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For the 15th Day of White History Month we celebrate William the Conqueror and his conquest of England!

In 1035 William's father Duke Robert of Normandy went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Before departing the Duke had his vassals swear fealty to his legitimized bastard son William. Robert died while returning from the pilgrimage leaving a seven year old William "the Bastard" of Normandy as Duke. Norman vassals were particularly unruly, with William's bastard status it was nearly impossible. His youth was filled with assassination attempts and rebellions. Initially his lord King Henry of France was supportive of the young Duke. When William's vassals rebelled in 1047, King Henry fought alongside a 19 Year old William at the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes. Their 10,000 knights defeating over 25,000 rebels. Eventually the rebellious lords won the favor of the French King, leading to a combined invasion of William's Duchy in 1055. In 1057 William defeated the combined armies of France and the rebel lords at the Battle of Varaville, finally securing his control over Normandy.

In January of 1066, the King of England Edward the Confessor died without an heir, or technically leaving 3 heirs. The Godwinsons were the pressumed successors but Edward's rivalry with their father Godwin had led him to name a distant young relative in Normandy as his heir, William. The most powerful Anglo-Saxon lord Harold was quick to secure the throne but the other claimants were prepared to fight him for it. Harold's brother Tostig Godwinson with the support of Harald Hardrada of Norway invaded the North of England but were defeated by Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in September of 1066. Immediately after his victory, Godwinson received word William had landed in the south and he marched his men back down to meet him at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066.

Despite the long march, Harold's forces had a considerable advantage. They were numerically superior, held a defensive hilltop position, and were in friendly territory. William was forced to attack uphill, outnumbered, into a shieldwall of experienced Anglo-Saxon soldiers. The fighting was brutal with the Normans taking the heavy losses, they were soon forced to retreat downhill. While retreating a fraction of the Saxon army broke formation and persued. William's army was on the verge of routing and many men believed William had died in the fighting. Desperate to regain control, William took off his helmet and rode across his troops shouting for them to stand their ground. Separated from their shield wall the Saxon persuers were cut down by a charge led by William personally. William saw this had weakened Godwinsons shield wall and decided to try and replicate it.

He led his knights back up the hill to assault the shield wall once more, this time feigning retreats. For a while the Saxons discipline held but eventually more men broke out and the Normans were able to thin the Saxon line further. Losses were still worse for the Normans and the Saxons shield wall was holding firm. With the sun going down, William knew it was now or never. He could not survive a night deep in enemy territory with an enemy army at his back. He ordered a full assault on the shield wall. Again the fighting was brutal, neither side giving any ground. It looked as though William was losing the battle until a rogue arrow pierced the throat of Harold Godwinson. He fell from his horse and was hacked to pieces by Norman knights. They holding his head up for everyone to see. The Saxon host finally broke and were cut down.

William marched on London and was crowned King of England on December 25th 1066. Norman Kings would rule over England until the death of Richard III in 1485, during the civil war known as the Wars of the Roses. Upon Williams death his lands were divided between his sons. The first son, Robert Curthose, receiving their ancestral seat the Duchy of Normandy. While the second son received the Kingdom of England. An unusual decision which would inevitably lead to civil wars between his heirs and the eventually collapse of the de Normandie Dynasty in a period known as the Anarchy. Before staking his rightful claim to the English throne, Robert would take a leading role in the First Crusade. Personally leading the charge out of Antioch in 1098. Through the marriage of a Norman lord Geoffrey Plantagenet and Holy Roman Empress Matilda, a new King Henry II Plantagenet took the thrones of England and Normandy, eventually bringing into their control the Duchy of Aquitaine and ultimately the western half of France. This Composite monarchy in France and England became known as the Angevin Empire. The restoration of this Empire was a motivation in the Hundred Years War.

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