Background
His mother, Adela of Flanders, had previously been queen of Denmark, and he was a half-brother of Charles the Good. He succeeded his father as duke in 1111, though Adela served as regent until William was of age.
His mother, Adela of Flanders, had previously been queen of Denmark, and he was a half-brother of Charles the Good. He succeeded his father as duke in 1111, though Adela served as regent until William was of age.
He was the son and successor of Roger Borsa. Like father, like son: he proved utterly inept at governing his Italian possessions. William and Roger came to an agreement, whereby Roger provided knights to help William quash a revolt of the minor baron Jordan of Ariano, and in exchange, William abandoned his Sicilian and Calabrian lands.
In 1114, William married a daughter of Count Robert of Carazzo, but they had no children.
Generally considered an insignificant ruler by modern historians, William was respected by his contemporaries, popular with his barons and subjects, and praised for his martial prowess.