Biography of William the Conqueror

William was born in Falaise, France in 1028. His father was Robert, the sixth Duke of Normandy. His mother was called Herleva who was the daughter of a Tanner. William's father died in 1035 so he became Duke of Normandy at the age of seven. William was also the grandnephew of the English Queen, Emma of Normandy. William died at age 59 in Rouen, France on 9 September 1087. He had four sons and five daughters, and married Matilda of Flanders. It was found that Williams body would not fit in the stone sarcophagus because his body had bloated because of the warm weather and the time that had passed since his death. A group of bishops applied pressure on the king's abdomen to force the body downward but the abdominal wall burst and drenched the king's coffin, releasing gases into the church. William's grave is currently marked by a marble slab with a Latin message, the slab dates from the early 19th century. The grave was vandalized twice, once during the French Wars of Religion, when his bones were scattered across the town of Caen, and again during the French Revolution. Since those events have occurred, only his left femur, some skin particles and bone dust remain in the tomb.