The Lemon Fool

Descendants of King William II’s killer want to donate triptych depicting death to UK museum

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/descendants-of-king-william-iis-killer-keen-to-donate-triptych-depicting-death-to-british-museum

Latin-inscribed artwork believed to date back to 1100 tells story of Walter Tirel, whose son killed British monarch

"The Italian descendants of King William II’s killer want to donate a work of medieval art partly depicting William’s death to a British museum."

Odd that the Grauniad forgot to mention that he was widely known as Rufus - that was certainly what he was referred to in our school history lessons. An effective military leader, not religious, and a bit of a loose cannon in many ways. Didn't marry, no children, may have been the target of homophobic resentment. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_England) doesn't stint with its (ahem) intimations of all the reasons why he might have acquired enemies.

Which I suppose might have been why Henry I, who succeeded him, didn't apparently try too hard to find out whether his death was really accidental? Small wonder, anyway,that the Tirellis scarpered off back to France as soon as their man had been sprung from jail. But now, 924 years later, it's probably safe to fess up to the treasonous deed?

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:Odd that the Grauniad forgot to mention that he was widely known as Rufus - that was certainly what he was referred to in our school history lessons. An effective military leader, not religious, and a bit of a loose cannon in many ways. Didn't marry, no children, may have been the target of homophobic resentment. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_II_of_England) doesn't stint with its (ahem) intimations of all the reasons why he might have acquired enemies.

Which I suppose might have been why Henry I, who succeeded him, didn't apparently try too hard to find out whether his death was really accidental? Small wonder, anyway,that the Tirellis scarpered off back to France as soon as their man had been sprung from jail. But now, 924 years later, it's probably safe to fess up to the treasonous deed?

BJ

If people haven't already, read The White Ship by Charles Spencer. It's all in there up to the Plantagenet period. Loads of interest, both fact and speculation.

XFool wrote:Descendants of King William II’s killer want to donate triptych depicting death to UK museum

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/descendants-of-king-william-iis-killer-keen-to-donate-triptych-depicting-death-to-british-museum

Latin-inscribed artwork believed to date back to 1100 tells story of Walter Tirel, whose son killed British monarch

"The Italian descendants of King William II’s killer want to donate a work of medieval art partly depicting William’s death to a British museum."

The triptych bears a truly uncanny resemblance to the Bayeux Tapestry, but with the names changed of course.