Historical Footnotes ~ William the Conquerer

As a youth he rose to prominence in Normandy, forced to chastise many of his own nobles. After that he warred with King Henry of France and the Lords of Maine and Anjou; later with King Philip of France. He invaded England and defeated the army of the English King Harold and spent half a decade quelling a variety of rebellions by the locals. He fought of several Viking invasions. After that things settled down

In the end he was a large man with many stomach ailments and while on campaign against the French King and his own son, he fell ill and after many months the Conqueror died. Sadly his son was not there to take the Duchy (where William was) and he remained in the entourage of the King of France. His other sons had moved to England to secure the crown which William had left in the "hands of God." So William was largely alone when he died, some Abbots, Prelates and his servants.

Panic seized the nobles and they fled hither and you to secure their own property and the servants looted William's body to cover whatever costs they incurred. There were none left to transport the King's body to Caen for burial until a young knight offered to pay for it out of his own pocket. Hureun transported his King's body by boat to Caen where he was laid to rest. But even then he did not know peace, for a penatant called upon the Abbot there to make good for his family who had owned the land where William was to be buried. After a quick consultation they paid the man and were at last able to tend the body.

But William's body had bloated and would not fit in the sarcophagus and  their attempts to make him fit only led to his bowels exploding.

Thus it was for one of the greater warrior monarchs in history.