Finally, the wind had changed direction and William could finally set course for England. Harold, being all the way up in York, had to go all the way back down. He set up camp in London, hoping for William to come to him, but William burned down villages, forcing Harold’s hand.
Harold’s forces placed themselves a top a hill in Hastings, with the Norman troops at the base of the hill. After a long stand off, The Norman Infantry charged up the hill. Then William brought the infantry back down and sent the cavalry up instead, this repeated for a few hours until something changed.
Some suspect that soldiers believed William had been killed. Others say it was a tactical decision. Others say that the Normans were just tired. Whatever the case may be, the Norman soldiers fled down the hill. The Saxons followed, allowing the Normans to encircle them and decimate them. Harold Godwinson was killed during this, the leading theory being that he was shot in the eye.
William was crowned King of England on Christmas Day, 1066. When the crowd cheered outside Westminster Abbey, William believed it to be a riot and burned down the village. After a long campaign of suppressing rebellions and burning down more villages, William was accepted as the official King of England.