William II of England - Early years

William II (called "Rufus", perhaps because of his red-faced appearance) (c. 1056 – 2 August 1100) was the second son of William the Conqueror and was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers also over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending his control in Wales. Although William was an effective soldier, he was a ruthless ruler and was little liked by those he governed; according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he was "hated by almost all his people." However, it is not s ...

Including:

• William II of England - Early years
• William II of England - Appearance
• William II of England - England and France
• William II of England - Power struggles
• William II of England - The Court of William II
• William II of England - The unusual death of William II
• William II of England - The Rufus Stone
• William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia - William II of England

William's exact date of birth is unknown, but it was sometime between the years 1056 and 1060. He was born in his father's duchy of Normandy, which would be inherited in due course by his elder brother, Robert Curthose, a third son during his youth, educated under the eye of Lanfranc and destined to be a great lord but not a king, until the death of the Conqueror's second son put him in the line of succession. His father's favourite son, William succeeded to the throne of England on his father's death, but there was always hostility between him and his eldest brother, though they became reconciled after an att ...

See also:

William II of England, William II of England - Early years, William II of England - Appearance, William II of England - England and France, William II of England - Power struggles, William II of England - The Court of William II, William II of England - The unusual death of William II, William II of England - The Rufus Stone, William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia II - William II of England - Early years

William Rufus inherited the Anglo-Norman settlement whose details are reflected in Domesday Book (1086), a survey that could not have been undertaken anywhere in Europe at that time and a signal of the control of the monarchy, but he did not inherit William's charisma and political skills. Within a few years he lost William's advisor and confidant, the Italian-Norman archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc, in 1089. Much of William's reign was spent feuding with the church; after the death of Lanfranc, he delayed appointing a new archbisho ...

See also:

William II of England, William II of England - Early years, William II of England - Appearance, William II of England - England and France, William II of England - Power struggles, William II of England - The Court of William II, William II of England - The unusual death of William II, William II of England - The Rufus Stone, William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia II - William II of England - Power struggles

William Rufus is a major character in Valerie Anand's historical novel, King of the Wood (1989). He is also a major character in Parke Godwin's Robin and the King (1993), the second volume in Godwin's reinterpretation of the Robin Hood legend. William II is indirectly the subject of two historical novels by George Shipway, called The Paladin and The Wolf Time. The main character of the novels is Walter Tirel (or Tyrell) the supposed assassin of King William, and the main thrust of the plot of ...

See also:

William II of England, William II of England - Early years, William II of England - Appearance, William II of England - England and France, William II of England - Power struggles, William II of England - The Court of William II, William II of England - The unusual death of William II, William II of England - The Rufus Stone, William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia II - William II of England - Fictional treatments

A stone known as the Rufus Stone marks the spot where some believe he fell. grid reference SU270124 The inscription on the Rufus Stone reads: Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100. King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church, of that city. The curre ...

See also:

William II of England, William II of England - Early years, William II of England - Appearance, William II of England - England and France, William II of England - Power struggles, William II of England - The Court of William II, William II of England - The unusual death of William II, William II of England - The Rufus Stone, William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia II - William II of England - The Rufus Stone

William Rufus had a notorious disregard for the church; his most passionate detractors are found among clergymen. Eadmer relates two incidents in which William Rufus either convinced converted Jews to return to Judaism, or attempted to do so. During his quarrels with Anselm of Canterbury, the king declared that "he hated him much yesterday, that he hated him much today, and that he would hate him more and more tomorrow and every other day." William of Malmesbury decries William Rufus' court, which he describes as being filled b ...

See also:

William II of England, William II of England - Early years, William II of England - Appearance, William II of England - England and France, William II of England - Power struggles, William II of England - The Court of William II, William II of England - The unusual death of William II, William II of England - The Rufus Stone, William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia II - William II of England - The Court of William II

The division of William the Conqueror's lands into two parts presented a dilemma for those nobles who held land on both sides of the Channel. Since the younger William and Robert were natural rivals, these nobles worried that they could not hope to please both of their lords, and thus ran the risk of losing the favour of one ruler or the other (or both of them). The only solution, as they saw it, was to unite England and Normandy once more under one ruler. The pursuit of this aim led them to revolt against William in favour of Robert in the ...

See also:

William II of England, William II of England - Early years, William II of England - Appearance, William II of England - England and France, William II of England - Power struggles, William II of England - The Court of William II, William II of England - The unusual death of William II, William II of England - The Rufus Stone, William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia II - William II of England - England and France

Perhaps the most memorable event in the life of William Rufus was his death, which occurred while William was hunting in the New Forest. He was killed by an arrow through the heart, but the circumstances remain unclear. On a bright August day in 1100, William organised a hunting trip in the New Forest. An account by Orderic Vitalis described the preparations for the hunt: ...an armourer came in and presented to him (Rufus) six arrows. The King immediately took them with great satisfaction, praising the work, and unconscio ...

See also:

William II of England, William II of England - Early years, William II of England - Appearance, William II of England - England and France, William II of England - Power struggles, William II of England - The Court of William II, William II of England - The unusual death of William II, William II of England - The Rufus Stone, William II of England - Fictional treatments

Read more here: » William II of England: Encyclopedia II - William II of England - The unusual death of William II