How William the Conqueror Won the Battle of Hastings and Became King of England
William the Conqueror’s Early Life: How He Became Duke of Normandy
William was born in 1028 as the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy. With no other sons to succeed him, Robert’s death in 1035 left the title to William, who was just seven years old. His succession sparked outrage among the Norman nobility. Despite facing multiple assassination attempts and the killings of his supporters and guardians, William survived a turbulent childhood and began laying the foundations of his legacy. His first significant display of military leadership came at the age of 19, during the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes in 1047. The threat came from his rebellious cousin, Guy of Burgundy, who refused to recognize William’s claim to the duchy. Guy commanded a force of around 25,000 men—considerably larger than what William could raise. In response, William sought the support of King Henry I of France, who, somewhat unexpectedly, allied with him. Their combined force numbered around 10,000. Against overwhelming odds, William led his troops into battle, fighting fiercely at their side until Guy’s rebel army was routed. It was a remarkable victory for the young Duke, who not only asserted his authority over his rivals but also proved himself a capable and courageous military commander.
The Norman King who changed England forever.
How William the Conqueror Invaded England in 1066 and Became King
William's claim to the English throne stemmed from a promise allegedly made by Edward the Confessor during a visit to Normandy in the early 1050s. According to William, the English king had assured him that he would succeed to the throne upon Edward’s death. Further strengthening this claim, Harold Godwinson—England’s most powerful earl—reportedly swore an oath in 1064 to support William’s succession.
Despite this, when Edward died in January 1066, the Witan (the council of nobles) chose Harold as king. William saw this as a betrayal and resolved to press his claim by force. Over the summer of 1066, he assembled an invasion force of around 7,000 men and 600 ships. Crucially, he also secured the backing of the Pope, which gave religious legitimacy to his cause and allowed him to recruit knights from across northern France. William landed at Pevensey on England’s south coast and began fortifying his position. Meanwhile, Harold Godwinson had just repelled a Norwegian invasion led by King Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge near York on September 25. Though victorious, Harold’s army was exhausted and now faced a rapid march south to confront the Norman threat.
The Battle of Hastings: William the Conqueror vs. Harold Godwinson
Both Harold’s and William’s armies met in battle on October 14, 1066, near the town of Hastings, on a ridge called Senlac Hill. Harold’s troops, made up largely of well-trained housecarls and local militia called the fyrd, took up a strong defensive position, forming a shield wall that was difficult to penetrate. William’s Norman forces faced the challenge of attacking uphill, which made breaking the English line even harder. The battle lasted for several hours, with both sides suffering heavy casualties.
A turning point came when the Normans feigned a retreat, a tactic designed to lure parts of Harold’s army off the hill and break their solid formation. When the English soldiers pursued, they were ambushed by Norman cavalry and infantry, weakening the defensive shield wall. The fierce fighting continued until late afternoon, when Harold was reportedly killed—according to legend, by an arrow striking his eye. His death led to the rapid collapse of the English forces and a decisive Norman victory. This battle not only secured William’s claim to the English throne but also changed the course of English history forever.
The Doomsday Book
In 1085, William the Conqueror ordered a vast survey of England’s land and property, with the survey itself carried out in 1086. Written in Latin and organised by county, the Domesday Book recorded who held the land, its value and the resources it contained. It was not a general population census; the people named were mostly landholders and others connected to the estates. William needed a clearer picture of the wealth and resources of his newly conquered kingdom. With the threat of invasion and the cost of maintaining his army and government, knowing the value of land and property was important for taxation and defence. Royal commissioners travelled across England, questioning local people about each estate. They recorded details such as its land, woodland, livestock, buildings, inhabitants and its value before the Norman Conquest in 1066 compared with its value in 1086. The records were eventually compiled into Great Domesday and Little Domesday. Great Domesday covered most of England, while Little Domesday recorded Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Some areas, including London, Winchester, Northumberland, Durham and much of north-west England, were not included in the survey. The Domesday Book provides an extraordinary picture of England after the Norman Conquest, revealing how landholding had changed under William's rule. The land recorded in the survey was valued at around £73,000, while William's annual income from his holdings was estimated at approximately £22,500.