In order to pursue this claim, he invaded England in 1066 and defeated [King Harold]? at the [Battle of Hastings]?, thus allowing him to seize the throne. His victory is commemorated in the [Bayeux Tapestry]?.
William initiated many major changes, amongst them a fundamental review of the prevailing Anglo-Saxon legal system, which he fused with Norman law. In order to ascertain the extent of his dominion, William commissioned the compilation of the Domesday Book, a survey of the population of England and their possessions. He also ordered the building of a number of castles, among them the Tower of London.
William was succeeded in 1087 by William II.