See also: Guillaume Ier

William the Conqueror (Cliff, towards 1027 - Rouen, September 9th 1087) is also known under the names of Guillaume Bastard the , Guillaume II of Normandy , and finally, Guillaume Ier of England . He is the illegitimate son of Robert Splendid the and Arlette (or Herleva ). Duke of Normandy as of the eight years age, it succeeds in 1066 seizing the crown of England. This conquest did of him one of the most powerful monarchs of Western Europe.

Childhood and adolescence

Guillaume becomes duke of Normandy with died of his Robert father the Splendid one in 1035. He does not have whereas 8 years. His/her Arlette mother, who had not married Robert, Marie with Herluin de Conteville, and gives two half-brothers to Guillaume: Odon of Bayeux and Robert de Mortain.

Guillaume is thus a natural child, from where its first nickname of Guillaume the Bastard one. Its illegitimacy provides a pretext to the principal barons de Normandie to ridicule the ducal authority. All the more fragile authority as the duke is too young. The Duché of Normandy consequently crosses more than one decade of disorders. Wars burst between the principal baronniales families; castles are drawn up in the duchy. Plots strike until the ducal entourage: Guillaume loses three of his tutors or guards by assassination: the seneshal Osbern de Crépon, Gilbert de Brionne and Alain III of Brittany. The descendants of the former dukes, the Richardides, seem implied in these murders. To the disorders of the minority of Guillaume comes to be added the plague of the famine, which weighs seven years on Normandy, and is accompanied by an extremely fatal epidemic.

In 1046, Guillaume is 19 years old. A plot aims this time its person hitherto saved. Part of the lords forms a coalition to draw aside the Bastard one with the profit of GUI of Brionne, wire of the count de Bourgogne and Adélaïde, girl of Richard II. This rebellion gathers primarily Norman old men west (Bessin, Cotentin, Shingled) traditionally disobedient and hostile with the policy of assimilation carried out by the dukes. From Valognes, Guillaume escapes from little from an attempted murder. He flees near his lord, the king of France Henri {{Ier}}. With its assistance, it leaves to shift against the Norman rebels, whom it manages to demolish with the Bataille of the Valley-be-Dunes in 1047.

Growth of the ducal capacity

The victory of the Valley-be-Dunes is first revolving reign. Guillaume firmly takes again in hand the duchy. At the time of a council in Caen in 1047, it imposes itself the peace and the Truce of God. The difficulties are not for as much isolated since the duke must take into account the hostility of part of his parentèle, the Richardides. Around 1050, he manages to eliminate several from them: the Count de Mortain Guillaume Werlenc is banished; Guillaume d' Arques is exiled after the failure of its revolt against the duke in 1054 and finally the archbishop of Rouen Mauger, wire of Richard II of Normandy, must give up his metropolitan seat. Guillaume confiscates the strongholds of the count d' Arques, restores the order by a skilful policy of distribution of the grounds and control more firmly the agents of the capacities than are the Viscounts. The capacity of the young duke rests finally a group of faithful among which his/her half-brothers appear, Odon de Conteville, bishop of Bayeux, Robert, count de Mortain, a group of barons (Guillaume Fitz Osbern, Roger II of Montgommery, Guillaume I {{er}} of Warenne, Roger de Beaumont…) and some ecclesiastics (Lanfranc). They are named with important functions or are installed in strategic territories.

Between 1050 and 1056 it widens its network of fidelity by marrying Mathilde of Flanders, girl of Baudouin V, count of Flanders and niece of king de France, with Have, in spite of the prohibition of the pope Leon IX.

By cunseil of its barunie

Prist famed of high flax,

In Flandres Balduin girl,

Niece Robert Li rei of France,

The marriage welds an alliance between the two more powerful principalities of the north of France. It will be necessary to await the pontificate of Nicolas II so that the couple is exonerated, at the price however of a penitence: that to found two monasteries with Caen. The abbey known as '' with the Men '', dedicated to Saint-Etienne and the abbey known as '' with the Ladies '', dedicated to the Holy Trinity will be thus raised.

The rise to power of the duke worries the king of France. After having helped it at the time of the battle of the Valley-be-Dunes a few years earlier, the capétien shift finally its policy to limit the expansion of its vassal Norman. In 1053, it sends an army of help to Guillaume d' Arques revolted against the duke. In 1054 and 1057, it jointly invades Normandy with the troops of the count d' Anjou but these forwardings short turn after the defeats of Mortemer then of Varaville. Guillaume the Bastard one proves to be a frightening prince. Its rise is favoured in 1060 by the death of its two principal enemies: the count of Anjou Geoffroi Martel and the king of France. It benefits from it to conquer the Maine, buffer state between the Anjou and the Normandy. The heiress of the subjected county is married with the son of Guillaume, Robert Courteheuse. The control of Maine guarantees the protection of the south of the duchy.

Accession with the throne of England

Claims of Guillaume

In the middle of the 11th century, England is directed by the king normanophile Edouard the Confessor. This last had found refuge at the court Norman in 1013 when his/her father Ethelred Malavisé and its mother Emma of Normandy had been driven out throne of England by Sven I {{er}} of Denmark. There had remained there almost thirty years before returning to England to be crowned there king in 1042. In his new kingdom, Edouard surrounds himself by Norman. But it does not have a descent and enfermement of its wife cannot arrange the thing. It seems that in 1051 or 1052, king Edouard the Confessor would have encouraged the sights of Guillaume on his succession. But the duke of Normandy has other concern then.

The subject returns in the foreground when Harold Godwinson, a large Anglo-Saxon aristocrat and possible candidate with the succession of Edouard, goes to Normandy. The motivations of this visit remain dubious. The Tapisserie of Bayeux, which one can suspect partiality, shows Harold to lend oath of fidelity to Guillaume and to give up the succession the English throne its profit. However, when Edouard the Confessor dies on January 5th 1066, the Anglo-Saxon aristocrat succeeds to him. Its crowning, approved by the Witenagemot (or Witan), is made on January 6th 1066. Harold opposes to the duke of Normandy which it was misled on the value of the oath of Bayeux, which would have been only one vague promise on a simple missal posed on a trunk which masked the relics of a saint.

Guillaume protests against this usurpation and prepares with an invasion of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom.

The conquest Norman of England

See also: Conquest Norman of England

William the Conqueror manages to convince the Norman barons to take part in this invasion. He obtains even the support of the pope Alexandre II which sends a pontifical standard to him. In a few months, the army Norman is ready. To this one come to be added Francs, Flemings and the Breton ones. Guillaume unloads in England the September 28th 1066. The October 14th, it demolishes its Harold candidate for the Bataille of Hastings and receives the Anglo-Saxon crown on December 25th, 1066 in the Abbaye of Westminster. It partly owes this victory with the attack of another applicant, Harald Hardrada of Norway, which had started, a few weeks earlier, an attack against Harold. This last had succeeded in triumphing over it but its army was weakened when it was necessary to face the army Norman later a few days.

Normandy and England under Guillaume

The conquest of 1066 does not create an Anglo-Norman kingdom. Normandy and England keep their specificity through their administration or their habits

Normandy

Under William the Conqueror, “the organization of the company Norman is feudal”. One indeed finds the characteristics of this system that they are the strongholds, tenures country, the military service and private justice. But it is a feudalism which is moderated by a ducal capacity extremely. The barons, laymen but so ecclesiastical, must provide to the duke a military quota when it needs some. In Normandy, one can build castle X only by authorization of the duke and they can be to him given on its simple request. The private wars are restricted and private justices are limited by the cases reserved to the duke and the maintenance of a public local government. The duke keeps the hand on the Church, by naming the bishops and certain abbots and while directing the councils of the province. He holds the monetary monopoly of striking and is able to collect a considerable share of his silver incomes. The administration is pressed on public officers, the Vicomte S.

England

In its new kingdom, introduced Guillaume of deep changes, among which a fusion of the legal system Anglo-Saxon with the law Norman. In 1085, it orders what one can call a census with the modern direction, the “Book of the Last Judgment” or Domesday Book , which makes an inventory of the men and richnesses of the kingdom. It also makes build many buildings and castles, in particular the Tour of London, in Pierre of Caen.

Difficulties of the second part of reign

In 1066, William the Conqueror profited from a happy political and diplomatic economic situation which enabled him to conquer England without being threatened or attacked on its backs. This exceptional situation changes after its return into Normandy in March 1067. During the twenty last years of his reign, Guillaume must face several interior revolts and with the alarm clock of the close principalities. Its difficulties are increased because of extension of its territory: it cannot intervene everywhere, directly and quickly.

Initially, England does not subject itself easily. Several revolts burst (in 1067, in 1069, in 1075…), most important being that of 1069, which constrained Guillaume with a wild repression. Normandy is held quiet.

Outside, Guillaume undergoes several failures. The Flanders plunges in a crisis of succession after the death of the count Baudouin VI and, in spite of an military intervention, the duke of Normandy does not manage to impose the party of the widow, Richilde, his sister-in-law. Although nominally had by the son of the Conqueror, the Maine is detached from the Norman influence. So after a short military campaign Guillaume re-occupies the area in 1073, it is later put in failure by the revolt of a local lord, Hubert de Saint-Suzanne: the Château of Holy-Suzanne is still not taken after two years of seat (1084-1086). In the same way, in Brittany, where Normandy intervenes traditionally, Guillaume must move back.

Behind the difficulties of the duke-king in Maine and in Brittany, the intrigues of the two principal enemies of Normandy hide, namely the count d' Anjou Foulque Réchin and the king of France Philippe I {{er}}. They support all revolted against the Norman one. Even Robert Courteheuse, the oldest son of the Conqueror, who rebels in 1078 against his father: he exiles himself at the court of France where the king entrusts to him the fortress of Gerberoy. Philippe Ier hopes by all the means of lowering too the great power Norman. Besides the reign of Guillaume marks the beginning of a recurring war between king d' Angleterre and king de France.

It is precisely against the latter that the Conqueror delivers his last combat. In 1087, it leads its army until Mantes which it burns. But a wound or a disease constrained the duke-king to be turned over in his capital Rouen. He fails a few days in all clearness with the Saint-Gervais priory, with the doors of the city. Before dying the September 9th 1087, the duke-king regulates his succession: he entrusts to his oldest son Robert Courteheuse the duchy of Normandy tandis his second wire William Rufus receives the crown of England. Its body is then transported to Caen, to be buried in the abbey church Saint-Etienne.

Family and descent

About 1050, he marries Mathilde of Flanders girl of Baudouin V, Count de Flandre with Have. They will have at least ten children including four wire:

1. Robert known as Courteheuse (v. 1052-1134), duke of Normandy, it married Sybille de Conversano;
2. Cecile (v. 1054 - July 30th, 1125), between with the abbey of Caen on June 18th, 1066, abbess in 1112;
3. Adelise of Saint-Leger (v. 1055 - before 1066);
4. Richard (1054 or 1056 - 1075), enters the orders to Caen in 1066. Found death while driving out in the same forest as his/her Guillaume brother;
5. Guillaume (1056/1060-1100), king d' Angleterre of 1087 to 1100;
6. Constancy (1061 - 1090), wife Alain IV Fergent of Cornouailles, Duke of Brittany and count de Rennes. She dies poisoned;
7. Mathilde (1062-1112);
8. Adele (1062-1137), wife Etienne-Henri, Count de Blois, of Chartres and Meaux in 1084;
9. Agathe (front 1062-1080), promised in marriage to (1) Herbert, count of Maine, (2) Harold de Wessex, (3) Alphonse VI of Castille;
10. Henri (v. 1068-1135), king d' Angleterre then duke of Normandy. He had several wives or concubines;

• Gundrade (v. 1063-1085) was wrongfully identified like a girl of the Conqueror.

For certain authors, Agathe and Mathilde would be the same person.

William the Conqueror does not have a mistress or of bastard known.

Anecdotes

• Guillaume had a tendency to obesity into growing old.
• Its body burst when one placed it in the coffin (certainly caused by a Péritonite), releasing a strong nauseous odor among crowd.
• After confusions of the French revolution, it remains today of its skeleton only one femur and a jaw which made it possible to establish that William the Conqueror had a size of approximately 173/174 centimetres, larger than the average for the time.

Gallery

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