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228 results for william the conqueror
Event
Members' Week: Edgar Aetheling - 'The Boy who lived' Talk at Battle Abbey
Join us at Battle Abbey for a fun family-friendly romp through the confusing cast of 1066 characters on Tuesday 26 May. Find out how and why the Anglo-Saxon boy prince Edgar Aetheling survived William the Conqueror’s new regime but was consigned to be a footnote of history.
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How William the Conqueror spent Christmas in 1066
William the Conqueror was crowned on Christmas Day in 1066. Find out more about what happened that day, and the dramatic events that led to his coronation.
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The Foundation of Battle Abbey
How Battle Abbey has its origins in the great battle fought on 14 October 1066 between Harold, last Anglo-Saxon king of England, and William, Duke of Normandy.
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William the Conqueror and the Oath of Sarum
How William I used an ancient centre of power, Old Sarum in Wiltshire, to establish a radical new framework of loyalty, which may also have been linked to the great Domesday survey.
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Battle of Hastings at Battle Abbey
960 years since the Battle of Hastings took place, the one and only re-enactment returns. Join us at Battle Abbey on Saturday 10 - Sunday 11 October 2026 where over 500 reenactors will recreate the drama and intensity of this legendary conflict.
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1066: Edward the Confessor, Harold Gowinson, William the Conqueror and Harold Hardrada
After the death of Edward the Confessor, powerful factions began fighting for the throne of England. Some said that the old king had granted England to Harold Godwinson on his deathbed. Others believed he really wanted William of Normandy to rule the kingdom after him. England was also in danger from Harold Hardrada and the Vikings, too. Who do you think had the rightful claim to the throne?
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What was the legacy of William the Conqueror?
The Norman Conquest brought about the most radical change in society ever seen in England, and the question of whether this was for the better or for the worse is very much open to interpretation.
News
Medieval Manuscript Transcribed to Reveal Christmas Treasures
A medieval manuscript listing relics once housed at Battle Abbey in East Sussex has been newly analysed to reveal festive gifts bestowed by William the Conqueror and holy offerings by King John, English Heritage revealed today (18 December). Dating from the mid-15th century, the extensive list is one of only 30 or so relic inventories to still survive from medieval England and mentions 175 individual relics.
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Careful reading reveals that women played important roles before and after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Many women (particularly queens, who were the best recorded) held significant power and influence behind the scenes as advisors to their husbands, supporters of their sons and the voice of religious moderation. Here we discuss four such women who wielded power behind the throne in 1066.
News
A medieval manuscript listing relics once housed at Battle Abbey in East Sussex has been newly analysed to reveal festive gifts bestowed by William the Conqueror and holy offerings by King John.