William I of England (William the Conqueror; c. 1028 – 9 September 1087) was a mediæval monarch. He ruled as the Duke of Normandy from 1035 to 1087 and as King of England from 1066 to 1087.
William invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans to victory at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest. He thereby became the first in a line of English monarchs that continues unbroken to this day.
His actions changed the course of English history, and play a significant part in European history. After his conquest, he ended the Anglo-Saxon Age in England, and introduced Norman culture. This thoroughly changed the role of England in the Middle Ages. He also revamped English law, built several major buildings (including the Tower of London), permanently altered the English language (through its suppression) and founded feudalism in England.
As Duke of Normandy, William was known as William II, and, as King of England, as William I. He is commonly referred to as William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquérant) or William the Bastard (Guillaume le Bâtard).
No authentic portrait of William has been found, but he was described as a muscular man, balding in front. In later life, William grew fat, causing King Philip of France to comment that he looked pregnant.