William the Conqueror
1028 – 1087
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William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England from 1066, is the summit of this family's Norman descent, reached through his son Henry the First and Henry's acknowledged natural son Robert of Gloucester. He was himself born illegitimate and was called William the Bastard in his own lifetime, which has never made his descendants doubtful. He married Matilda of Flanders, and it is through her that the deeper crowns, Alfred the Great and Charlemagne, stand behind him.
Research notes
✓ DOCUMENTED (Entered 23 Jul 2026 under the relaxed rule (standard, undisputed peerage/royal account; provenance so noted).): **WILLIAM I, THE CONQUEROR, KING OF ENGLAND** (1066-1087), Duke of Normandy - himself born outside marriage, the son of Duke Robert I by Herleva of Falaise (the ducal house of Normandy above him to Rollo = note-only, extendable). THE SUMMIT OF THE WIRED TREE: reached not by the Vere legend nor even the Clare magnates alone, but through his youngest son's acknowledged son Robert of Gloucester - a descent of blood, not of succession, plainly recorded, and the crown nonetheless. Direct ancestor. Added 23 Jul 2026.