When I was in France a few years ago, I visited Falaise and found the birthplace of the man who changed the history of England, always later referred to as William the Conqueror.

The story of William’s birth goes this way. His father, Robert, Duke of Normandy, was looking down from his castle when he spotted an attractive young woman by the river. He sent for her and discovered her name was Herleva and she was the daughter of a tanner/undertaker. Robert decided to make her his mistress and move her into his castle. Their son William was born soon after in 1028.

Unfortunately, the Duke died while returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when William was only eight and having been nominated as his heir, albeit illegitimate, he automatically became Duke of Normandy. He then became William II of Normandy approved by his overlord King Henry I of France.

William, however, had to overcome many obstacles because he had acceded as a child and the fact that he was illegitimate and was continually referred to as the bastard son. This led to a breakdown of authority and warfare broke out. Three of his guardians died violent deaths before he grew up and even his private tutor was murdered. His mother was always his protector, and it is thought these problems might well have contributed to William’s strong character in later life.

When he was fifteen in 1042, he was knighted and began to take part in his own rule, sometimes recklessly and foolhardy, but always learning lessons from his mistakes and from King Henry who offered him help. All of this contributed to his strong straightforward rule when his shining moment in history came about in 1066 and the infamous battle that today we always connect with William.

By the standards of the day, William was a moral man who took an interest in the Norman church and clerical marriage. He welcomed monks and scholars to Normandy. In appearance, he was tall and had a “robust, thickset body” which became fat in later life. His voice was strong and he was a good speaker.

Around 1054, William conducted negotiations with his distant cousin, Edward the Confessor, King of England, whose mother was a sister of William’s grandfather, to become his heir to the English throne because Edward was childless. He also married, Matilda of Flanders, which gave him a powerful ally in the county of Flanders, giving more power and allowing him to conquer new horizons.

By 1060 his hold on Normandy was finally secure, so by 1066 following the death of Edward the Confessor, William invaded England leading a Franco-Norman army to victory over Anglo-Saxon forces claiming their own power, at the famous Battle of Hastings. This became known as the Norman Conquest.

The remainder of William’s life was marked with more struggles to maintain his power in England. He had problems with his son Robert and numerous revolts to deal with, including a threatened invasion by the Danes. He knew little peace before his death in September 1087 in Northern France and he is buried in Caen.

But during his English reign, the so-called bastard King had achieved many things. He had ordered the compilation of the Domesday Book and had built many castles including the Tower of London. He also changed the composition of the English clergy. He did not try to integrate all his domains into one empire but instead administered each part separately. After his death, his lands were divided thus; Normandy went to Robert and England went to his son, William Rufus.

An interesting piece of trivia, King Charles III is a direct descendant of William the Conqueror. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II’s bloodline can be traced through the royal houses of England, Scotland and Great Britain passing through major figures of Note, like Henry 1, Henry II, Edward I and eventually to the houses of Stuart, Hanover and Windsor.

Quite apart from anything else, William, Duke of Normandy and King of England, changed the course of English history, all because a Duke once saw a young girl by the river and wanted to meet her.