William the Conqueror eldest son. William was the son of the unmarried Robert I, Duke of Normandy, by Robert's mistress Herleva. His illegitimate status and his youth caused some difficulties for him after he succeeded his father, as did the anarchy that plagued the first years of his rule. During his childhood and adolescence, members of the Norman aristocracy battled each other, both for control of the child duke and for their own ends. In 1047 William was able to quash a rebellion and begin to establish his authority over the duchy, a process that was not complete until about 1060. His marriage
Companions of William the Conqueror not to Harold's mother, who offered for the body of her beloved son its weight in gold." ""Hic Odo Eps (Episcopus) Baculu(m) Tenens Confortat Pueros."" ("Here Odo the Bishop holding a club strengthens the boys.") These five were agreed upon by both David C. Douglas and Geoffrey H. White and are from the "Complete Peerage XII-1," Appendix L. Since the time of these lists, J. F. A. Mason in the "English Historical Review" adds one additional name: Companions of William the Conqueror William the Conqueror had men of diverse standing and origins under his command at the Battle of Hastings