william the conqueror - April 3, 2021

Who was William the Conqueror?

History of William the Conqueror

If he was born almost a millennium ago, William the Conqueror is a character who has forever changed the face of today's Europe.

Is Queen Elizabeth a descendant of William the Conqueror?

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Even today, the Queen of England still carries the blood of this Norman who crossed the English Channel to conquer England.

Follow in the footsteps of the Duke of Normandy who became King of England with The Fabulous Epic of William the Conqueror.

William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy

Robert the Magnificent had designated William as heir to the Duchy of Normandy. But if the Norman barons had sworn loyalty to the little duke, they reneged on their oath after Robert's death.

From the age of eight to eighteen, the young duke had to thwart several assassination attempts committed by his viscounts.

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To pretext their refusal to submit to William's authority, the viscounts invoked the fact that William was not Robert's legitimate son, but the natural son of one of his frillas.

Yet, at the time, it was not uncommon for a Norman chief to have several wives.

It is for this reason that the rebels gave the young duke the nickname of William the Bastard.

What is William the Conqueror most famous for?

At the age of eighteen, probably tired of constantly having to fear a new attack, William decided once and for all to assert his authority.

He fought several victorious battles, married the daughter of one of the most powerful counts, and had the castle of Caen and two abbeys built.

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This sudden change of attitude, from flight to confrontation, and from fear to victory, had a considerable impact, which would lead the Duke of William the Bastard to the title of William I of England.

William the Conqueror, King of England

October 14, 1066 marks History, and the outcome of the Battle of Hastings makes William the King of England. A date that still divides people today, whether one is on either side of the English Channel.

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For, if the French find courage in this valiant Norman, the English still perceive him, for some, as an invader thirsting for power.

But on both sides, it is impossible to deny the influence of William the Conqueror on present-day Europe.

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Some of the English words used today come directly from old Norman.
The king also built many castles and abbeys, which can still be visited today in England.

Proof that King William I, born in Falaise around 1027, succeeded in laying across the sea a little bit of Calvados, which still remains today.

A Lover of Normandy (France)

If it was in England that William the Conqueror carried out his greatest deeds, such as the Battle of Hastings or the creation of the Domesday Book, it was in Calvados that he felt at home.

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