The Bastard King
William the Conqueror was born in 1027. His father, the previous Duke of Normandy, was known as Robert the Devil, and William himself as William the Bastard. Duke Robert had enamored himself of a girl named Herleve, who was the daughter of a tanner in the town of Falaise. Not long after William was born, Robert decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and before he went on the dangerous journey it was necessary to decide the succession to the Dukedom. He called a meeting of his feudal vassals and presented William as his heir. It is said the assembly did not like the choice but could not agree on any other; it reluctantly paid homage to the child. Robert set off on his journey and died on the way. At the age of seven William became the Duke of Few people have had such a dangerous childhood, lacking in the safety and continuity that children need. Almost at once Normandy fell to pieces. Every minor Baron set himself up as an independent sovereign and made war on his neighbors. For his own safety, his mother's family moved William from place to place. He began to grow up learning the politics of war and proved to be an apt stu
The story of Harold's visit to William is basically this; Harold was dispatched to Normandy by the Witan to find out the truth of Edward's promise. The King came into Normandy with a French army, and in 1047 he and William met the rebels near the city of Caen. The present king could name a successor before his death, but that was no guarantee the nominated individual would actually wear the crown. Possibly the two unlucky boys were meant as insurance of Edward's promise. This, of course, was unacceptable to William. Much of William's time was spent making sure there were no pockets of resistance, no anti-Norman separatism. William welcomed Harold in Rouen and invited him to join a military excursion against Brittany. Harold managed to beat off these attacks but found himself in a poorly defensible position when the Normans finally landed in the South. This is a hotly debated topic largely between Anglo-Saxon and Norman historians. To make a long story short, Harold was hard pressed by more than one opponentduring the year of 1066. This battle would forever change the shape of English government and politics. He was popular among the Anglo-Saxon inhabitants and had distinguished himself as a soldier during battle in Wales and Scotland. His success in these areas did not come easily, but by 1087 the task was accomplished. Apparently, Harold, Godwin's oldest living son, had visited William in Normandy and made similar assurances to William that he would support the Duke's claim. Historians agree this is largely due to the fact that William had attained Papal legitimacy before his invasion.
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Acceptance Essays
