William the Conqueror is a great figure in the world of history. However, historians still debate his conquest of England as some think it’s the best thing that happened to the Anglo-Saxon lands while others are certain that they should have been left to their own people.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

Nonetheless, William of Normandy was crowned in 1066 at Westminster Abbey after the Battle of Hastings where he defeated King Harold, thus becoming the first Norman king of England.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

King William brought many changes to the land he conquered. Here are the most interesting new developments that happened in England during his rule.

William the Conqueror: interesting facts

These were some of the major changes that happened in England after the Norman Conquest:

• many churches were rebuilt, including the Canterbury Cathedral;
• William forbade slave trade;
• England saw its first castles, which were French invention;
• Old English language was transformed to Franglais as William weren’t able to learn it;
• the Norman King tabooed political killings.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

So he did a makeover of Anglo-Saxon England but what about his children?

William the Conqueror’s children

William had quite a life. Born as a fruit of a love affair between Robert I, Duke of Normandy, and an unknown woman named Herleva, he struggled with being called William the Bastard his whole life.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

Even his wife, Matilda, didn’t want to marry him at first because of that. Interestingly, it’s believed that William won Matilda’s heart with “fists and spurs.” Despite that, the couple had at least 9 children together and the Norman King was deeply depressed after his beloved passed away.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

The royal couple had 4 sons: Robert, Richard, William Rufus, and Henry. After William’s death, the fight for the throne began and William Rufus became the King of England while Robert was crowned as the Duke of Normandy. However, William Rufus didn’t rule for long as he was killed during a hunting accident.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

As Henry realized that his older brother passed away, he quickly took control over the government’s treasury and declared himself as a new king.

The descendants of William the Conqueror today

Some genealogists believe that over 20 percent of Britons are one way or another related to William the Conqueror, as well as some Americans who have British roots.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

The first Tsar of Russia Ivan the Terrible, famous English playwright William Shakespeare, crime writer Agatha Christie, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry are all thought to be William the Conqueror’s descendants. But who are William the Conqueror descendants today?

Getty Images / Ideal Image

Firstly, the entire British royal family, including Princes William and Harry, are the obvious people in the line of his ancestry. But there are also some surprising names, including:

• George H. W. Bush;
• Tilda Swinton;
• Benedict Cumberbatch;
• Raquel Welch;
• Bill Gates;
• Sigourney Weaver;
• Alec Baldwin.

Getty Images / Ideal Image

A lot of people seem to come from his bloodline. Who knows, maybe the blood of the great Norman King is running in your veins as well!