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Dec 25, 1066
William the Conqueror
William's picture William the Conqueror, King of Normandy, invaded England in 1066. After many long battles, he defeated King Harold of England, becoming the new King of England. He was a very effective king, and was a great leader in battle. -
Period: Dec 25, 1066 to Sep 26, 1087
WIlliam's Reign
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Sep 26, 1087
William II (Rufus)
William II
Just before his death, William the Conqueror decided that young William Rufus would be the heir to the throne rather than his older brother Robert Curthouse. -
Period: Sep 26, 1087 to Aug 5, 1100
William II's Reign
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Aug 5, 1100
King Henry I
King Henry I
Following the freak death of his brother, William II Rufus, Henry used the fact that popular opinion was against his brother Robert Curthouse, and also that he was away, to gain the throne. Henry I was known as a good ruler. -
Period: Aug 5, 1100 to Dec 22, 1135
Henry I's Reign
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Dec 22, 1135
King Stephen
King Stephen
Stephen broke his oath of allegiance to his cousin Matilda, who was the daughter of Henry I, and seized the throne after Henry died in December of 1135. He was very unpopular as King, one of the most despised in English history. He had many civil wars with Matilda over his 20 or so years as king. -
Period: Dec 22, 1135 to Oct 25, 1154
Stephen's Reign
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Oct 25, 1154
King Henry II (Plantagenet)
King Henry II
Henry II, grandson of Henry I, was a very effective king. He was surrounded in controversy throughout parts of his reign. He fought for more authority over the church, which indirectly led to the death of his hand-picked Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett. -
Period: Oct 25, 1154 to Jul 6, 1189
Henry II's Reign
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Jul 6, 1189
King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted)
King Richard I
King Richard I was a fairly well-liked King. He was known for his bravery in battle, earning him the nickname, The Lion-Hearted. He spent much of his time, effort, and England's money, fighting crusades on the mainland. He fittingly died in battle. -
Period: Jul 6, 1189 to Apr 6, 1199
RIchard I's Reign
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Apr 6, 1199
King John
King John
King John was a very unliked King. The people were very unsatisfied with the way he ruled and the amount of money he wasted. He is very famous for signing the Magna Carta, which he was forced to sign in 1215, by his unhappy barons who wanted more power for themselves. -
Period: Apr 6, 1199 to Oct 19, 1216
John's Reign
