1066
Conquering the crown of England
I am in England. Normandy has perhaps never known such a period of peace and prosperity; however, I am here to save my honour. My cousin, King Edward, had carried me shoulder-high by designating me as his successor before his death; however, Harold, the Count of Wessex, who had sworn that he would see his will honoured, has taken the crown himself. I am not surprised. Of course I am disappointed by this new act of treachery, but I have unfortunately come to learn that treachery is a custom among powerful men.
I have consequently gathered an army to come and conquer England. Since Harold was guilty of betrayal, I obtained the blessing of Pope Alexander II who, having excommunicated the traitor, ensured me of his support by offering me Saint Peter's standard, together with a relic which I will wear round my neck until victory is ours.
In a little less than 6 months, a force of some 700 ships and 7,000 men including Normans, Bretons, Flemings, troops from Ile de France and even hitherto rebellious barons, has been reunited and prepared for sail in the late summer of the year 1066. I personally led this fleet onboard the Mora, my flagship offered by Matilda; however, we were delayed by violent winds that destroyed several of our vessels, costing the lives of many brave comrades-in-arms.
After reorganising our battle corps and repairing the damage sustained, we waited on the shores of Saint Valéry sur Somme for more favourable winds, finally to set foot on English soil on the morning of the 29th of September 1066.
As soon as we arrived, Harold's emissaries ordered us to immediately leave the island. I was tempted to decapitate him, however, I offered to have this dispute settled via the competent legal authorities or, in order to save the lives of thousands of men, to challenge him in single combat. His only reaction was to decline my offer and to let God's judgment prevail. ‘Here's to the two of us, Sir Harold!’