William II of England

William II of England, known as William Rufus, was born in the year one thousand sixty and ascended to the throne on twenty-six September one thousand eighty-seven. As the third son of William the Conqueror, he ruled until his untimely death in one thousand one hundred. His reign extended over Normandy and he exerted considerable influence in Scotland, although his attempts to assert control in Wales were less successful.

William was a man of complex temperament, characterized by both bellicosity and flamboyance. He never married nor had children, which has led to speculation regarding his sexuality, fueled by contemporary accounts. His life came to a tragic end when he was struck by an arrow while hunting, and the circumstances surrounding his death have raised unproven suspicions of murder, particularly involving his younger brother, Henry I, who seized the treasury and crowned himself king immediately after.

Historian Frank Barlow describes William as a rumbustious soldier, lacking in social graces and conventional morality. Critics accused him of indulging in various vices, particularly lust. However, Barlow also acknowledges his capabilities as a wise ruler and victorious general. William maintained order and justice in England, restored peace in Normandy, and extended Anglo-Norman rule into Wales while firmly establishing his authority over Scotland and recovering Maine.