Person

William II of England

c. 1056–1100 · 11th century · Also known as William Rufus

William II, called Rufus, was the third son of William the Conqueror and king of England from 1087. He put down rebellions by barons who favoured his elder brother Robert Curthose, and in 1096 took Normandy in pledge from Robert, who was leaving on the First Crusade. He was killed by an arrow while hunting in the New Forest in 1100 and was succeeded by his brother Henry I.

William II of England
Image: Matthew Paris · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Duchy of NormandyDecline

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). William II of England. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-england
MLA
“William II of England.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-england. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “William II of England.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-england.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘William II of England’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-england (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻