William the Conqueror was from Normandy, located in northwest France. The King of England in the late 1050s and early 1060s was Edward the Confessor. Edward was William's cousin. Since Edward was childless, there were multiple people who claimed that they were the rightful heir and should become king. These conflicting claims gave rise to armed conflict. William invaded England, where he won the Battle of Hastings, defeating earl Harold Godwinson. A number of battles followed, but William became King of England late in 1066. He dealt with multiple rebellions over the next decade, but retained his power. Ultimately he was able to return to Normandy and rule England from there.