In new BBC One drama King & Conqueror, airing weekly on Sundays, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) plays William the Conqueror, the king who founded modern England. But who was William the Conqueror, and who were his family?
William was born in 1027 or 1028 at Falaise in Normandy. At the time, Normandy was a separate kingdom to France. William was the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy and a common woman called Herleva.
Robert died in 1035 and Normandy descended into chaos. As Robert’s only son, William was his most likely heir, but was too young to stake his claim. William was guarded by various Norman noblemen throughout his childhood. In 1047, in alliance with Henry I of France (played in King & Conqueror by Jean-Marc Barr), he won the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes and was able to claim his title.
William continued to put down rebellions by his enemies, including Geoffrey Martel, Count of Anjou. In 1052, Geoffrey allied with Henry I against William. William’s battles against the two continued until the deaths of Geoffrey and Henry in 1060.
How were William the Conqueror and Edward the Confessor related?
As shown in King & Conqueror, Edward the Confessor (played by Eddie Marsan) was crowned King of the English in 1043. Edward’s mother Emma of Normandy (played by Juliet Stevenson) was the sister of Richard II of Normandy, who was in turn the father of William the Conqueror’s father Robert I of Normandy, making Edward William’s first cousin once removed.
Who was Matilda of Flanders?
William the Conqueror’s wife was Matilda of Flanders, daughter of Baldwin V of Flanders. In King & Conqueror she is played by Harry Potter actor Clémence Poésy. The couple married in 1051 or 1052 (unlike the timeline shown in King & Conqueror, where they are already married at the time of Edward the Confessor’s coronation), despite a ban on their marriage by Pope Leo IX because of their degree of kingship. Matilda was also related to William’s ally turned enemy Henry I of France, as he was the brother of her mother Adela.
How did William the Conqueror become King of England?
Edward the Confessor died in 1066. On his deathbed, he named Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex (played in King & Conqueror by Happy Valley actor James Norton) as his heir. William challenged Harold’s claim to the throne, arguing that it had previously been promised to him, and invaded England. He famously defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066 and became King of England.
Did William the Conqueror have children?
William ruled England for the rest of his life and died in 1087. He and Matilda had four sons and four or possibly five daughters. He was succeeded as King of England by his son William and as Duke of Normandy by his son Robert. After William II died, he was succeeded by his younger brother Henry.
Is King Charles III related to William the Conqueror?
It is often said that William founded the British monarchy as we know it today. The current British king, Charles III, is William’s 25x great grandson, as his maternal grandmother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was descended from William’s son Henry I of England.
