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Maintaining royal power - Coggle Diagram
Maintaining royal power
Military strength
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He was a skilled military leader as well as a ruthless and brutal warrior shown in his crushing of the rebellions
One of the main things that Anglo-Saxons looked for in a king was their ruthlessness, skill and tactics in battle
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As well as using his military power in fighting, it helped his reputation as a king as well
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Other people had a greater right to the English throne than William so he had to prove that he was a legitimate ruler
Legitimate Successor
William's claim to the throne was a promise made by Edward the Confessor and was constantly challenged during his reign
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Another claim of his was that Harold had broken holy oaths to William and falsely claimed the throne
Royal Ceremonies
At William's coronation, he swore to preserve Edward the Confessor's laws, protect the church and rule with equal justice
He then received the crown and was anointed with sacred oil which confirmed that God had appointed him and that he was now the rightful king
William brought in a new custom of wearing the crown three times a year, at which point he would discuss the business of the realm with the Witan
These three events were at the most important times in the Christian calendar (over Easter and Christmas)
They were also held in important places in the kingdom (Winchester, Westminster and Gloucester)
He also wore his crown in the ruins of York on Christmas day 1069 after defeating Edgar the Atheling rebellion
Coinage and writs
William took control of the minting of coins, putting an image of himself on them, the same as his royal seal
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Normandy didn't have a system like writs but William found out how effective it was in maintaining royal power across the whole country
Journeys around England
In medieval England, very few people travelled far from their homes
To maintain his royal power, the king needed to be seen in each region otherwise the people would be very unwary of his presence
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Owning the land
The system of landownership that William used was very useful in maintaining and increasing his royal power
Everyone who held land was connected in a chain of tenants and tenants-in-chief directly to the king
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William constantly took land away from rebels and those that had died without heirs, granting it out again to followers, hearing complaints and making judgements
Oath-taking
Oaths were taken very seriously and William would hold oath-taking ceremonies to make people swear to him in loyalty
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The ceremony was held in Salisbury and every landholder of any kind of importance swore their loyalty to the king
This must have involved hundreds of men, maybe thousands