the land of Normandy was his by inheritance, and he possessed the earldom of Maine, and had he lived two years longer, he would have subdued Ireland by his prowess, and that without a battle.
This King William was a very wise and great man, and more honored and more powerful than any of his predecessors. His death was followed by a civil war between his sons over his inheritance, which was not finally resolved until Henry I’s reunification of Normandy and England in 1106. This struggle of testimony to the solidity of William’s achievements, since his sons were basically fightinig to continue them. Almost every aspect of the Norman Conquest is controversial. But there can be no doubt that it was William’s formidable abilities which laid the foundations for its success.