Question

How might William of Normandy have been viewed differently by the people of France and the people of England?

Answer 1

William of Normandy was obviously a French conqueror, so his own people tended to see him more favorably than the English. He came to England, killed its ruler, and took the throne for himself (thus becoming William I), so the English may have seen him as a usurper and a tyrant, whereas the French saw him as a victorious hero. This all happened in 1066, at the Battle of Hastings.