Much is said of the Battle of Hastings when the Norman forces under Duke William defeated the English king Harold Godwinson. King Harold died at the battle, and thus the path was clear for William to take England.
It wasn’t that simple, however.
Following the news of Harold’s death, the remaining English nobles selected Edgar Atheling as their king. Edgar, who was the nephew of King Edward the Confessor who died in January of 1066 AD, was young when he became king.
The extent though of his rule was limited. A number of the Anglo-Saxon nobles had been killed at Hastings, and William’s army was free to roam across southern England without much resistance. What resistance he did receive was put down, especially at Southwark.
William crossed the Thames at Oxford and then moved towards the Chilterns.
Knowing that further resistance was futile, the remaining English Witan surrendered to William at Berkhamsted. The site of this was said to be where the current castle ruins are today.
Thus, Anglo-Saxon England ended not at Hastings, perhaps, but in Berkhamsted in early December 1066 AD.
With no apparent opposition to his rule, a coronation was arranged for Christmas Day 1066 AD at Westminster Abbey.
And despite uprisings, leading to the Harrowing of the North in 1069 AD, Norman rule persisted until 1154 AD, when King Stephen of Blois died following the Anarchy.