William is the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, Robert the Devil. When the duke dies during a trip to Jerusalem, William succeeds the throne at only 15 years of age. During his long reign, he fights rebellions, keeps his barons in check, and even takes the throne of England in 1066. After William became King of England, the rebellions against him were quickly crushed. However, Hereward the Wake, the most troublesome of the rebels, held out on Ely Island for five years, turning Hereward into a Saxon folk hero.