Who was William the Conqueror?
William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy who invaded England in 1066, defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings and became the first Norman king of England. He ruled until his death in 1087.
William was born around 1028 in Normandy, in northern France. He was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I, which earned him the nickname William the Bastard before he became known as the Conqueror.
He became Duke of Normandy as a child and survived years of rebellion to establish his power.
King of England
After his victory at Hastings, William faced revolts across England. He crushed them, including the brutal Harrying of the North in 1069 and 1070, which devastated much of northern England.
William built castles across England to control the population, including the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. He replaced the English nobility with Normans.
In 1086, he ordered the Domesday Book, a survey of land and property across England, to understand the wealth of his kingdom.
William died in 1087 after being injured during a campaign in France. He was buried in Caen, Normandy. His sons William II and Henry I later became kings of England.