In January of 1066, the dying King Edward the Confessor named his brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson, as his successor. In doing so he broke his promise to leave the throne to Duke William of Normandy. Edward didn't really have the right to choose the next king; that right belonged to a royal council called the witan. The witan, too, chose Harold. He was crowned the day after Edward's death.
Outraged, William sent messages to Harold, reminding him that he had sworn to support William's claim to the throne and marry William's daughter Agatha. But Harold was already king, and he soon married another woman. It was not long before William had his revenge. In September of 1066 he invaded England, and on October 14 he defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Harold was killed by an arrow through the eye, and William became England's king. His coronation took place on Christmas Day.
The conqueror ruthlessly put down all opponents and subjugated the English people. Among those who suffered his wrath was the man who had been his wife Matilda's first love, the unfortunate Brihtric. He was thrown into a dungeon, where he died.
William's family life was often turbulent. His most troublesome child was his eldest son, Robert Curthose, presumably so called because he had short legs (taking after the tiny Queen Matilda). When William refused to allow Robert to govern Normandy, his son allied with William's enemies. In 1079 the two actually met in one-on-one combat and Robert wounded William in the hand. William's favorite son, William Rufus, was also wounded in the battle. Yet the king and Robert later reconciled, and when William died he left Normandy to Robert. William Rufus inherited the throne of England.
The king also fell out with his half-brother Odo, who had fought by his side at Hastings and whom William had made a bishop. Odo committed some crime - exactly what is not known - and William sent him to prison for five years.
Another unfortunate member of William's family was his daughter Agatha, who had once expected to marry King Harold. It is said that she always loved Harold, and never wanted to another husband. In her teens she was betrothed to the king of Castile, but she died on her way to the wedding.
Age doesn't seem to have mellowed William much. He was still frequenting battlefields in his early sixties. While fighting the French at the Battle of Mantes, he was thrown against the pommel of his saddle so violently that his intestines burst. Five weeks later - on September 9, 1087 - England's conqueror died. His servants stripped him bare and abandoned his body, but a kind-hearted knight arranged a funeral for him at the abbey of St. Stephen in Caen.
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