Photo of the Tower of London

Norman

Part two in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1050–1099

Turning points1066: The year of four kings

William the Conqueror was the second king of England to be crowned in 1066

The coronation of William of Normandy on Christmas Day in 1066

The Normans had a profound influence on Britain – so why do we not speak French?

A French manuscript from c1100 shows Viking warriors sailing to Brittany. The Viking Age touched all areas of life and can still be felt today

What if...The Vikings had never left their homelands?

The rebel who defied William the Conqueror

Illustration of Hereward the Wake, the rebel who rose against William the Conqueror

Hereward the Wake: the Anglo-Saxon rebel who became William the Conqueror's nemesis

Tostig Godwinson, brother of King Harold II of England, and King Harald Hardrada of Norway receive the submission of the city of York

Hastings, Stamford Bridge and Gate Fulford: three battles that lost England

Cnut's invasion of England: setting the scene for the Norman conquest

A portrait of Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England, by Michiel Sittow. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Medieval monarchy timeline: from the Norman Conquest to the Tudors

Matilda (circa 1031-1083) was Queen Consort of William the Conqueror. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)

Norman women: the power behind the thrones

Bodiam Castle. (Getty Images)

How to build a medieval castle: 9 top tips

Michael Lewis and David MusgroveWhat's missing from the Bayeux Tapestry?

Unravelling the Bayeux Tapestry HistoryExtra podcast series title card

Unravelling the Bayeux TapestryEpisode 5: What now?

The battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066. Had Harold survived it, William might have found his position untenable because of straightforward logistics, says historian Marc Morris

What if...William the Conquerer had lost at Hastings?

Dan Jones on 1,000 years of British history

A depiction of the Norman army, from the Bayeux Tapestry

Battle of Hastings quiz: how much do you know about the 1066 clash?

Unravelling the Bayeux Tapestry HistoryExtra podcast series title card

Unravelling the Bayeux TapestryEpisode 4: What's missing?

A section of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the battle of Hastings. Anglo-Saxon foot soldiers are seen defending themselves with a wall of shields against Norman cavalry. (Photo by Photo12/UIG via Getty Images)

What the Normans did for us

Unravelling the Bayeux Tapestry HistoryExtra podcast series title card

Unravelling the Bayeux TapestryEpisode 3: What story does the Tapestry tell?

Unravelling the Bayeux Tapestry HistoryExtra podcast series title card

Unravelling the Bayeux TapestryEpisode 2: How was the Tapestry created?

Unravelling the Bayeux Tapestry HistoryExtra podcast series title card

Unravelling the Bayeux TapestryEpisode 1: When, Where & Why

Edgar the Aetheling is notably missing from the Bayeux Tapestry

The lost figure of the Bayeux Tapestry: where is Edgar Ætheling?

A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman invasion of 1066. The tapestry was most likely embroidered by women in Norman England in a workshop setting using four embroidery stitches – stem stitch; split stitch; chain stitch; and laid work, sometimes called ‘Bayeux Stitch’, says Dr Alexandra Lester-Makin. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Bayeux Tapestry: what is it, why was it made and what story does it tell?

Norman cavalry on the charge in the Bayeux Tapestry. (Image by Bettmann/Getty Images)

Why the Nazis fell in love with the Bayeux Tapestry

Harold Godwinson is proclaimed king of England in the Bayeux Tapestry. It may have been commissioned by a Norman but this magnificent artwork repeatedly acknowledges the English leader’s piety and courage. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Why is Harold Godwinson a hero of the Bayeux Tapestry?

The shipwreck that sunk a royal dynasty

‘Inkhorn’ was the term for an inkwell made out of a small horn and became a nickname for the new words being created by playwrights and poets, such as William Shakespeare. (Photo by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

The evolution of the English language

Domesday Book: medieval big data

Extract from Domesday Book.

Your guide to the Domesday Book: the most important document in English history?

From the British Isles to Italy and Spain: how the Normans reshaped Europe