William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror had a lot of monikers! He was also known as William the Bastard due to his illegitimacy, William II of Normandy, The Duke of Normandy and William I of England, the first Norman King. Aside from “William the Bastard”, each of his other titles had to be earned the hard way.

In Feudal times, the path to power was complex, dangerous and often contested by others who believed their bloodline was more worthy, often on very flimsy evidence. Even when the previous ruler would bequeath the title upon a chosen one, once deceased all bets were off. 

Williams' path to become Duke of Normandy was no different.

Born in 1028 or 1027, the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy, also known as Robert the Magnificent, when Robert died in 1035, his legitimate son, William's half-brother, took over as Duke of Normandy. However, this half-brother died in 1087 without a direct heir, paving the way for William to claim the title.

However during those early years, he faced challenges from rival factions and nobles within Normandy who sought to challenge his claim. One of the challenges was Williams youth, he was only seven or eight years old at the time. Despite this he displayed a remarkable ability to navigate these political challenges with the support of a number of guardians including a powerful Norman noble named Gilbert of Brionne, a grandson of Richard I who helped him maintain his authority. One of his guardians, Osbern the steward, was slain in William's chamber while he slept, and it is said his maternal Uncle often had to hide William in the houses of peasants.

One of the significant turning points in William's rise to power was the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes in 1047. At this battle, William, still a teenager, led his forces to victory against a coalition of rebellious Norman nobles and their allies. This victory helped solidify his control over Normandy and demonstrated his military leadership.

It's essential to understand that the concept of modern nation-states, with clearly defined borders and centralized authority, did not exist in the same way during the medieval period. Instead, political authority was often fragmented, and rulers like William navigated complex webs of feudal relationships and regional power dynamics. While the Dukes of Normandy owed nominal allegiance to the Kings of France, the relationship was complex and often contentious. The dukes had significant autonomy in their governance, and they sometimes challenged the authority of the French kings.

Normandy had its own distinct culture, language (a dialect of Old French), legal system, and feudal structures. The Norman aristocracy maintained close ties with other regions such as England, Flanders, and Brittany. William's father, Robert I, was a supporter of Edward the Confessor while he was in exile in France, prior to becoming King of England.

Despite occasional conflicts and attempts by the French kings to assert control over Normandy, the duchy largely maintained its independence throughout William the Conqueror's reign and beyond. William himself, while acknowledging the French king as his suzerain, ruled Normandy as a powerful and independent ruler.

The death of King Edward the Confessor of England in January 1066 triggered a succession crisis, and once again William found himself on the rocky path to power. Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of Wessex, claimed the English throne and was crowned as King Harold II. However,  based on an alleged promise by Edward, and William's relationship with the English royal family, the Duke of Normandy, also asserted his right to the throne. By this time William was a seasoned military leader and politician. In response to Harold's coronation, William assembled an army and fleet, predominantly consisting of Norman and other Norman-controlled territories' troops. He set sail across the English Channel and landed at Pevensey on the southern coast of England on September 28, 1066.

However William wasn’t the only challenger to the English throne, and Harold first had to see off an invasion in the North, where he defeated a Norwegian force led by Harald Hardrada at the battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25th 1066. Harold then had to move his army swiftly south from York to Hastings, near the present day town of East Sussex. This forced march exhausted Harold's troops before they had to confront Williams forces.

Harold's forces mainly consisted of infantry whereas Williams consisted of foot soldiers, archers and cavalry. Their numbers however were comparable and Harold held the high ground. Harold's tactics consisted of forming a shield wall, a defensive formation where soldiers interlocked their shields to create a sturdy barrier.

The battle began in the morning and lasted throughout the day. The Normans attacked repeatedly, but the English shield wall held firm. Then Williams cavalry feigned a retreat and the English soldiers broke ranks to pursue them creating gaps in the wall Williams army could exploit. This caused disarray among the English ranks and in the latter stages of the battle, Harold was killed leading to a loss of morale among the remaining English troops.

The battle resulted in a decisive Norman victory. Harold II wasdead, along with many of his key supporters, and this paved the way for William to claim the English throne, which he did shortly afterward.

The Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of Norman rule in England and had profound implications for English society, culture, and governance. It is one of the most famous battles in English history and is studied extensively for its military tactics and its long-term impact on England and beyond.

His rise to the English throne also  further complicated the relationship between Normandy and France, as William now ruled over territories on both sides of the English Channel, cementing his now more common title “William the Conqueror.

In episode 6 of the Kennardley Talkstraight show, Kennardley chats to William the Conqueror, who presents himself as the “CEO of Normandy”. As William says;

“ I saw it like this, Normandy was like the family company. And the head of the company is the CEO. And when I took over as head of the family business, I needed to convince certain people that I was the right choice as CEO.”

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