alpha 3] Walter Herleva ~ Robert I Roger de William Archbishop most likely towards the end of 1028. He of Falaise William Beaumont Fitz Osbern +++++++ Mauger +++++++ ++++++++ Guy of of Talou William the ++++++ of Rouen Roger de Burgundy ---------- +++++++ was the only son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy, son of Conqueror ------------ ------------ Montgomery ++++++++++ Duke Richard II.[lower-alpha 4] His mother, Herleva, was the daughter of Fulbert of Falaise; Fulbert may have been a Diagram showing William’s family relationships. Names with [9] tanner or embalmer. She was possibly a member of the "---" under them were opponents of William, and names with ducal household, but did not marry Robert.[2] Instead, she "+++" were supporters of William. Some relatives switched sides later married Herluin de Conteville, with whom she had over time, and are marked with both symbols. two sons – Odo of Bayeux and Robert, Count of Mortain – and a daughter whose name is unknown.[lower-alpha 5] One William faced several challenges on becoming duke, in- of Herleva’s brothers, Walter, became a supporter and cluding his illegitimate birth and his youth: the evidence protector of William during his minority.[9][lower-alpha 6] indicates that he was either seven or eight years old at Robert also had a daughter, Adelaide of Normandy, by the time.[16][17][lower-alpha 7] He enjoyed the support of his another mistress.[12] great-uncle, Archbishop Robert, as well as the king of France, Henry I, enabling him to succeed to his father’s Robert became Duke of Normandy on 6 August 1027, [20] succeeding his elder brother Richard III, who had only duchy. The support given to the exiled English princes succeeded to the title the previous year.[1] Robert and in their attempt to return to England in 1036 shows that the new duke’s guardians were attempting to continue his brother had been at odds over the succession, and [2] Richard’s death was sudden. Robert was accused by some his father’s policies, but Archbishop Robert’s death in writers of killing his brother, a plausible but now unprov- March 1037 removed one of William’s main support- [13] ers, and conditions in Normandy quickly descended into able charge. Conditions in Normandy were unsettled, [20] as noble families despoiled the Church and Alan III of chaos. Brittany waged war against the duchy, possibly in an at- The anarchy in the duchy lasted until 1047,[21] and con- tempt to take control. By 1031 Robert had gathered control of the young duke was one of the priorities of those siderable support from noblemen, many of whom would contending for power.

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