William as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry during the Battle of Hastings, lifting his helm to show that he is still alive

William I (Old Norman: Williame I; circa 1028 – 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes as William the Bastard,^[2][a] was the first Norman King of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. Descended from Viking raiders, he had been Duke of Normandy since 1035 under the title of William II. After a long struggle to establish his power, by 1060 his hold on Normandy was secure, and he launched the Norman conquest of England in 1066. 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.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William the Conqueror
• A History of Britain (TV series)