William II of England - Early Years

Early Years

William's exact date of birth is unknown, but it was sometime between the years 1056 and 1060. He was the third of four sons, with the eldest being Robert Curthose, the second Richard, and the youngest Henry. William succeeded to the throne of England on his father's death, but Robert inherited Normandy. Richard died around 1075 while hunting in the New Forest. There were also five or six sisters, with the existence of Adeliza and Matilda not being absolutely certain. The other four sisters are more securely attested and were Adela who married the count of Blois, Cecily who became a nun, Agatha who died before marriage, and Constance who married the duke of Brittany.

Relations between the three brothers had never been good. Orderic Vitalis relates an incident that took place at L'Aigle, in 1077 or 1078: William and Henry, having grown bored with casting dice, decided to make mischief by emptying a chamber pot onto their brother Robert from an upper gallery, thus infuriating and shaming him. A brawl broke out, and their father was forced to intercede to restore order.

According to William of Malmesbury, William Rufus was "well set; his complexion florid, his hair yellow; of open countenance; different coloured eyes, varying with certain glittering specks; of astonishing strength, though not very tall, and his belly rather projecting."