Stephen, King of England succession. Stephen's new Anglo-Norman kingdom had been shaped by the Norman conquest of England in 1066, followed by the Norman expansion into south Wales over the coming years. Both the kingdom and duchy were dominated by a small number of major barons who owned lands on both sides of the English Channel, with the lesser barons beneath them usually having more localised holdings. The extent to which lands and positions should be passed down through hereditary right or by the gift of the king was still uncertain, and tensions concerning this issue had grown during the reign of Henry I.
Kingdom of England Bede). The name "Engla land" became "England" by haplology during the Middle English period ("Engle-land", "Engelond"). The Latin name was "Anglia" or "Anglorum terra", the Old French and Anglo-Norman one "Angleterre". By the 14th century, "England" was also used in reference to the entire island of Great Britain. The standard title for monarchs from Æthelstan until John was ' ("King of the English"). Canute the Great, a Dane, was the first to call himself "King of England". In the Norman period ' remained standard, with occasional use of ' ("King of England"). From John's reign onwards all other titles were