William I the Bad of Naples & Sicily 1 2 3
- Born: 1120
- Marriage: Margaret of Navarre
- Died: 7 May 1166 aged 46
General Notes:
He was the fourth son of Roger II and Elvira Alfonso of Castile, and grew up with little expectation of ruling. The deaths of his 3 older brothers between 1138 and 1148 changed matters, though when his father died William was still not well-prepared to take his place.
Norman king of Sicily (1154-66). The son of King Roger II, William continued his father's policy of excluding the principal nobles from participation in the central government. Encouraged by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) and Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus, the nobles rose in rebellion, but by 1160 William succeeded in crushing them. In 1159 he had also helped to install Pope Alexander III in the Holy See against Frederick's opposition and the claims of several antipopes.
Noted events in his life were:
• Acceded: King of Naples & Sicily, 1154.
William married Margaret of Navarre, daughter of García IV the Restorer Ramírez and Marguerite de l' Aigle.
Marriage Notes:
They had 4 sons:
Roger (d. 1161), duke of Apulia;
Robert;
William II of Sicily;
Henry (d. 1172), prince of Capua. 3
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