William I


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William I 1

Known as "William the Conqueror." 1027?-1087.
King of England (1066-1087) and duke of Normandy (1035-1087). He led the Norman invasion of England (1066) after being promised the English throne by his cousin Edward the Confessor. He defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings and as king adopted a feudal constitution.

William I 2

Prince of Orange. Known as "William the Silent." 1533-1584.
Dutch aristocrat who was made stadholder of Holland, Zeeland, and Utrecht (1559) by Phillip II of Spain. Spurred by the Spanish persecution of Protestants, he led a successful revolt against Spanish rule (1568-1576).

William I 3

See Wilhelm I.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

William I

n
1. (Biography) known as William the Conqueror. ?1027–1087, duke of Normandy (1035–87) and king of England (1066–87). He claimed to have been promised the English crown by Edward the Confessor, after whose death he disputed the succession of Harold II, invading England in 1066 and defeating Harold at Hastings. The conquest of England resulted in the introduction to England of many Norman customs, esp feudalism. In 1085 he ordered the Domesday Book to be compiled
2. (Biography) known as William the Bad. 1120–66, Norman king of Sicily (1154–66)
3. (Biography) known as William the Silent. 1533–84, prince of Orange and count of Nassau: led the revolt of the Netherlands against Spain (1568–76) and became first stadholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (1579–84); assassinated
4. (Biography) 1772–1843, king of the Netherlands (1815–40): abdicated in favour of his son William II
5. (Biography) German name Wilhelm I. 1797–1888, king of Prussia (1861–88) and first emperor of Germany (1871–88)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.William I - duke of Normandy who led the Norman invasion of England and became the first Norman to be King of EnglandWilliam I - duke of Normandy who led the Norman invasion of England and became the first Norman to be King of England; he defeated Harold II at the battle of Hastings in 1066 and introduced many Norman customs into England (1027-1087)
William the Conqueror
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
He is also insightful at elucidating the sometimes tortuous foreign policy priorities of such diverse European players as the papacy, Frederick William I, Peter the Great, Charles XII, and Elizabeth Farnese.
Politics and Foreign Policy in the Age of George I, 1714-1727
Son Hamo was part of the Norman invasion and Hamo's son wed a daughter of William I's half-brother.
Remarkable family tales
Odard's second son was Rafe le Dispensator, William I's Chancellor, and from whom the Spencers are descended.
Viking family
Familial rivalries between William I and his eldest son, Robert, and then between Robert and his brothers, William II Rufus and Henry I, focused on Robert's claim to rule Normandy.
BRITAIN 1100
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