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14 October 1066Reputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

William of Normandy defeats Harold II at the Battle of Hastings

A single day's fighting replaces England's ruling class

On the timeline · around 14 October 1066 · Feudal Europe Takes ShapeFeudal Europe Takes ShapeChurch, Learning, and LawWilliam of Normandy defeats Harold II at the Battle of Hastings100010251050107511001125

Quick facts

Location
Near Hastings, East Sussex, England
Victor
William, Duke of Normandy
Defeated king
Harold II Godwinson (killed in battle)
Coronation
Westminster Abbey, 25 December 1066

What happened

William, Duke of Normandy, claimed the English throne had been promised to him by Edward the Confessor, but on Edward's death in January 1066 the English nobility crowned Harold Godwinson instead. William landed his invasion force at Pevensey in September while Harold was busy defeating a separate Norwegian invasion in the north at Stamford Bridge. The two armies met on 14 October near Hastings, where Harold's shield wall held for hours against Norman cavalry until repeated feigned retreats lured Anglo-Saxon soldiers out of formation. Harold was killed late in the battle, according to tradition first by an arrow and then cut down by Norman swords, and his remaining forces collapsed. William was crowned king in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day.

Why it matters

The conquest replaced almost the entire Anglo-Saxon aristocracy with Norman lords, introduced Norman French as the language of England's court and law for generations, and tied English and French politics together in ways that would fuel conflicts, including the later Hundred Years' War, for the rest of the Middle Ages.

How we know

The Bayeux Tapestry, embroidered within a few decades of the battle, depicts the campaign and Harold's death in visual detail, and the battle is described in multiple contemporary and near-contemporary English and Norman chronicles.

Sources

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William of Normandy defeats Harold II at the Battle of Hastings · The Middle Ages · SourcedStory