William of Normandy ruled England from AD 1066 to 1087. He claimed that Edward the Confessor promised him the throne in AD 1051. He also said that Harold (who was shipwrecked in France in AD 1064) had sworn to accept this.
The story of William’s invasion and the battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066, is told in 72 scenes in the Bayeux Tapestry. After the crucial battle William declared himself king. The English nobles lost their lands and French became the language of government. William and his barons built castles to guard their new land. A new age was beginning.
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Fact File: In AD 1085 William I ordered a survey of land in England. The findings were written down in the Domesday Book (Domesday means ‘Day of Judgement’). It is the best record we have of life in England at that time. |
Picture Credit : Google
