William the Conqueror's intellect is said to have remained clear right up to his death. But he was increasingly anxious about the ability of his sons to rule once he was gone. The Bastard's Sons is the story of those three men: Robert, William `Longsword' and Henry of Normandy. Of Robert, the dying king is said to have claimed he was `a proud and silly prodigal', adding `the country which is subject to his dominion will be truly wretched'. Yet Robert became a great crusader. William got on better with his namesake, known as William `Longsword' (not Rufus, as he is known today). He was, like his father, of kingship material, and might have gained the throne of England on his father's nod, but more probably orchestrated a coup. The youngest of the Bastard's sons, Henry, gained money from his father's will, but not land. To placate him, the Conqueror is alleged to have told Henry that one day he would gain both England and Normandy. So relations between the brothers teetered on a knife-edge and their barons, with lands on both sides of the Channel, were caught in a power struggle. When 'Longsword' died in suspicious circumstances in 1100, Robert's return as a hero from crusade might have seen the realm re-united, but Henry interposed and had himself crowned king of England. The issue was finally settled at the epochal Battle of Tinchebrai (1107).
