William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror
www.historytours.com
June 16 - 21, 2011
William the Conqueror, son of a noble father and a common mother, and thus an acclaimed bastard with no chance of legitimacy. William of Normandy was born into a frightening world of greedy tyrants and continuous war. Orphaned at an early age, his dukedom was thrust upon him at the tender age of seven; his bastard status made him a ready target for invaders; many attempts were made to kidnap him and three of his servants were murdered in bids to overthrow him. William of Normandy certainly did not lead a charmed childhood, but his ruthless upbringing only served to prepare him for his momentous career – a career that still affects the world today.
His father, Duke Robert, said of William, ‘he is little, but he will grow’. William of Normandy certainly grew, and with him grew his lands and his reputation. We invite you to begin where he did, in his birthplace of Falaise, and to follow in his footsteps as he masterminded the last successful invasion of England. Visit the site of his great victory in Battle; relive the action through the ‘1066 Experience’; stare in wonder at the famous Bayeux Tapestry, traditionally attributed to William’s wife Mathilde; visit the Abbey where he is buried; see the Abbey he erected in Battle to appease the Pope, who was none too pleased at the number of deaths, and experience life as a Norman courtier or the long-necked mistress of the ill-fated King Harold.