William the Conqueror

King of England known alternatively as William of Normandy and William the Bastard, King William I "the Conqueror" of England was the illegitimate son of Robert, Duke of Normandy. Despite having a merely nominal claim to the throne of England, he alleged that Edward the Confessor had named him his heir.

In order to pursue this claim, he invaded England in 1066 and defeated King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, thus allowing him to seize the throne. His victory is commemorated in the Bayeux Tapestry.

William initiated many major changes, amongst them a fundamental review of the prevailing Anglo-Saxon legal system, which he fused with Norman law. In order to ascertain the extent of his dominion, William commissioned the compilation of the Domesday Book, a survey of the population of England and their possessions. He also ordered the building of a number of castles, among them the Tower of London.

William was succeeded in 1087 by William II.