William had sworn that should God give him the victory he would build a great abbey of thanksgiving, exact spot where Harold had planted his flag, and here it is - a statement, if ever there was one, of pious jubilation. But William had to make sure he'd won not just a single battle but the war for England. This was done in the time-honoured way, cutting a swathe of fire, rape and plunder through the countryside of south-east England. One by one the Anglo-Saxon cities folded. William was crowned at Westminster on Christmas Day 1066. But the event was more like a shambles than a triumph.


威廉曾起誓，如果上帝赐予他胜利，他将在哈罗德竖旗的地方，建造一个大教堂。以表达他的感恩，地点就在我身后。要说的话，这更像是一次虔诚的欢庆举动，但是威廉必须确定他赢下的不单是一场战役，而是整个英格兰，他遵循古老的传统。黑斯廷斯，坎特伯雷，吉尔福德，米齐德夫，多尔切斯特，赫特福德，伦敦，走遍英格兰东南的各个村庄，烧杀掠夺，奸淫掳掠。盎格鲁撒克逊人的城市一个接一个被攻陷。1066年圣诞节，威廉在威斯敏斯特加冕，但仪式更像是个屠宰场而非一次盛会。