William the Conqueror

I chose the topic William the Conqueror (William the 1st of England) because I have heard a lot about him already, and from what I have heard he seems to be an interesting person to learn about. I know that William, before becoming the king of England, was originally the duke of Normandy.

William was born around 1028 and was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert 1 of Normandy, and Herleve (also known as Arlette) daughter of a tanner in falaise. William was known as “William the bastard” among his contemporaries, which also shaped his career from when he was young. When his father, Duke Robert 1 died in 1035, William was recognised by his family as the heir. His great uncle looked after the duchy during Williams minority, and his overlord, King Henry 1 of France knighted him at the age of 15

Some interesting points about William are him successfully dealing with a rebellion within Normandy involving his kinsman and threats from neighbouring nobleman, including attempted invasions from Henry 1 of France in 1054 (the French forces were defeated at the battle of mortemor) and 1057. Williams continued military success allowed him to be betrothed to Mathilda.

Yes, William the Conqueror (William the Bastard) was a trendsetter. His line stayed in power for 300 years after his death, and his ways of ruling were seen as an example for his predecessors to follow.