William II (Rufus)
William II ruled England from 1087 to 1100 and was killed by an arrow in the New Forest. Born around 1056, he was the third son of William the Conqueror, who divided his inheritance on his deathbed: Normandy to the eldest son Robert, England to William, and money to Henry. He was called Rufus, from red — either his complexion or his hair. He faced immediate rebellion in 1088 from barons who held land on both sides of the Channel and wanted a single ruler, led by his uncle Odo of Bayeux. He put it down by promising the English better laws and lower taxes, and then did not deliver. He fought his brother Robert for years, and in 1096 lent him ten thousand marks against a mortgage on Normandy so that Robert could go on crusade, which gave William the duchy in practice. He campaigned successfully in Wales, Scotland — where he installed a client king and secured Cumberland — and Maine. He was chronically short of money and raised it aggressively, above all from the church. He kept bishoprics and abbeys vacant for years and took their revenues; Canterbury stood empty for four years. His minister Ranulf Flambard organised the extraction and was hated for it. He appointed Anselm to Canterbury in 1093 while he thought he was dying, recovered, and quarrelled with him so thoroughly that Anselm went into exile. The chroniclers, who were monks, portray him as irreligious, extravagant and surrounded by long-haired favourites. He was shot dead hunting on 2 August 1100. Whether it was accident or murder has never been settled.
- Lived: 1060 CE – 1100 CE
- Nationality: English
- Roles: king, head_of_state
