📍Château de Falaise, Place Guillaume le Conquérant, 14700 Falaise, France
1028 – 1047“I was born around 1028 at Falaise, a town in southern Normandy dominated by a castle on a great rock. My father was Robert, Duke of Normandy; my mother, Herleva, was the daughter of Fulbert, a tanner or embalmer of the town, and they never married, so men called me William the Bastard. When I was about seven my father died on pilgrimage, and I became duke. My childhood was a time of terror: rival nobles fought for control of me and of Normandy, and four of my guardians and protectors died violently — my steward Osbern was murdered in the very room where I slept. My mother's brother, Walter, sometimes hid me in the cottages of poor folk to keep me alive. I survived, learned to fight and to trust few people, and took control of my duchy. In 1066 I crossed the Channel and defeated King Harold near Hastings, where I built Battle Abbey on the spot, and became King of England. The castle of Falaise, rebuilt by my descendants, still stands on its rock.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today