| Notes |
- From Encyclopedia Britannica Online, article titled "William II:"
"byname WILLIAM RUFUS, French GUILLAUME LE ROUX, son of William I theConqueror and king of England from 1087 to 1100; he was also de factoduke of Normandy (as William III) from 1096 to 1100. He prevented thedissolution of political ties between England and Normandy, but hisstrong-armed rule earned him a reputation as a brutal, corrupt tyrant.Rufus ("the Red"--so named for his ruddy complexion) was William'sthird (second surviving) and favourite son. In accordance with feudalcustom, William I bequeathed his inheritance, the Duchy of Normandy,to his eldest son, Robert II Curthose; England, William's kingdom byconquest, was given to Rufus.
"Nevertheless, many Norman barons in England wanted England andNormandy to remain under one ruler, and shortly after Rufus succeededto the throne, they conspired to overthrow him in favour of Robert.Led by the Conqueror's half brother, Odo of Bayeux, Earl of Kent, theyraised rebellions in eastern England in 1088. Rufus immediately wonthe native English to his side by pledging to cut taxes and instituteefficient government. The insurgency was suppressed, but the kingfailed to keep his promises. Consequently, a second baronial revolt,led by Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland, broke out in 1095.This time William punished the ringleaders with such brutality that nobarons dared to challenge his authority thereafter. His attempts toundermine the authority of the English church provoked resistance fromSt. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, who, defeated, left the countryfor Rome in 1097; Rufus immediately seized the lands of Canterbury.
"Meanwhile, Rufus was engaged in military operations in Scotland,Wales, and particularly in Normandy. In 1091 he compelled King MalcolmIII of Scotland to acknowledge his overlordship. Malcolm revolted inNovember 1093, but Rufus' forces quickly killed him near Alnwick,Northumberland. Thereafter, Rufus maintained the Scottish kings asvassals, and in 1097 he subjugated Wales.
"William Rufus' chief interest, however, lay in the recovery ofNormandy from the incompetent Robert. After waging war on Normandy forseven years (1089-96), Rufus reduced his brother to the role of asubordinate ally. When Robert left for a crusade in 1096, he mortgagedhis kingdom to Rufus, who quickly added Maine to his possessions. In1100 Rufus was shot in the back with an arrow and killed while huntingin the New Forest in Hampshire. The incident was probably anassassination, and Rufus' alleged slayer, Walter Tirel, lord of Poixin Ponthieu, may have been acting under orders from the king's youngerbrother, Henry. Henry promptly seized the English throne as King HenryI. "
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1060 - 1100 (44 years)
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King William "The Conqueror" (née I), b. 1028, Falaise, Normandy, France 
English
Abt 836 - 868 (32 years)