So the Duke went to strategy number two, turning the matter into an international crusade. Couldn't the Pope see that his cause was just, that Harold was an infamous oath breaker, a despoiler of churches? William on the other hand was a builder of abbeys, a protector of bishops against bullying barons. It was completely absurd and it worked like a dream. The Pope was won over, gave William his Papal blessing and invested him with his ring and his banner. It was now much more than a dynastic feud. William used the consecration of his wife's abbey, here at La Trinite in Caen, to proclaim a crusade against the infidel Harold. And the barons who'd fought shy of risking their necks on the Duke's personal vendetta now flocked to join the legions of the blessed.


于是公爵决定用备选策略，将其发展成一次国际征讨。教皇又怎会看不出，他此举出于正义，哈罗德不过是一个声名狼藉的背信小人，一个教堂掠夺者呢？而威廉却是修道院的建造者，保护主教，对抗恃强凌弱的财主们。此举随荒谬之极，却轻而易举地得以实现。威廉赢得了教皇的心，得到了教皇的祝福，并被授予权戒和族旗。形势的发展已远远超过了王朝内斗。威廉利用在卡昂的拉特立尼达，他妻子修道院中的献祭，宣告对异教徒哈罗德的讨伐。之前因怕受牵连而不愿插手公爵私怨的男爵们，现在蜂拥加入了这个挟上帝之名的讨伐大军中。