William, Duke of Normandy (1028-87 CE) | A Shrewd, Iron-Fisted Ruler Who Reshaped Medieval Europe

William, Duke of Normandy (1028-87), was a shrewd and iron-fisted ruler who reshaped medieval Europe. Born the illegitimate son of Robert I and Herleva of Falaise, he rose to become the Duke of Normandy at seven. He turned a precarious start into an empire-building saga.

At eighteen, his first rebellion began. Guy of Burgundy, William’s cousin, and a group of powerful Norman nobles rose against him in late 1046. The rebel army had about 25,000 men. William, with the support of King Henry I of France, gathered a significantly smaller force of 10,000. At the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes in the summer of 1047, Ralph Tesson, who was initially a rebel, switched sides mid-battle and attacked the rebel forces from the rear. In the chaos, the surging Orne River swept many fleeing rebels to their deaths. Guy retreated to Brionne Castle, where William besieged him until 1049 before finally subduing him. But Guy was not through. Another challenge came in 1051. William kept control, but Guy remained a persistent rival. 

William’s life wasn’t void of love. William found love and a political partner when he married Matilda of Flanders. Matilda was smart and capable, often acting as regent of Normandy when William was in England. They had at least nine children, with William II and Henry I becoming kings of England. Another son, Robert Curthose, would later rebel against his father for power.

By 1054, Henry I of France saw William as a threat and launched a series of attacks. In the Battle of Mortemer in 1054, William’s forces repelled Henry and his ally Geoffrey of Anjou’s invasion of Normandy. Persistent, Henry launched another attack at the Battle of Varaville in 1057. While crossing the Dives River, the incoming tide split the rebels’ army in half. William won a decisive victory when he ambushed the remaining half, still waiting on the shore. Henry’s death in 1060 removed William’s most significant obstacle to his 1066 invasion of England.

Next week—the 1066 invasion of England. It was not only a military conquest but also a complete overhaul of governance, language, and land ownership.