Duke of Normandy as the reign of William II (1035–87), the ruler of Normandy could style himself "prince and duke, count of Normandy" as if unsure what his title should be. The literal Latin equivalent of "Duke of Normandy", "dux Normanniae", was in use by 1066, but it did not supplant "dux Normannorum" until the Angevin period (1144–1204), at a time when Norman identity was fading. Richard I experimented with the title "marquis" ("marchio") as early as 966, when it was also used in a diploma of King Lothair. Richard II occasionally used it, but he seems to have preferred the title duke.
Hoël II, Duke of Brittany in the east and the House of Cornouaille in the west may have further strengthened Brittany at a time when external interference was attempted by William the Conqueror. After Hawise's death in 1072, Hoël acted as regent for his son, Alan IV, until the latter reached his majority in 1084. During his reign he faced several rebellions from Breton nobles. Geoffrey Grenonat of Rennes (a natural son of Duke Alan III of Brittany and thus a half-brother of Hawise) led a revolt and was joined by Ralph de Gael who had returned to Brittany from England after the failure of