One of the most influential monarchies in the history of England began in 1066 C.E.

with
the Norman Conquest led by William, the Duke of Normandy. England would forever be
changed politically, economically, and socially as a result. More importantly, it had a
significant impact on English language.

In order to have a better understanding of what the Norman conquest is all about,
let us first discover who the Normans are.
Their name came from the word Nortmanni which means northmen.

They are the Vikings who settled in north western France in the 10th and 11th
centuries and their descendants.
These people gave their name to the duchy of Normandy, a place that is situated in
north-west France, in Europe, close to the French capital Paris,

a territory ruled by a duke that grew out of a 911 treaty between King Charles III of
West Francia and Rollo, the leader of the Vikings.
Vikings is the modern name given to seafaring people primarily from Scandinavia (present-
day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided,
pirated, traded and settled throughout parts of Europe.

Now, we are going to meet the people who are involved in the Norman Conquest.

This is William, the Duke of Normandy, the one who led the Norman conquest.
William became Duke of Normandy after his father’s death. But before he got the position, he
faced a lot of oppositions. He is the cousin of Edward the Confessor—the King of England during
that time.
Later on, we are going to discover the reason or the driving force behind this conquest. Why did
it happen? Why and how William conquered England.

Next is EDWARD THE CONFESSOR KING OF ENGLAND FROM 1042 – 1066

The driving force of the invasion is a broken oath.

Because according to the Bayeux Tapestry and other Norman sources, in 1064 Edward the Confessor
had sworn an oath that William will be his successor.

However, from his deathbed, he named Harold his successor on January 5, 1066, and Harold was
crowned king the following day.

This is KING HAROLD II, SON OF GODWIN

The one who came into power after the death of Edward the Confessor.

Because of the betrayal, William prepared to conquer England in order to claim the throne.
Feeling betrayed, William, Duke of Normandy gathered an army and made his way to England in hopes
of properly taking his place atop the throne.

From almost the beginning of his reign, Harold faced challenges to his authority.

THE CLAIMS ON THE ENGLISH CROWN

Not only were Harold and William in a power struggle, but there were other challengers
to the throne as well, including Harald III of Norway and Harold Godwinson’s brother,
Tostig.

• Two other men considered themselves the rightful king of England, and both were highly
dangerous and experienced military leaders.

• The exiled Tostig, who was Harold’s brother, and Harald III Hardrada, king of Norway, also had
designs on the throne and threatened invasion.

• September 23 and 24. Tostig began raiding the southern and eastern
coasts of England in May, eventually joining forces with Harald
III.King of Norway, and had landed with an army in Yorkshire. Harold marched his own English
army north from London to repel the invaders.

• 25th September. The King of Norway and Tostig were both killed.
King Harold won the victory in which both Harald III and Tostig
perished.

THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS (OCTOBER 14, 1066)

On October 14th, Harold and William’s army met at battle near Hastings, and that’s when the great
battle began.

Harold’s sick, exhausted Saxon army met William’s fresh, rested Norman troops on October 14th
at Battle near Hastings, and the great battle began.

At first, the army of King Harold had the upper hand but the Norman knights began to gain control
later on. According to the Bayeux Tapestry, King Harold was killed when an arrow was struck in his
eye. The battle continued until all of Harold’s men have fallen.

At first, the two-handed Saxon battleaxes sliced through the armor of the Norman knights, but
slowly the Normans began to gain control. King Harold was struck in the eye by a chance Norman
arrow and was killed, but the battle raged on until all of Harold’s loyal bodyguard were slain.

The victorious Norman Duke was crowned William I of England on Christmas Day 1066 in Westminster
Abbey.

The results of the Norman Conquest linked England to France in the years that followed. In
addition to the introduction of French words to the English language, the French influence was
also felt in politics, as William and his noblemen retained an interest in the affairs of France and
the European continent.