William The Conqueror's Sovereignty

Born in c. 1028, William the Conqueror’s sovereignty began as he was crowned the Duke of Normandy around the young age of 8 years old, but his influence did not stop in France. After allegedly being promised the English throne by Edward the Confessor, William fought for the throne against Harold Godwinson and won, becoming the first Norman king of England. William proved to be incredibly significant during both reigns as the Duke of Normandy and King of England. William the Conqueror was the son of Robert ‘the Devil,’ Duke of Normandy, and a mistress, thus making him an illegitimate heir to the throne, so when William’s father died, succession was complicated. Since Robert had no other legitimate heir, he had no choice but to choose William to succeed him; however, the Normans would not approve of William. There was constantly rebellion in the lands of Normandy during William’s youth. In late 1046, opponents of William came together in a rebellion led by Guy of Burgundy. Consequently, William was forced to flee and seek refuge with King Henry I of France. However, when William returned, he and …show more content…
Anglo-Saxon, Harold Godwinson, quickly crowned himself as king; however, both Duke William and Harold Hadrada of Norway claimed that Edward previously promised them the throne. These allegations lead to a series of battles. The first battle- Battle of Stamford Bridge- was fought between Harold Godwinson, his brother Tostig, and Harold Hadrada. Harold Godwinson’s army defeats and kills both Tostig and Hadrada. Now, it was William’s turn to fight for the throne. As he sailed across the English Channel, William strategically planned a large-scale invasion on England. During the Battle of Hastings, Godwinson was killed, leading William to victory. Duke William of Normandy would be known from that moment on as William the Conqueror, king of