Despite being the show’s final season, Vikings: Valhalla season 3 introduced new characters, one of them Duke William of Normandy (Ely Solan), but he’s a much bigger character than the show makes him seem. Vikings: Valhalla continued the stories of its main characters, to which it added new characters, despite not having enough time to develop their stories. Such was the case of William of Normandy, who appeared briefly when Queen Emma (Laura Berlin) and King Canute (Bradley Freegard) arrived in Normandy to visit Emma’s sons, Edward and Alfred.

Emma mentioned being related to William, who was, at that moment, under his uncle’s tutelage as he was still young. William’s uncle wanted to take William’s place, and William was aware of it, so he played along and let him make decisions for him as, once he turned 15, he would claim what was his. Vikings: Valhalla didn’t go any further in Duke William’s story, leaving it inconclusive along with many other stories, but his future is a lot bigger than the show implied.

William Became Duke Of Normandy At A Very Young Age (& It Was A Problem)

William Was The Son Of Robert I & A Descendant Of Rollo

William the Conqueror (also known as William the Bastard) was born in 1028 and was the son of Robert I, also known as Robert the Magnificent, and was a descendant of Rollo. However, Robert was unmarried, and William was the son of his mistress, Herleva, who was also the mother of Odo of Bayeux and Robert Count of Mortain from her marriage to Herluin de Conteville. This created conflict when it was time for William to succeed his father.

Because of his illegitimate status and his young age (he was only seven years old), members of the Norman aristocracy fought each other for control of the young duke and for their own ends. William had the support of his great-uncle Archbishop Robert, as well as King Henry I of France, but the death of Archbishop Robert left him without one strong supporter, and Normandy quickly descended into chaos. Anarchy in the duchy lasted until 1047, and there were fights for control of the young duke. William had different guardians, all of them killed not long after taking control of him.

Despite rebellions against him, William assumed power in Normandy in 1047 and promulgated the Truce of God to limit warfare and violence, though this didn’t last long. In 1051, William married Matilda of Flanders, daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders, which gave him a powerful ally in the county of Flanders and boosted his status as Flanders was one of the most powerful French territories at the time.

William Fought For The Throne Of England

William Argued Edward Promised The Throne To Him

In 1051, England was ruled by King Edward the Confessor (Emma of Normandy’s son with Aethelred the Unready), but as he had no heirs, he supposedly chose William as his successor, as they were related (as mentioned in Vikings: Valhalla, Emma was the great-aunt of William). However, when Edward died, Harold Godwinson (Godwin’s son, also known as Harold II) was named king, with some sources claiming Edward chose him on his deathbed, while others say he was elected by the clergy and magnates of England. Harold was crowned in 1066.

William argued that Edward had promised him the throne and Harold had sworn to support his claim, so he built a large fleet and invaded England in 1066, an invasion King Harold had prepared for. William defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, and he was crowned king on Christmas Day, in London. Harold, the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England, only ruled for nine months, and William became the first Norman King of England.

William’s Reign Faced Various Rebellions

William’s Time As King Was Full Of Challenges

William’s reign in England was marked by many revolts, such as that of Edwin, Earl of Mercia, and Morcar, his younger brother, in 1068, and Edgar the Aetheling’s revolt in 1069. In 1075, the Revolt of the Earls happened, as the earls of Norfolk and Hereford conspired to overthrow William, and William also had to deal with Danish raids, most notably an invasion by King Cnut IV of Denmark around 1084. William also had trouble with his son, Robert, who rebelled against him more than once, including one time with the support of the French king.

How William The Conqueror Died

William The Conqueror Died In 1087

William left England in 1086, but Robert’s alliance with the French king caused so much trouble that William led an expedition against the French Vexin in 1087. While seizing Mantes, William fell ill or was injured by the pommel of his saddle, and was taken to the monastery of Saint Gervase at Rouen.

William died on September 9, 1087, and left Normandy to Robert, the custody of England to his second son (also named William) with the intention that he would become king, and left money to his youngest son, Henry. William II became King of England in 1087 and was succeeded by his brother Henry I in 1100.