Hello and welcome to the history of England Episode 25, the death of a conqueror.

Last time, William had just seen after last the major English rebellions that he had to

face.

Not that he wasn't to have ten more years of dashing around keeping his kingdom together

you understand, but one category of trouble had now been closed down.

Just for another one to then open up.

Because William was going to have family problems.

William seems to have been reasonably family-minded.

He had nine children, for example, and seemed pretty keen on Matilda's wife.

He had five daughters, one of whom, Adela, will see again as the wife of Stephen of Bloire.

He had four sons, one of whom Richard died before him, leaving him with three boys.

Robert, probably born in about ten fifty-four.

William, born in ten fifty-six.

And then Henry, born rather later in ten sixty-eight.

We're going to be living in the company of these guys for the next fifty years or so.

So the eldest son was called Robert Kurtos.

Most people suggest he's called Kurtos because he wore short socks.

Logically enough, I suppose.

Oh, I don't know the clothes of people wore back then well enough.

To imagine a Norman Knight with a pair of short socks.

But I did see one interpretation that Kurtos meant that he was short and squat himself,

which of course would also give him short socks, so that seems to make sense.

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