General Notes

biography at wwma p 197-201
bk&q pp 26, 30, 53, 337, 398-401, 493-5, 497, 498, 780, 785-6, 789, 794, 7
97, 801
See p. 53 for a broad discussion of the Viking takeover of England, culmin
ating with William I.
See p. 398-401 for interaction between William I and Malcolm III (Bighead
), both direct ancestors.
p. 498 O1;SD7 "William the Conqueror (titles also included duke of Norman
dy and count of Maine), or William the Bastard as he was known in his d
ay (though out of his hearing), was the illegitimate son of Robert I, du
ke of Normandy.  The Normans were Vikings who had settled in northern Fran
ce and had taken on the lifestyle of the French aristocracy, without losi
ng that passion for conquest.  William was descended from Ragnald, the anc
estor of the earls of Orkney.
Many histories would have you believe that Britain's royal history be
gan with William, although his claim on the English throne was tenuou
s. He maintained that Edward the Confessor had promised him the successi
on as far back as 1051 during a period when Edward's relationship with Ea
rl Godwin was low and Edward was looking for support.  The connections bet
ween the Saxons and Norman royal families extended back to Athelred the Un
ready who had married Emma the sister of William's grandfather, Richa
rd II of Normandy.  William was the son of Edward the Confessor's first co
usin.  Researchers have been unable to find any evidence of Edward's promi
se, at least amongst English documents, and its only support for the cla
im from Harold Godwinson, earl of Wessex, who was at William's court in 10
65, and the Bayeux Tapestry shows Harold offering fealty to William.  Hen
ce when Edward died in 1066 and Harold was crowned as king, William regard
ed him as a usurper and prepared to invade.
William had already demonstrated his strength as a commander and sold
ier.  His life was one of almost constant warfare as he carved out for him
self a position as one of the most powerful and, when necessary, ruthle
ss rulers of his day.  He had succeeded to the duchy of Normandy in 1035 w
hen just seven or eight years old.  His father had died while on a pilgrim
age when only 27.  His mother, Herleva or Arletta, was Robert's mistres
s.  She was the daughter of a local tanner and, legend says, Robert spi
ed upon her while she washed clothes at the river.  During William's minor
ity there was much rivalry at the Norman court as the aristocracy struggl
ed for power.  Three of William's guardians were assassinated and the you
ng duke knew he needed to assert his authority as soon as he was able.  Th
at opportunity came in 1047 when his cousin, Guy of Brionne, rebelled a
nd claimed the duchy.  Guy had considerable support and William needed t
he help of Henri I of France to win the day after a tightly fought battl
e.  This gave William his authority but it also imprinted upon him a stre
ak of ruthlessness which caused him to retaliate viciously against anyo
ne who challenged him.
William's authority increased when he married Matilda, the daught
er of Baldwin V, count of Flanders, a powerful ruler whose acceptance of W
illiam as a suitable son-in-law showed that William had risen above the tr
ials of his youth.  William may also have seen in Matilda a further link w
ith his claim on the throne of England as she was seventh in line from Alf
red the Great.  The pope apparently opposed this marriage for some yea
rs on grounds of an earlier betrothal by Matilda, but it finally receiv
ed his blessing in 1059.
During the decade of the 1050s William continued to consolidate his p
ower, even to the point of incurring the enmity of his former ally, Hen
ry I of France.  William succeeded in rebuffing all attempts to invade Nor
mandy and by 1062 had himself invaded Maine, on almost the same prete
xt as he would invade England four years later--that Herbert, count of Mai
ne, had promised William the county if he died without heirs.  William