William the Conqueror

c. 1028–1087),Duke of Normandy and also known as Guillaume le Conquerant, was the first Norman King of England from 1066 until his death. Before his conquest of England, he was known as William the Bastard because of the illegitimacy of his birth. To press his claim to the English crown, William invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans, Bretons, Flemings and Frenchmen to victory over the English forces at the Battle of Hastings. He suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest.

William created a feudal state that brought order, peace and law to England, promoted commerce and created a strong central government that long endured. His conquest also led to French replacing English as the language of the ruling classes for nearly 300 years.