William "The Conqueror" King Of England ^{1 2 3 4}

  General Notes:

The mother of William the Conqueror is in discrepancy. It is either Herleve de Falaise, also spelled Harlette and Arlette. However, Usherwood states that she was Duke Robert's mistress, a tanner's daughter. His mother married a Norman nobleman after Robert's death. She helped her son's dukedom be saved by this marriage. William's birth date is also in question, listed as 1024 or 1027.

What is not in question is the greatness of William the Conqueror. He had a bold spirit, orderly mind and tireless energy. He had European fame by the age of 38. He was Duke of Normandy and had inherited Normandy from his father at about age 8. Edward I, King of England, died without heirs and had told William that he would be his successor. On his deathbed in 1066, Edward named Harold his successor. This is when William decided to attack resulting in the famous Battle of Hastings and William's being crowned King of England on Christmas Day of 1066. (C-330) He married his cousin, Matilda, daughter of the Count of Flanders, to whom he was devoted. He died after a full life in Roen after months of internal bleeding from being thrown from his horse. The horse reared when burnt by embers in Mantes, a town he had just captured. (Usherwood, Reign by Reign) ⁵

  Noted events in his life were:

• birth2 (conflicting), Oct 14, 1024, Failaise, , FRA. ⁷

William married Matilda (Or Maud) D.Of BALDWIN V, daughter of Baldwin V, "The Pious" COUNT OF FLANDERS and Adele PRINCESS OF FRANCE, in 1053. (Matilda (Or Maud) D.Of BALDWIN V was born in 1031 in Flanders, , FRA ⁸ and died in 1083 in Caen, , FRA.)