We just had to hook you with that title. So, no, this is not about England’s current princes, it’s about royals from a long, long time ago called William, Duke of Normandy and Harold Godwinson … the main characters in King & Conqueror, the new historical drama on M-Net. We don’t know whether Harold was ever nicknamed Harry (and the current Harry’s first name is Henry and not Harold), and William’s name was actually Guillaume because he was a sort of French Viking. But we digress.
These 11th century figures have been depicted on screen before, but not as often as you might think and not often as main characters – they’re not a patch on Queen Elizabeth I, for example, or even Queen Elizabeth II. To be fair, William and Harold lived a very long time ago, so many have not heard of them and historical data is not as abundantly (or reliably) available. But their lives were dramatic, impactful, and worthy of screen time. Here are some of the iterations that came to life before King & Conqueror.
Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955)
Remember what we said about William and Harold not always being main characters? This film is one example. It’s about Lady Godiva, an Anglo-Saxon (like Harold) woman who allegedly rode naked on a horse through Coventry to protest her husband’s heavy taxation against the people. The image of her on the horse has become famous, evoked in our times by celebrities like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Bianca Censori.
Given Lady Godiva’s sensational story (whether true or not), it’s hardly surprising that William and Harold, played by Thayer Roberts and Rex Reason, take a back seat. Those names may not ring a bell, but the film does feature a very early appearance by an actor who would become very famous … Clint Eastwood!
Hereward the Wake (1965)
This was a British TV series about Hereward the Wake, an Anglo-Saxon who led a resistance against the Normans. The Anglo-Saxons and Normans pop up a lot in these tales, given that William was a Norman and Harold an Anglo-Saxon. The series featured John Carson as William and Peter Arne as Harold.
William the Conqueror (1982)
Since William was a bit French and his name was Guillaume, there are some French adaptations to be found as well. In this film, he’s played by French actor Hervé Bellon, with American actor John Terry taking on the role of Harold. It wasn’t the first time an American took on the role, since Lady Godiva of Coventry is filled with the clang of several American twangs.
Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990)
The great Michael Gambon – who has played many royals and Dumbledore – takes on the role in this TV movie from 1990. It does not appear to feature Harold.
Guillaume le Conquérant aka Guillaume, la jeunesse du conquérant (2015)
In this French film, William/Guillaume is portrayed by French actor Dan Bronchinson, with two other actors (Tiésay Deshayes and Jean-Damien Détouillon) playing younger versions.
1066: A Year to Conquer England (2017)
This was a documentary drama presented by historian and TV host Dan Snow. Scripted pieces featured actors portraying historical figures, including Adam James as Harold and Ed Stoppard as William. Fun fact: Stoppard featured in M-Net’s adaptation of the Deon Meyer book, Trackers.
Miscellaneous television episodes
Given the propensity for telling and retelling history on the screen – and the Brits’ fondness for doing so humourously – Harold and William have popped up in a handful of comedy shows. These include a 1975 episode of the TV comedy series Carry On Laughing, called ‘One in the Eye for Harold’ (carry on watching King & Conqueror to find out what that title’s all about).
The comedy sketch The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything collected some of Britain’s finest funny men and women – including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Dawn French, and Brian Blessed – to cover a whole bunch of English history. Naturally this meant William and Harold were depicted, portrayed by James Fleet and Rory McGrath respectively. Horrible Histories was another historical comedy sketch show that featured famous figures. Simon Farnaby and Kevin Eldon both portrayed William during different seasons.
Most of these movies and shows are little-known or have faded into obscurity, so it was high time more attention was paid to this slice of history. King & Conqueror takes on that mantle casting English actor James Norton as Harold and Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William. Watch these men in action every Thursday at 21:00 on M-Net or catch up on the royal drama on DStv Stream.
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