Editing William the Conqueror (section)

=== Troubles at home and abroad ===

Earl Ralph had secured control of the castle at [[Dol-de-Bretagne|Dol]], and in September 1076 William advanced into Brittany and laid siege to the castle. King Philip of France later relieved the siege and defeated William at the [[Battle of Dol (1076)|Battle of Dol]] in 1076, forcing him to retreat to Normandy. Although this was William's first defeat in battle, it did little to change things. An Angevin attack on Maine was defeated in late 1076 or 1077, with Count Fulk le Rechin wounded in the unsuccessful attack. More serious was the retirement of [[Simon de Crépy]], the [[Count of Amiens]], to a monastery. Before he became a monk, Simon handed his county of the [[Vexin]] over to King Philip. The Vexin was a buffer state between Normandy and the lands of the French king, and Simon had been a supporter of William.{{efn|Although Simon was a supporter of William, the Vexin was actually under the overlordship of King Philip, which is why Philip secured control of the county when Simon became a monk.<ref name=Bates183/>}} William was able to make peace with Philip in 1077 and secured a truce with Count Fulk in late 1077 or early 1078.<ref name=Bates183>Bates ''William the Conqueror'' pp. 183–184</ref>

In late 1077 or early 1078 trouble began between William and his eldest son, Robert. Although Orderic Vitalis describes it as starting with a quarrel between Robert and his younger brothers [[William II of England|William]] and [[Henry I of England|Henry]], including a story that the quarrel was started when William and Henry threw water at Robert, it is much more likely that Robert was feeling powerless. Orderic relates that he had previously demanded control of Maine and Normandy and had been rebuffed. The trouble in 1077 or 1078 resulted in Robert leaving Normandy accompanied by a band of young men, many of them the sons of William's supporters. Included among them were [[Robert of Belleme]], [[William de Breteuil]], and Roger, the son of Richard fitzGilbert. This band went to the castle at [[Remalard]], where they proceeded to raid into Normandy. The raiders were supported by many of William's continental enemies.<ref name=Bates185>Bates ''William the Conqueror'' pp. 185–186</ref> William immediately attacked the rebels and drove them from Remalard, but King Philip gave them the castle at [[Gerberoi]], where they were joined by new supporters. William then laid siege to Gerberoi in January 1079. After three weeks, the besieged forces [[sortie|sallied]] from the castle and took the besiegers by surprise. William was unhorsed by Robert and was only saved from death by an Englishman, [[Toki son of Wigod]], who was himself killed.<ref>Douglas and Greenaway, p. 158</ref> William's forces were forced to lift the siege, and the king returned to Rouen. By 12 April 1080, William and Robert had reached an accommodation, with William once more affirming that Robert would receive Normandy when he died.<ref name=Douglas238>Douglas ''William the Conqueror'' pp. 238–239</ref>

[[File:Williams dominions 1087.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Map showing William's lands in 1087 (light pink)]]

Word of William's defeat at Gerberoi stirred up difficulties in northern England. In August and September 1079 King Malcolm of Scots raided south of the [[River Tweed]], devastating the land between the River Tees and the Tweed in a raid that lasted almost a month. The lack of Norman response appears to have caused the Northumbrians to grow restive, and in the spring of 1080 they rebelled against the rule of [[Walcher]], the [[Bishop of Durham]] and Earl of Northumbria. Walcher was killed on 14 May 1080, and the king dispatched his half-brother Odo to deal with the rebellion.<ref name=Douglas240/> William departed Normandy in July 1080,<ref name=Bates188>Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 188</ref> and in the autumn his son Robert was sent on a campaign against the Scots. Robert raided into Lothian and forced Malcolm to agree to terms, building the 'new castle' at [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] while returning to England.<ref name=Douglas240>Douglas ''William the Conqueror'' pp. 240–241</ref> The king was at Gloucester for Christmas 1080 and at Winchester for Whitsun in 1081, ceremonially wearing his crown on both occasions. A papal embassy arrived in England during this period, asking that William do fealty for England to the papacy, a request that he rejected.<ref name=Bates188/> William also visited Wales in 1081, although the English and the Welsh sources differ on the purpose of the visit. The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' states that it was a military campaign, but Welsh sources record it as a pilgrimage to [[St Davids]] in honour of [[Saint David]]. William's biographer David Bates argues that the former explanation is more likely: the balance of power had recently shifted in Wales and William would have wished to take advantage of this to extend Norman power. By the end of 1081, William was back on the continent, dealing with disturbances in Maine. Although he led an expedition into Maine, the result was instead a negotiated settlement arranged by a papal legate.<ref name=Bates189>Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 189</ref>