No medieval king of England is more famous than William the Conqueror, and no event in the whole of English history has been more discussed than the Norman Conquest. From birth until death, William lead a life destined for glory. Being a strong leader and soldier, William the bastard soon became known as William, Duke of Normandy, and later as William I, King of England.
             Born in Falaise, France, William was the illegitimate son of Robert I, duke of Normandy, and Arletta, a tanner's daughter, and he is therefore sometimes referred to as William the Bastard.# Upon the death of his father, the Norman nobles, honoring their promise to Robert, accepted William as his successor. Rebellion against the young duke broke out almost immediately, however, and his position did not become secure until 1047 when, with the aid of Henry I, king of France, he won a decisive victory over a rebel force near Caen.# This would set the course for the rest of his life.
             During a visit in 1051 to his childless cousin, Edward the Confessor, king of England, William is said to have obtained Edward's agreement that he should succeed to the English throne.# In 1053, defying a papal ban, William married Matilda of Flanders, daughter of Baldwin V, count of Flanders and a descendant of King Alfred the Great, thereby strengthening his claim to the crown of England.# The couple were quite happy in their marriage and Matilda was the first wife of an English king to have the title of queen.# On the other side, however, Henry I, fearing the strong bond between Normandy and Flanders resulting from the marriage, attempted in 1054 and again in 1058 to crush the duke, but on both occasions William defeated the French king's forces.
             After the death of King Edward in 1066, the witenagemot, otherwise known as the royal council, elected Harold, Earl of Wessex, king.# With this, William challenged the election of Harold as king. Determined to make good ...