At the Battle of Hastings, fought on Senlac Hill, seven miles from Hastings, England, King Harold II of England faced defeat at the hands of the Norman forces led by William the Conqueror. The gruesome battle lasted all day, ending with Harold’s death—legend has it that he was shot in the eye with an arrow—and the destruction of his army. This marked the end of Harold’s reign as the last Anglo-Saxon king of England.
Just over two weeks prior, William, the duke of Normandy, had claimed his right to the English throne by invading England. It is believed that in 1051, William visited England and met with his cousin Edward the Confessor, who was the childless king. According to Norman historians, Edward had promised William he would be his heir. However, on his deathbed, Edward bequeathed the kingdom to Harold Godwine, the leader of the most powerful noble family in England, who was more influential than the king himself. Following King Edward’s death in January 1066, Harold Godwine ascended as King Harold II, prompting William to immediately contest his claim.
On September 28, 1066, approximately 7,000 troops and cavalry accompanied William as he landed in England at Pevensey, located on Britain’s southeast coast. After taking control of Pevensey, he advanced to Hastings, where he paused to organize his troop arrangements. On October 13, Harold and his army approached Hastings, and the following day, William led his forces into battle.
After securing victory at the Battle of Hastings, William proceeded to London and accepted the city’s surrender. On Christmas Day in 1066, he was crowned the first Norman king of England in Westminster Abbey, marking the conclusion of the Anglo-Saxon era in English history. As French evolved into the language of the king’s court, it gradually merged with the Anglo-Saxon language, leading to the creation of modern English. As an effective ruler, William I’s notable accomplishments included the “Domesday Book,” an extensive census of England’s lands and people. After William I passed away in 1087, his son, William Rufus, succeeded him as William II, becoming the second Norman king of England.
