It was on the bloody battlefield of Hastings in 1066 that William, Duke of Normandy, defeated and killed the gallant but battle-weary Harold II of England. From that day on, England would never be the same: uprisings in the north were mercilessly crushed and a new ruling class of Norman barons was gradually established. This programme paints a unique portrait of a man who was at once a great warrior and a ruthless poliotician and statesman. Architect of the Domesday book and builder of countless beautiful churches and castles, William the Conqueror's reign truly shaped the future of the nation.