William the First: The Bastard Who Became England’s Conqueror

In the annals of history, few names thunder with the weight and consequence of William the First of England, better known as William the Conqueror. A duke, a bastard, a warrior, and ultimately a king, his rise from uncertain birth in Normandy to the Iron Throne of England marked not just a personal victory, but a seismic shift in English history.

With one foot in medieval Normandy and the other planted firmly on the soil of Saxon England, William I didn’t just claim a crown — he remade a kingdom.

William was born in 1028 in Falaise, Normandy, the illegitimate son of Duke Robert I of Normandy and his mistress, Herleva, a tanner’s daughter. His birth earned him the nickname William the Bastard, a title he carried for much of his life — and one that only fueled his iron will to prove himself.

When Duke Robert died suddenly in 1035, the boy William, only about seven years old, was named his heir. Chaos followed. Normandy, a volatile duchy already prone to feudal violence, descended into anarchy as rival nobles challenged William’s legitimacy and control. Several of his protectors were murdered in front of him. But William survived. And he learned.

By the time he was 20, William had crushed revolts and secured his duchy with brutal effectiveness. He was no longer the bastard — he was the Duke.

William’s path to the English crown began with a promise — or so he claimed.

In the early 1050s, he asserted that Edward the Confessor, the King of England and his distant cousin, had promised him the throne. Further complicating the matter, Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of Wessex, allegedly swore an oath to support William’s claim during a shipwreck visit to Normandy.

But when Edward died in January 1066, Harold seized the throne and was crowned King of England. William was furious. He declared Harold a usurper and began assembling one of the most ambitious invasion forces in medieval history.

 

On October 14, 1066, William's army met Harold’s at the Battle of Hastings. The Normans brought cavalry, archers, and cunning tactics. Harold’s Saxons held the high ground with a solid shield wall.

After a long and brutal day, Harold was struck down — legend says by an arrow to the eye — and the English lines broke. William had won.

He marched on London and, on Christmas Day, 1066, was crowned King William I of England in Westminster Abbey. The bastard duke had become England’s conqueror.

William didn’t just take the throne — he redefined English governance, landholding, law, language, and aristocracy.

• Feudal Overhaul: William dispossessed almost all Anglo-Saxon nobles and replaced them with Norman lords. In one generation, the ruling class of England was transformed.
• Castle Building: To maintain control, he built a network of castles, including the iconic Tower of London, which symbolized Norman power for centuries.
• Domesday Book: In 1086, William commissioned a vast survey of land, livestock, and taxes known as the Domesday Book. It was the most detailed census in Europe since Roman times and remains an unmatched historical resource.
• Cultural Fusion (and Friction): William’s rule saw the blending of Norman French and Old English, laying the foundation for the English language we know today.

William’s reign wasn’t without resistance. Northern rebellions, Danish invasions, and constant baronial intrigue tested his rule. His response to uprisings was often swift and brutal. The Harrying of the North (1069–1070), in which he laid waste to Yorkshire and surrounding regions, remains infamous for its scorched-earth tactics and civilian suffering.

Yet William also saw himself as a pious ruler, a protector of the Church and moral order. He founded abbeys, strengthened ecclesiastical law, and brought Norman clergy into high office.

William died in 1087 from injuries sustained while campaigning in northern France. His death was as dramatic and unceremonious as his life was mighty. According to chroniclers, his bloated corpse exploded during the funeral due to a botched embalming. The crowd reportedly fled the church.

He left behind:

• Normandy to his eldest son, Robert Curthose.
• England to his second son, William Rufus (William II).
• And bitter resentment between his heirs.

But his legacy? That remained unshaken.

William's conquest irreversibly altered England:

• Language shifted, with Norman French influencing the vocabulary of law, nobility, and power.
• Landholding and governance centralized under royal authority.
• The monarchy itself grew stronger, laying the groundwork for medieval English kingship.

Every monarch since — from Henry VIII to Elizabeth II — has ruled in a system whose roots trace back to the decisions, violence, and reforms of William I.

He was a man forged in chaos who imposed order by sword and scepter. His rise was improbable, his methods ruthless, his results enduring. History remembers many kings — but only one Conqueror.