The Council of Lillebonne was a meeting of the nobles and clergy of Normandy where, among other things, the expedition of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

, then Duke of Normandy, was approved. It was held at

Lillebonne Lillebonne () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in Northern France. It lies north of the Seine and east of Le Havre. In 2019, it had a population of 8,797. History Before the Roman conquest of Gaul, Iuliobon ...

, in the northeast of Normandy.

Wace Wace ( 1110 – after 1174), sometimes referred to as Robert Wace, was a Medieval Norman poet, who was born in Jersey and brought up in mainland Normandy (he tells us in the ''Roman de Rou'' that he was taken as a child to Caen), ending his car ...

, the 12th-century historian, wrote of the council, convened shortly before the actual invasion, likely in January 1066.

William of Poitiers William of Poitiers ( 10201090) (LA: Guillelmus Pictaviensis; FR: Guillaume de Poitiers) was a Frankish priest of Norman origin and chaplain of Duke William of Normandy (William the Conqueror), for whom he chronicled the Norman Conquest of Eng ...

, a chronicler of the Norman invasion, claims that the duke also obtained the consent of Pope Alexander II for the invasion, along with a papal banner. The council, also called the Norman Council and Assembly of Lillebonne, began with the refusal of

Harold Harold may refer to: People * Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Harold (surname), surname in the English language * András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold" Arts a ...

to relinquish the crown of England. Two such councils were held, a smaller council of trusted advisors and a larger council to discuss the planned conquest. Relatives and allies of William participated including many of the proven Companions of William: * Robert, Count of Mortain, half-brother of William *

William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Hereford ...

, cousin of William and a proven companion, a strong advocate of the invasion who convinced the doubters that the mission was feasible * Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, William’s half-brother *

Odo, Count of Champagne }; 1115) was Count of Troyes and of Meaux from 1047 to 1066, then Count of Aumale from 1069 to 1115. He was later also known as the count of Champagne and as Eudes II of Troyes. Biography Odo was the son of Stephen II of Troyes and Meaux, and Adel ...

, William’s brother-in-law *

Richard, Count of Évreux Richard, Count of Évreux (c.1015–1067) was a powerful Norman nobleman during the reign of William Duke of Normandy. Life Richard was the eldest son of Robert II Archbishop of Rouen and Count of Évreux and Herleva. Richard donated a mill at ...

, father of

William, Count of Évreux William, Count of Évreux (died 16 April 1118) was a powerful member of the Norman aristocracy during the period following the Norman conquest of England. He is one of the few documented to have been with William the Conqueror at the Battle of Ha ...

, a proven companion * Hugh of Eu, Bishop of Lisieux, brother of the traitor Busac *

Roger de Beaumont Roger de Beaumont (c. 1015 – 29 November 1094), feudal lord (French: ''seigneur'') of Beaumont-le-Roger and of Pont-Audemer in Normandy, was a powerful Norman nobleman and close advisor to William the Conqueror. − Origins Roger wa ...

, who murdered William’s tormentor

Roger I of Tosny Roger I of Tosny or Roger of Hispania (died c. 1040) was a Norman nobleman of the House of Tosny who took part in the Reconquista of Iberia. Career Roger was the son of Raoul I of Tosny, seigneur de Conches. In 1013, Roger and his father Raoul ...

, who advised William but did not participate in the invasion due to his advanced years *

Raoul IV de Conches Raoul III of Tosny (1079-1126), Lord of Conches-en-Ouche (A commune in the Eure département in northern France), was an Anglo-Norman nobleman of the House of Tosny. Life Born in 1079, Raoul was the son of Raoul II of Tosny and Isabel de Montfort ...

, grandson of Roger of Tosny *

Hugh de Grandmesnil Hugh de Grandmesnil (1032 – 22 February 1098), (known in French as ''Hugues'' and Latinised as ''Hugo de Grentmesnil'', aliter ''Grentemesnil'', etc.), is one of the proven companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle ...

, a proven companion of William’s, originally banished but reinstated *

Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury Roger de Montgomery (died 1094), also known as Roger the Great, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury, and Earl of Arundel, in Sussex. His father was Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of Montgomery, a member of the House of Montgomerie, and was probably ...

, who had previously cursed William *

Walter Giffard, Lord of Longueville Walter Gautier Giffard, Lord of Longueville, Normandy (a.k.a. 'Giffard of Barbastre'), was a Norman baron, a Tenant-in-chief in England, a Christian knight who fought against the Saracens in Spain during the Reconquista and was one of the 15 ...

, a known companion of William’s * Hugh de Montfort, Lord of Montfort-sur-Risle, a known companion of William’s *

William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Lord of Lewes, Seigneur de Varennes (died 1088), was a Norman nobleman created Earl of Surrey under William II Rufus. He is among the few known from documents to have fought under William the Conqueror ...

. Cajoled by William FitzOsbern, the council approved the invasion plans. William of Poitiers nevertheless describes the council and gives an account of a debate that took place between among the nobles and supporters over whether to risk an invasion of England. Although some formal meeting probably was held, it is unlikely that there was significant debate, as the duke had by then established control over his nobles, and those assembled would want to secure their share of the rewards from the conquest of England.

Sources

Douglas, David C., ''William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England'', University of California Press, Berkeley, 1964 Freeman, Edward A., The Norman Council and the Assembly of Lillebonne, from ''The History of the Norman Conquest of England'', Cambridge University Press, London, 201
(archive

References

William the Conqueror Duchy of Normandy Dukes of Normandy Norman conquest of England {{Normandy-stub