Historical Figures

William the Conqueror (1027 - 1087)

Guillaume is the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy Robert the Magnificent (which will earn him the nickname of William the Bastard ), he succeeded him at the age of eight. His minority was marked by a revolt of the barons of Lower Normandy, which he only triumphed in 1047 with the help of the King of France, Henry 1st. He married Matilda of Flanders, around 1050. In 1066, on the death of Edward the Confessor, he claimed the crown promised to him, which the Saxon Harold had seized. At the head of a solid army, William won the Battle of Hastings (1066). Recognized as king, he introduced the feudal system in England while maintaining strong monarchical authority and had a vast inventory of the lands of the kingdom drawn up (Domesday Book).