c. 1028

King Edward I was the first king in the House of Normandy

Length of reign:

20 years and 10 months between the end of 1066 and his death in September 1087

William married Matilda, daughter of the count of Flanders, sometime around 1053. The couple had a number of children among whom William and Henry became future kings of England. Matilda died in 1083. 

William's reign is perhaps best known for two major accomplishments: the battle of Hastings and the Domesday Book.

Much of his early life was taken up with establishing himself as the Duke of Normandy. As he was an illegimate child (his parents were not married), there were those who disputed his claim to the duchy of Normandy, especially as he inherited the title before he had even reached the age of nine years old. His marriage with the daughter of the count of Flanders and his good relations with the French king helped stabilise his position to the extent that he could feel confident in invading Maine, becoming count of Maine in the early 1060s.

His claim to the English throne was slightly dubious. William always claimed that he had been promised the throne by Edward the Confessor in the early 1050s but there is little written evidence to support this claim. William also claimed that Harold agreed that the throne would be William's. When Harold became king of England in 1066 after the death of Edward the Confessor, William therefore prepared to invade.

The battle of Hastings is perhaps the most famous battle in English history. It took place in October 1066 and resulted in the defeat of the Saxon army and the death of King Harold. After this, William and his army marched on London and finally entered the capital, after something of a struggle, before William was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066.

After a short time in England, William returned home to Normandy. Towards the end of 1067 he returned to England and set about conquering the whole of the country (kingdoms such as Mercia and Northumbria had not yet come under Norman control). The Normans began to stamp their mark on the English countryside where castles were built and Norman nobles left in control of particular areas. Slowly the Norman rule extended throughout the country as close to 80 castles were built in this fashion.

There were rebellions in the country. The old Saxon aristocracy was being slowly stripped of all its lands and possessions, while Normans were gradually established in their place. A feudal system was developing. These rebellions were ruthlessly crushed by the Norman army however, even when the English joined forces with the Danes. William even marched into Scotland to demand that the Scottish king recognise him as his overlord.

In order to fund these expensive campaigns and pay his armies and followers, William turned to taxation. As he didn't know the country very well however, he could not be sure how much he could collect from the people. In order to collect as much money as possible, he ordered that a huge survey of England be conducted so that everything could be valued and properly assessed. This became known as the Domesday Book. Its compilation shows how effective the Norman system of government could be and also provides a valuable insight into how people lived and what they owned towards the end of the eleventh century.
 

Although William was a hugely successful monarch in terms of winning battles and taking control of a kingdom, he was an unpopular character among the English peoples. His harsh rule and aggressive policies led to a state of fear and unease.

At the top end of society, the aristocracy had their position in society taken away from them. The old Saxon system of local government and landowning was wiped away, with Normans took over in positions of power and influence. At the same time, churches and monuments were plundered in order to meet financial demands. The ordinary people had their homes and possessions destroyed in the course of William's brutal campaign to control the north. He was an effective and respected king, but never well liked.

The death of William's wife Matilda, in 1083, came as a bitter blow to William, who never married again.

Two very important documents originate in the reign of William the Conqueror: the Domesday Book and the Bayeux Tapestry. The Domesday Book is invaluable for historians studying England at this time, and the Bayeux Tapestry presents an amazing artistic depiction of the Battle of Hastings. The location of the Battle of Hastings is now marked by the town of Battle, located in East Sussex.