In 1066, which ruler invaded England from Normandy and established a centralized monarchy?

• A. William the Conqueror
• B. Harold Godwinson
• C. William II
• D. Stephen of Blois

Answer: (A)

William the Conqueror is the ruler who invaded England from Normandy in 1066 and established a centralized monarchy. As the Duke of Normandy, he claimed the English throne, defeated Harold at Hastings, and brought Norman rule to England. He consolidated royal power by replacing many Anglo-Saxon nobles with Norman supporters, tying land and loyalty directly to the crown, and building a castle-centered administration that projected authority across the realm. This move toward a strong, centralized kingship is what set the Norman conquest apart. Harold Godwinson resisted and ruled for a time, but did not create the centralized system in the way William did, and the later rulers—William II and Stephen of Blois—came after and solidified what the conquest began.