The Bastard's Sons

William the Conquerorís intellect is said to have remained clear right up to his death. He would have questioned whether any of his three sons individually had the ability to rule the troublesome amalgam of England, Normandy and Maine once he was gone. The Bastardís Sons is the story of those three men: Robert, William and Henry of Normandy.??Of Robert, the dying king is said to have claimed he was ëa proud and silly prodigalí, adding that ëthe country which is subject to his dominion will be truly wretchedí. Yet Robert became a great crusader. William got on better with his namesake, known to us as William Rufus for his florid looks. He was, like his father, of kingship material, and might have gained the throne of England on his fatherís nod, but, equally plausibly, orchestrated a coup. The youngest of the Bastardís sons, Henry, inherited money from his father, but not land. To placate Henry, the Conqueror is alleged to have told him that one day he would gain both England and Normandy.??The stage was set for an epic power struggle between the three men and their barons, who held lands on both sides of the Channel and were thus caught in a difficult position. A mysterious death in the forest, a crusading heroís return and the tenacity of an overlooked third son would all combine to see this issue settled once and for all.