William the Conqueror
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William the Conqueror, sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was Duke of Normandy from 1035 onward.
William is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry during the Battle of Hastings, lifting his helmet to show that he is still alive.
Château de Falaise in Falaise, Lower Normandy, France; William was born in an earlier building here.
Column at the site of the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes in 1047
Image from the Bayeux Tapestry showing William with his half-brothers. William is in the centre, Odo is on the left with empty hands, and Robert is on the right with a sword in his hand.
Robert Curthose
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Robert Curthose was the eldest son of William the Conqueror and Duke of Normandy as Robert II from 1087 to 1106.
William the Conqueror
…The rest of his life was marked by struggles to consolidate his hold over England and his continental lands, and by difficulties with his eldest son, Robert Curthose. William was the son of the unmarried Duke Robert I of Normandy and his mistress Herleva. His illegitimate status and youth caused some difficulties…
Roman west gate of Pevensey Castle; the main land entrance
Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, site of the 1091 siege
Norman naval forces on the Bayeux Tapestry
The village of Tinchebray in Normandy in 2008; the site of the Battle of Tinchebray in 1106