![[Bayeux_Tapestry_scene1_Edward.jpg]] *Edward the Confessor in Bayeux Tapestry The crisis was precipitated by the death of the English king, Edward the Confessor, who reigned from 1042 to 1066. Before taking the throne, Edward had spent many years in exile in Normandy. When he died childless in 1066, his brother-in-law had been crowned king. But William claimed that Edward had promised the crown to him, and assembled a fleet of 700 ships to transport his 8,000 troops. They crossed the Channel in September and fought a daylong battle at Hastings on October 14, 1066. The new English king was killed in the battle and William moved on to London where he was greeted with the submission of the English nobles. He was crowned King William I of England on Christmas Day. ![[Bayeux_Tapestry_scene51_Battle_of_Hastings_Norman_knights_and_archers.jpg]] The conquest led to widespread social and cultural changes. William redistributed lands to Norman lords, introducing feudalism and replacing much of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy. French became the language of court, with William and the kings who followed him not bothering to learn English until the 1300s. William's Norman dynasty lasted less than a century and ended with his grandson, although the Plantagenets that succeeded to the throne were related through William's granddaughter, Matilda. The first of these was Henry II, who inherited a domain that included a good part of what is now France. His sons, Richard I (the Lionheart) and John, were both kings in their turns. We'll discuss Richard and John in the next chapter. ----- Next: [[11.16 - Norman England]] Back: [[11.14 - Anglo-Saxon England]]