The Battle of Hastings and William’s Norman settlement which followed it were one of the great watersheds in English history. It was a period of revolutionary change but also some striking continuity with the Anglo-Saxon society and culture it was replacing. The reigns of his sons William Rufus and Henry I were to build on William’s legacy to create a powerful Anglo-Norman kingdom of England. Dispute over the succession of Henry’s daughter Matilda as Queen of England was to plunge England into a Civil War and threaten this kingdom. The course will follow the careers of three quite remarkable rulers and assess their achievements.