This Day in History: 28 September 2020
28 September 1066
954 years ago, today, William the Conqueror invaded England in an attempt to claim his right to the English throne. His subsequent defeat of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings marked the start of a new era in British history. It is believed that William visited England in 1051 and met with his cousin Edward the Confessor, the childless king. Supposedly, Edward promised to make William his heir. However, on Edward's deathbed, he granted the kingdom to Harold Godwinson, the head of a leading noble family in England, that was more powerful than the King himself. He was proclaimed as King Harold II in January 1066, which William immediately disputed.
With around 7,000 troops and cavalry, William marched to Hastings with King Harald III of Norway, who had designs on England. In October, Harold arrived near Hastings with his own army, before the battle began the next day. At the end of the bloody, long-lasting fight, King Harold II was killed, shot in the eye with an arrow according to legend, and his forces were defeated. William the Conqueror was crowned as the first Norman king of England on Christmas Day, ending the Anglo-Saxon phase of English history. William proved to be an effective king, creating the Domesday Book as his biggest achievement.
Want to find out more about William the Conqueror? Click here for more information, or here for more about the Battle of Hastings.
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