The Normans lived in the North of France, but they also came from a different part: from the north of Europe, close to the Viking territory. After arriving in France, they adopted the old French language and formed a nation of their own.

There was a Norman duke in the 11th century called William "the Conqueror". He was the cousin of King Edward of England. Edward promised to give William the throne of England when he died, but instead he gave it to Harold. William was very angry and said that he wanted to be king of England. Even the Pope said that William was right. But Harold was the king of the different Anglo-Saxon territories that formed England, and he didn't want to move.

Then William decided to prepare a massive invasion of the island: soldiers, archers, even  horses, and on 28 september 1066 the enormous Norman fleet started its journey across the English Channel. William chose the right moment for the invasion, because king Harold had very serious problems at home!!

King Harold of England knew that William was coming, and his army was waiting for him in Sussex to start the battle, but then he had to run to Yorkshire, in the north, because Harald Hardrada, king of the Vikings, had invaded his lands. At the same time the Normans landed in the south, at Pevensey (Sussex). Double trouble!! Then King Harold finished in the north ( killing his rebel brother Tostig ) and rushed with his army to the south again to meet William and the Norman army at Hastings. 

The Anglo-Saxon and Norman armies were almost the same in number (about 7000 men on each side) but the Normans had horses and the Anglo-Saxons only had infantry with swords, spears and axes. Besides, the Normans were fresh but the Anglo-Saxons were very tired because they were coming from another battle against the Vikings. 

14 October 1066: Harold's army occupied a hill about 10 Km NW of the village of Hastings. Then the Normans attacked throwing arrows. The Anglo-Saxons joined their shields and repelled the arrows. Then the Normans attacked with their horses, but the Norman cavalry was repelled by the axes of the Anglo-Saxons. At that point, a part of the Normans started to run away, and the Anglo-Saxons ran after them. Harold knew it was a trap!! he ordered his men to stay, but they didn't obey. The Anglo-Saxons fell into the trap and many of them were killed by the Normans. The end of the battle came when king Harold was killed: an arrow hit him in his eye, and the few Anglo-Saxons who were still alive ran away, too weak to fight.

The Normans had won, and now it would be very easy for them to conquer the rest of England, and even southern Scotland. It was the beginning of a new era for Great Britain. On 25 december 1066, William was crowned in London as William I, king of England.