King William II of England, the Life & Death of this Medieval Monarch.

Explore the life and death of one of Englands most hated & maligned monarchs. Is his reputation justified. Also explore his burial site in Winchester cathedral and the supposed place of his death in the New Forest.
#History #Documentary #England #monarchy

[@jackreacher5667]

William Rufus is not a popular subject in history, and is often overlooked in favour of his Father or Brother Henry. I have noticed this trend with other kings and queens of our nations history ,so its refreshing to see the subject being tackled in a competent manner. William was a man of his time, quite possibly Homosexual (in essence more then likely) who was the son of the man who conquered Saxon England and replaced it with Norman France, his hold on the throne was at times tenuous and resented by many (French and English) and he clashed with the two main power blocks other then the throne, (Church and Nobility). I think he lived on the edge also knowing he had two other brothers who may replace him at the drop of a hat. I enjoyed it, so well done. Early Kings are hard to document as there are so few sources. Again well done.

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks Jack, yes I totally agree with you, one thing I noticed in researching this period (and the next couple of hundred years) was that the monarch’s were in a constant battle consolidating their power, in so doing they spent their reign constantly on the move never settling in one place for long (no more than a few days in King John’s case). Anyway, I am very glad you found it interesting 👍🙏

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Only takes a few hundred years to produce beauty like Winchester Cathedral. Gorgeous space and acoustics. Those masons certainly knew their jobs.

[@historyslifestories373]

Totally agree, incredible given their tools compared with what is available today. I don’t know about you but I find when I walk around these cathedrals or castles you can almost taste the history.

[@honorladone8682]

They don't build them like that anymore.

[@patriciajrs46]

No they don't build like that anymore. It's partially due to the fact that planned obsolescence is the bill of the day. Back then they built with the greatest math, science and energy, to create structures that would last.

[@Mr0rris0]

I don't really like it that much.. Looks big. It looks like an effort all the way around. I'm tired and need rest just thinking about walking around or through or in the thing. If I could float it would be another matter.. then it's an oyster due for an inspection like a drone but better.

[@pjschroder8533]

Excellent. The in depth history is wonderful. Thank you… (please do more)!

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks, I am working on the next one at the moment, it’s a long old process though. 🙏👍

[@NinjaGrrrl7734]

@@historyslifestories373 as long as you can post regularly, even if it's monthly, you will develop a much larger audience. You definitely have what it takes. Incredible research, well delivered. And one day soon, when you're all famous and stuff, I'll say, we told you so! You got mad skillz.

[@historyslifestories373]

@@NinjaGrrrl7734 Hi, it takes about a month to do one, next one is almost ready hopefully weekend ish👍

[@deedeedodo8092]

This is so interesting and informative, thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative, exactly the right pace. Spot on all round.👍 I've subscribed to your channel and look forward to the next history bite. Your channel deserves to do well and you'll soon be having the annoying adverts all through it 🤣

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks Dee, ha ha yes hear’s to adverts eh?🙏

[@deedeedodo8092]

@@historyslifestories373 🤣😉😂

[@steveosullivan5262]

I miss the old queen. Now she is part of history. God rest her soul. What history England has. Such a well told story.

[@historyslifestories373]

Yes, end of an era, many thanks 👍🙏

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I can remember my dad walking me to The Rufus Stone, when I was about four. Telling me this story, from the point of view of my fictitious Great Uncle Nebuchadnezzar. Thanks for that love of history Pops.

[@markbeard9194]

Yes, a very interesting spot. Many thanks 🙏

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I wish dad had written the stories of Great Uncle down. He was a timetraveller as well.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Love The Regia b roll!

[@terryhoath1983]

My experience of the food at the nearby, "Sir Walter Tyrrell" is that it is best avoided.

[@MichelleBruce-lo4oc]

Hi, awesome live history video. I enjoyed it. Your history videos are always enjoyable. Next video could you do the life of Henry the Eighth the Tudor king. I have some other history ideas to give to you in the future. Have a great day see you next video greetings from Canada 😊

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi Michelle in sunny Canada (I hope), many thanks for your kind words and suggestion, definitely something to ponder on. Please feel free to share any ideas you may have 👍🙏

[@noreenclark2568]

I enjoyed the history on William Rufus, knew very little about him .

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks Noreen, an interesting character 🙏

[@JMV1110]

That was brilliant, thankyou. I do enjoy your video's.

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks and very much appreciated. 👍🙏

[@neilbuckley1613]

Henry I defeated his older brother, Robert at the battle of Tinchbrai in 1106 captured him and conquered Normandy. Robert was imprisoned in England and Wales for the rest of his long life [he died in 1134, when in his eighties ] and is buried in Gloucester Cathedral.

[@ronb7189]

Can you imagine being one of the leaders of that crazy 1st crusade, an expedition that on so many occasions should have failed and brought the soldiers to the brink of collapse, yet somehow against all odds succeeded, only to be captured and imprisoned later on by a your brother and his heirs for the next 3 decades or so.

[@daphnefoster1165]

I throughly enjoyed this video. This is of History's Life Story's I have seen, but it won't be the last. Thank you.

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks Daphne, hope you like the next one 👍🙏

[@Trajan32]

Great video. Its been too long since I read over this era, so this was a nice video to catchup. Looking forward to more quality videos like this.

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks Robert, much appreciated 👍🙏

[@aloknarain723]

Wonderfully well researched and very well narrated with relevant pictures . I've liked and subscribed to your channel only hoping to watch your equally well researched videos on mediaeval English and European history. Thank you .

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks for that Alok, glad you liked them 👍🙏

[@brucelee-wo5ge]

An informative and interesting report. One question.....when you say that King William had the backing of the "army".......to what "army" do you refer? His feudal supporters?

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi glad you found it interesting. Basically yes, the feudal army very much decentralised, the nobles would provide the men when a call to arms was made.

[@alderneydetect3232]

An interesting programme Thank you. Winchester of most of the cathedrals in the UK is my personal favourite - for me it has an intriguing atmosphere within its walls. Though many other cathedrals could be described as a lot more ornate externally......

[@historyslifestories373]

Yes Winchester ooze’s atmosphere, I find they all have something unique about them 👍🙏

[@johnkeane1419]

Suberb work. W2 remains the most mysterious monarch, by some margin.

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi John, yes I agree, I guess he goes under the radar somewhat, people tend to concentrate on his father. 👍🙏

[@NinjaGrrrl7734]

Subscribed - more, please!

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi Ninja, just putting the finishing touches to my latest one - hopefully you will like it, take care. Mark.

[@patriciajrs46]

It's beautiful that the masons, and other architects created such beautiful buildings that last even today. Now that's construction! Why is it that sometimes the most hated were quite good monarchs? Kind of weird, I'd say.

[@historyslifestories373]

Quite agree Patricia, I was in Worcester Cathedral the other day, incredible place, you can taste the history 👍🙏

[@claribelyoung7586]

Prof. Claribel Young . I would like to know the dates of his reign and a description of the clothing of the period. I enjoyed the lecture.

[@historyslifestories373]

Thanks for watching Claribel, reign was 26/09/1087 - 02/08/1100, cloths worn were mainly wool based (long or short tunics), linen usually for undergarments. Hope that helped 🙏

[@juanzulu1318]

So many Matildas in English Monarch families. Wasnt Stephen of Blois also married to a Matilda. And wasnt the mother of Henry II a Matilda as well?

[@historyslifestories373]

Yes, they were both named Matilda, it was a very regal name, this video King Stephen and The Anarchy, English Medieval King and Civil War, Matilda kzbin.info/www/bejne/invZgaiLpKZgiNk Goes into great detail on both of them. 👍🙏

[@davedraycott5779]

Battle of Alnwick, Alnwick is not pronounced as written, it is pronounced Anick. Enjoyed the video.

[@historyslifestories373]

Thanks for that, glad you enjoyed it 👍🙏

[@joanhuffman2166]

William Rufus, oppressive forest law.

[@historyslifestories373]

Yes, the crown owned the forest and all game within it, anybody else caught hunting was for a very nasty end🤔

[@honorladone8682]

They don't build them like that anymore!!! Philadelphia USA

[@THINKincessantly]

Any idea what this ruined 4:14 castle is?

[@historyslifestories373]

Yes, it’s Donnington Castle in Berkshire. Wonderful place 👍

[@v.britton4445]

The rosary was started as a tradition in the 1220's .

[@philparrish8892]

Very interesting. However, I feel King John and James II were far worse as Kings than William II.

[@historyslifestories373]

I think I have to agree with you, especially James II. 🙏👍

[@juanzulu1318]

Do we know why Odo supported Robert instead of William?

[@DerekGM6]

Interesting but the music was too loud relative to your commentary and I had to give up, I could not easily hear what you were saying.

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi Derek, yes I will be toning it down for the next one, trying to find a happy medium.

[@Demun1649]

I love stories that involve the deaths of all monarchies, from this Willy3 right upto the destruction of the Bourbons, (the best event ever to take place in Europe. 14th July 1789 was conducted better than the failure of the Parlimentarians on the 30th January 1649.

[@Trebor74]

From what I remember Walter Tyrell shot William rufus,and is accused of killing the prince's in the tower. He got around a bit,apparently ,😊

[@historyslifestories373]

Ha ha, you never know……….

[@patstocker3658]

@@historyslifestories373 yes, he got around from 12c to 15c. William died in 1093 and princes in 1485

[@paulspice4717]

Don't keep showing the same video clips over and over. Play each one longer if you don't have enough

[@jamellfoster6029]

Well he never dated nor married ladies & dressed flamboyantly thus many assumed he was gay. But in his defense, William Rufus, was an able administrator.

[@direfranchement]

Horrible how he was treated.

[@historyslifestories373]

There was certainly no dignity in how he was treated after he died.

[@KeefsCattys]

He had a distrust of the church and appeared to be an atheist... All power to William, he seemed like a great guy .

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi Crowblack, I guess that’s one of the reasons why the church hated him👍

[@hobartw9770]

They are the interesting ones though.

[@wellston2826]

Aww... Why did you have to start out that way. Every time I see Winchester Cathederal, for some reason or other it brings me down.

[@historyslifestories373]

😂😂 I can’t get that tune out of my head now👍

[@wellston2826]

@@historyslifestories373 I'm so glad (and a little surprised) that you got the reference. Thank-you for your reply. Oh, solid history, by the way. Nice work.

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks for that 👍🙏

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks for that 👍🙏

[@silvergalaxie]

Hadda stop. Music is annoying

[@historyslifestories373]

Sorry Rick, I will lower a lot for the next one.

[@tderouen5779]

Wow

[@historyslifestories373]

Many thanks 👍🙏

[@gilliangallagher1918]

Illustrations of William completely wrong and misleading!!

[@historyslifestories373]

How so? The pictures I used are in the public domain and in some cases were produced many years after Rufus died. The only way to have any idea as to what he looked like is to go by the descriptions of contemporaries and chronicler’s who were around at the time, which I did in the video, the pictures are purely for illustration only.

[@seymourskinner2533]

Little fast and loose with the visuals.🙄

[@historyslifestories373]

Yes, I shall tone it down a little for the next one.

[@crottycattlecompany]

Game of Thrones no doubt

[@Demun1649]

Funny how the Palace of Westminster was built to impress his subjects. How did that happen when serfs could not leave their villages without the permission of the local "lord"?

[@inagrove1299]

Serfs were considered property by the ruling classes. He wanted to impress his power/wealth onto his nobles

[@Demun1649]

@@inagrove1299 OK, half an answer. IF you read the history of Willie 2 the palace was built to subjugate and impress into fear his SUBJECTS. That includes the so-called nobles and the serfs, particularly the Anglo-Saxons. So, again I ask, how is any impressing being done if the serfs cannot go and ee it?

[@inagrove1299]

@@Demun1649 essentially the same answer….did not care about the serfs, his nobles were responsible for their subjugation

[@jonathanjeffreys3007]

Your research is sketchy and inadequate, as far as I am concerned. Most of the "knights" pictured in the video are anachronistic, and belong to a much later period. You make no mention whatever of the persistent rumour that William Rufus, being a red-haired man, was killed as part of a ritual sacrifice - red-heads being particularly prized as rarities, particularly if they were appointed by God, as kings were assumed to be at the time. Even as late as the Norman period, old pagan ideals could well have survived. If this was the case, as some maintain, then Tyrrell was merely the appointed ritual slayer, and would have been protected by influential authorities. Also, you do not mention that the Rufus Stone, according to local legend, (which I read about in the sixties when I used to visit my parents near Minstead) was not the site where William's body was found, In fact, tradition has it that he was killed some distance away, in the Puckpits enclosure, not far from where my parents' house was situated.

[@historyslifestories373]

I accept that the knights do no represent the correct period, I have taken that on board for the next one so thanks for that. The point about the red hair - not in any of the chronicles I have read, in fact William of Marmsbury (among others) stated that his red hair had grown out when he had reached adulthood, I did state this. I also stated that the actual site of his death is not certain, some say it was several miles away near Beaulieu Abbey, in fact it could have been anywhere in the forest it was so long ago it’s impossible to know for certain, thanks for watching anyway.

[@kweejibodali3078]

You are proposing that William the Conqueror s son was proposed to be part of a ritual sacrifice ? Even if people were doing things like that, a Norman prince and future king ? ( i have followed the histories of William I family since his Viking ancestor Rollo ) What fairy tale ...! But you are criticizing other histories

[@patstocker3658]

Good. BUT the armour shown was not of the 12c. They did not have plate armour, bur rather chain armour, and certainly not helms with plumes atop them. Just wished clip was as good as the narrative.

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi Pat, yes I have taken that on board, it’s very difficult finding battle scenes from that period, it’s all Romans, Vikings or a few hundred years later. I will use different methods for battle scenes if I can’t locate those for the proper period. Many thanks 🙏

[@katarinalove8649]

Eurocentric

[@historyslifestories373]

A the moment but definitely not in the longer term👍

[@smythharris2635]

So what? Start you're own channel.

[@princerupert6161]

Gay icon! 👍😋

[@goonerboz6023]

Is that donnington 🏰 in some of the scene's

[@historyslifestories373]

Hi, Donnington Castle is in there somewhere 😊