William the Conqueror France, Henry I, enabling him to succeed to his father's duchy. The support given to the exiled English princes in their attempt to return to England in 1036 shows that the new duke's guardians were attempting to continue his father's policies, but Archbishop Robert's death in March 1037 removed one of William's main supporters, and conditions in Normandy quickly descended into chaos. The anarchy in the duchy lasted until 1047, and control of the young duke was one of the priorities of those contending for power. At first, Alan of Brittany had custody of the duke, but when Alan died
William III of the Netherlands by the standards of his age. William III was known to be a philanderer and had several dozen illegitimate children from various mistresses. Through one of his out-of-wedlock children, William III was a maternal ancestor of kickboxer Alistair Overeem. William III of the Netherlands William III (Dutch: "Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk"; English: "William Alexander Paul Frederick Louis"; 19 February 1817 – 23 November 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1849 until his death in 1890. He was also the Duke of Limburg from 1849 until the abolition of the duchy in 1866. William