William the Conqueror to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Although some of his supporters tried to dissuade him from undertaking the journey, Robert convened a council in January 1035 and had the assembled Norman magnates swear fealty to William as his heir before leaving for Jerusalem. He died in early July at Nicea, on his way back to Normandy. William faced several challenges on becoming duke, including his illegitimate birth and his youth: the evidence indicates that he was either seven or eight years old at the time. He enjoyed the support of his great-uncle, Archbishop Robert, as well as the king of
William the Conqueror (film) We then see a long sequence with William as a fugitive. Finally, as a young man, he persuades the King of France to lend him an army. He wins a crucial battle and becomes Duke. During the 1066 sections of the film, William tells a friend that it isn't the weather that is delaying him. And at the end, he gets a messenger from Norway. Presumably this tells him that Harold Hardrada is invading England, which will pull Harold Godwinson north and make the conquest much more likely to succeed. William the Conqueror (film) William the Conqueror () is a