17. A Child Duke Who Had to Deal With Unruly Barons
When he became Duke of Normandy, the underage William the Conqueror – then still known as William the Bastard – was unable to control his unruly barons. They took advantage of his tender years to defy his authority. Nobles built private castles, usurped the ducal power, and turned to private warfare to settle scores and enrich themselves. Before long, the duchy was plunged into anarchy. In that atmosphere, William’s early reign was precarious in the extreme, and he faced the threat of getting deposed at any moment.
Three of Williams’ guardians were murdered, and as a child, he witnessed his steward get his throat slit by a Norman rebel. He hung on, however, and that hard and dangerous childhood turned William into a hard and dangerous man. He combined daring with prudence and knew when to strike, and when to withdraw if he found himself at a disadvantage. By his early twenties, William had emerged as a ruthless warrior and ruler – just to survive to adulthood had entailed adventurous feats worthy of a novel.