William the Conqueror.

The Tower of London, which was built by William the Conqueror.  The Tower was the very first stone castle to be built in England. To this day it remains in use as an official royal residence and national armoury.

Why the English people remained loyal to those who were born royal!

 

Never again would England’s southern shore, to an invader offer an open door!

 

One most unlikely to succeed!  Who could have foreseen his ingenuity, military prowess and greed!

It all began across the English Channel in France, with the birth of a baby boy who was not of royal blood.  Indeed, William the Conqueror as he would eventually become known, was born out of wedlock in c.1027 at Falaise in Normandy.  The son of Robert the Magnificent  Duke of Normandy, and Herleva of Falaise.

No single man would have more influence on the language,  legal system and social structure of England than William of Normandy.  He also proved to be an immensely able soldier, but when he invaded England, his military capabilities were aided by extremely fortunate circumstances that no one could have foreseen.  One of these involved the weather, which at the time,  frustrated William beyond measure but later would prove to be a decisive factor in his  eventual success. The  second fortunate element was the ambitions of a potential competitor for the English throne whose actions would serve to benefit William rather than himself. Both of these events will be examined and explained later in the blog. So please pay me another visit!

What did this guy look like?

William appears in a scene from the Bayeux Tapestry depicting him at the time of his greatest triumph, the Battle of Hastings.  It is known that he was about five feet ten inches in height, which was tall for the time, and of powerful build.  He also appears to have gone bald early in life.

William the Conqueror, depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry.