William, the Duke of Normandy invaded England in the autumn of 1066 and defeated King Harold at the battle of Hastings. On Christmas Day, 1066, William was crowned King of England in Westminster abbey.
The Norman Conquest was in fact a French conquest and the imposition upon England of a ruling French aristocracy. In consequence, Norman-French of the conquerors replaced English as an authoritative language in England. English became a lower-class language.
The Norman Conquest destroyed England’s links with Scandinavia, bringing the country instead into close contact with the Continent, especially France and setting England firmly on the path of European civilization.
