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# Royal Power in England ## Guiding Question How was the king's power strengthened and then limited in medieval England? ### William the Conqueror In 1066, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England died without an heir. A noble named Harold Godwinson claimed the throne. In France, William, Duke of N...

# Royal Power in England ## Guiding Question How was the king's power strengthened and then limited in medieval England? ### William the Conqueror In 1066, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England died without an heir. A noble named Harold Godwinson claimed the throne. In France, William, Duke of Normandy, claimed that he, not Harold, was the rightful king. In the fall of 1066, William landed in England with an army of Norman knights and defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings. William was crowned king and became known as William the Conqueror. At first, the Anglo-Saxons resisted William's rule. To stop the revolts, William seized the land of Anglo-Saxon nobles and divided it among his Norman knights. William wanted to learn about his new kingdom. He conducted a census of people and property, which was recorded in the Domesday Book. The Normans kept many Anglo-Saxon laws and practices, but also introduced customs from mainland Europe. Officials and nobles in England spoke French (the language of Normandy), and new castles, cathedrals, and monasteries were built in the Norman style. ## Henry II After William's death, English kings further strengthened their power. From 1154 to 1189, King Henry II ruled England, most of Wales, and parts of Ireland. He was also a feudal lord in France and Scotland. Some of the French lands belonged to his wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Henry II set up a central royal court with lawyers and judges. Circuit judges traveled across the country to hear cases, bringing the king's law to all parts of England.