King William I of England - better known as William the Conqueror - was born in 1027 or 1028. His father, Duke Robert I of Normandy, was known as "Robert the Devil" and "Robert the Magnificent." William was born of a liaison between the devilish duke and a tanner's daughter named Herleve or Herleva and popularly remembered as Arlette or Arletta.
According to legend, Robert and Arlette met when they were both in their late teens. Robert was riding his horse one day when he saw the lovely Arlette washing her clothes in a river. (According to another story, Arlette was dancing beside a road when Robert first spied her.) Instantly smitten, the duke sent one of his servants to summon Arlette to his castle. She agreed to become Robert's mistress, but insisted on living with him openly rather than conducting the affair in secrecy. William was born within a year of their first meeting. Arlette later had a daughter, Adelaide, who may also have been Robert's child.
After her relationship with Robert ended, Arlette married a viscount with whom she had four children, including a son called Odo of Bayeux who would become one of William's most trusted advisors. William's sister Adelaide grew up to marry three counts.
When William was about eight, his father decided to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Before leaving, Robert called his vassals together and ordered them to swear fealty to William. Reluctantly the men obeyed. Perhaps Robert did not expect to return from the Holy Land; if so, he was right. He died on his journey, and his small illegitimate son became the new Duke of Normandy.
Robert's barons quickly forgot their vow of loyalty to William. When they weren't fighting amongst themselves, they were plotting to do away with the young duke in order to seize his power. First one of William's guardians, Gilbert of Brionne, was murdered; then William's uncle Osbern, Arlette's brother, was killed while protecting William from kidnappers who had invaded the boy's bedroom. William's tutor was also murdered. Not surprisingly, William's supporters decided to send him away from home for his own protection. William's uncle Walter - brother of Arlette and Osbern - frequently woke William in the dead of night to smuggle him to a new hiding place under cover of darkness.
Like most children of that time, William grew up fast. At around age fifteen he was knighted, and when he was nineteen or twenty he went to war against his cousin Guy of Burgundy to defend his inheritance. With the help of French king Henri I, he defeated Guy and forced the rebels to swear allegiance to him. But the battles of "William the Bastard," as his enemies called him, were far from over. He was always fighting someone - even his erstwhile ally, Henri I. The beleaguered boy became a ruthless, powerful, and greatly feared conqueror.
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