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
On the Death of His Grace, the Duke of Albemarle On the Death of His Grace, the Duke of Albemarle On the Death of His Grace, the Duke of Albemarle is an English broadside ballad published in 1670, and is currently housed in the National Library of Scotland as well as the British Library. Online facsimiles of the ballad are also available for public consumption. Though current research has failed to unearth the author of this ballad, the historical significance of the piece is nevertheless notable. The ballad's subject is George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, who died of edema on 3 January 1670. After the death of Cromwell in