William The Conqueror and His Great Rule

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This quote by William the Conqueror pretty much describes his whole philosophy: “Life yields only to be conqueror. Never accept what can be gained by giving in.” William the Conqueror is best remembered for the fact that he ruled over England and Normandy for many years and had won several battles against several armies. He also is known for the fact that he won the Battle of Hastings against Harold Godwinson after William’s uncle handed the throne to him. William’s career as a leader actually began at an early age. (Bio.com)
William was born in Falaise, France in 1027. William was from Viking origin, and first became duke at age 8. Williams father was Robert I, duke of Normandy and his mother Herleva, the daughter of Fulbert of Falaise. William got the name “William The Bastard” after his father died in 1035 when William was still at a young age. (History.com) Herleva’s father Fulbert of Falaise was known for being a Tanner which was an embalmer. In William’s later years he had loved his mother so much that when people found out that her father was an embalmer, the people started hanging animal skins and furs on their walls to Mock William. This lead to William cutting of the hands and feet to all the people who disrespected his mother. (History.com)
William’s wife’s name was Matilda of Flanders. It was said that Matilda refused to marry William after William had asked several times to marry him, so when she was riding her horse down a street William threw her off her horse and forced her to marry him. They had four sons and five daughters before Matilda’s death in 1083. William was known to be fat, King Philip of France said that William looked like a pregnant woman about to give birth. William got upset about this and dec...

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...arn how to speak English but could never get the hang of it. Because William was illiterate and French was the only language he could speak, French has been spoken in England for many years after his ruling and is still spoken today. William the Conqueror has changed everyday life up to now and his amazing story is still told today and can be found in many England libraries and museums.

Works Cited
Cohen, Jenny, 10 Things You Didn’t Know About William the Conqueror. History. A &
E Television Networks. 28 September 2011. Web. 5 May 2014.
Malcolm III. “William I “’The Conqueror’. The British Monarchy. The Royal
Household. 208-209. Web. 5 May 2014.
“William the Conqueror.” Bio. A & E Television Network. n.d. Web. 5 May 2014
“William the Conqueror.” History. BBC. 2014. Web. 5 May 2014.
“William I, the Conqueror. Brittania. Britannia.com. n.d. 5 May 2014.

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