A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Wilhelm I Conqueror, also known as "William the Bastard" (ca. 1028 -1087), was King of England and Duke of Normandy.
William was the son of Herleva and Robert I, Duke of Normandy, in what was then known as Francia. He was often referred to as a bastard by his opponents because his parents were not married. Herleva, his mother, was likely of Anglo-Saxon origin and not of noble birth.
Despite being the illegitimate son of Robert the Magnificent, also known as Robert the Devil, William was named his successor at the age of eight following his father's death in 1035. As William II (in French: Guillaume II), he became Duke of Normandy during a period of instability.
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See also:
How Emma Of Normandy Risked Her Life To Save England
The Fierce Great Heathen Army And The Invasion Of East Anglia
