What happened during King William Rufus's reign?

Answer 1

William Rufus was crowned King William II in Westminster Abbey only two weeks after the death of his father, William the Conqueror.

Almost immediately, William was at war with his brother, Robert Curthose, which continued on and off until 1096, when Robert left Normandy to join the crusade and William took charge of Normandy.

William Rufus was not a popular king. He is described as red-haired, arrogant, intemperate and coarse. Openly gay and always in need of money, he quarrelled with the church about land, taxes and his dissolute lifestyle.

He was, however, an excellent soldier and very successfully consolidated his father's military successes in England. He fought several campaigns in Wales, extending Norman influence into the Marches, and did battle with the Scots.

He died on 2nd August 1100. He was killed by a stray arrow while hunting in the New Forest and his attendants, fearing recriminations, immediately fled from the scene leaving the king's body lying in the woods.

William's youngest brother Henry, who had been one of the hunting party, neither mourned nor buried his brother, but hastened to Winchester to take possession of the royal treasury and then carried on to London to have himself crowned King Henry I.

William Rufus's body, meanwhile, was conveyed to Winchester by farm cart and interred under the tower of Winchester cathedral without any pomp or ceremony.